Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol Blu-Ray (1 Viewer)

[moviebuff75]

This blu-ray looks nice, but they used too much DNR. The "All Alone In The World" sequence is marred by heavy use of it. The words and images on the chalkboard completely disappear during a pan. I hope someday this classics gets the real restoration it deserves, and not just a cleanup and boosting of colors.

 

[Matt Hough]

I have never replaced my DVD, and now I'm not anxious to. Thanks, Eric, for the heads-up.

 

[Harry-N]

Well, we all have our thresholds for what is and is not acceptable. I bought the Blu-ray/DVD Collector's Edition of MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL back when it first came out, 2010, I believe. I found it amazing then and amazing now.

I think I was among the viewers for the second year showing of the special - that would have been 1963 - and the music and songs were so good and memorable, that I was able to forgive the fact that this was a TV cartoon and wouldn't have the attention to detail of a theatrical Disney or Warner Brothers cartoon. But it had heart and was one of those right-place-right-time events and it's become part of the fabric of Christmas entertainment.

When I brought home the Blu-ray and began watching it, I was taken back to that night in 1963 when I first saw it. No, it was way better than what I saw on a small, flickering, analog, black & white television set.

This Blu-ray was beyond my expectations for color, clarity, detail and general "wonderfulness". Maybe I'm easy to please. Maybe I don't expect FANTASIA levels from a TV cartoon from the 1960s. It was certainly a welcome step up from the old LaserDisc I had. Even the DVD included in this version is quite watchable.

 

[MartinP.]

I remember seeing it when it first aired. For some reason the talk in my grade school class the next day from the boys was all about that door knocker! Heh! I'm guessing this was my first brush with the "Christmas Carol" story. Saw it in b&w then, as you did Harry. I don't think I saw it in color until it came out on VHS in the 80's.

The music by broadway composer Jule Styne and lyrics by Bob Merrill was one of the huge reasons for its success, I'd say. I love the poignant "Winter Was Warm" and "I'm All Alone in the World" is heartbreaking.

And the idea of having it be Magoo performing it as a Broadway show is somehow really irresistable.

I missed that it came out on Blu-Ray. When was that?

 

[Harry-N]

Looks like 2010 for the Blu/DVD. Sometime later a Blu-only came out.

 

[moviebuff75]

Universal re-released this in 2019, but I don't want to waste money if it is the same. I know with Universal's R/B titles, they actually tweaked them from their Classic Media versions. Also, the sound mix looks to be different on the 2019 version...so it is a possibility.

 

[JamesSmith]

Didn't see any classic TV Christmas specials out on DVD this year. Was hoping that some unreleased ones would turn up like "The Great Santa Switch" with Art Carney. Or new releases of the seventies, "Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Clause," and "The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas."

I miss them.

--jthree