Press Release Warner Archive Collection Press Release: Magilla Gorilla: The Complete Series (1964-1966) (Blu-ray)

[Mark Y]

I saw Yogi Bear and Magilla Gorilla on Me-TV Toons yesterday and if this is a preview of what we're getting on Blu-Ray, we are in for a treat!

(I hope Yogi Bear follows soon on Blu-Ray.)

The show openings and closings had to be "de-sponsorized" for TV, resulting in some clunky editing on the Magilla open and close, but we'll be getting the whole thing on the Blu-Ray set. And I have never seen it look so clean and clear.

Both Yogi and Magilla had bumpers in between the cartoons and it was wonderful to see them again.

Everything is crystal clear. Huckleberry Hound is said to be coming to the channel somewhere down the line, hopefully Blu-Ray is in Huck's future too.

One thing though, on the Magilla Gorilla show, wasn't the order of the segments:

Magilla Gorilla
Punkin Puss
Ricochet Rabbit

That's how I always saw it in Chicago but that was in reruns in the 1970s. Also, in the "de-sponsorized" opening and closing (as seen on the Saturday Morning Cartoons 1960s sets and formerly shown on Cartoon Network) that's the order they are announced. On Me-TV Toons they have Ricochet and Punkin switching places and it feels...wrong. But I guess if that's the worst issue, I can get used to it!

 

[seanrt]

Very much looking forward to this release. As others have said WAC are knocking these releases out of the park so far in 2025. I hope we get Wacky Races, The Yogi Bear Show, The Peter Potomus Show, Hanna Barbera’s New Series, The Huckleberry Hound Show, The Atom Ant Show, The Secret Squirrel Show and The Perils of Penelope Pitstop for the rest of the year.

I agree. It’s exciting seeing the movement on HB. A couple of weeks ago The New Adventures of Huck Finn was released in HD digitally. I would like to see those transfers hit blu ray.

 

[Mark Y]

Very much looking forward to this release. As others have said WAC are knocking these releases out of the park so far in 2025. I hope we get Wacky Races, The Yogi Bear Show, The Peter Potomus Show, Hanna Barbera’s New Series, The Huckleberry Hound Show, The Atom Ant Show, The Secret Squirrel Show and The Perils of Penelope Pitstop for the rest of the year.

If they do Secret Squirrel, I really would like to see them correct the error with the end title music on the Secret Squirrel cartoons. All but three have the wrong musical fanfare on the end title.

What happened was, three of the Secret Squirrel cartoons (including the first one, "Sub Swiper") used Atom Ant's opening and closing fanfare, while the other 23 used Secret Squirrel's own fanfare. (I don't know why, and I don't consider this an "error," as all indicators are that this is how they aired.)

When they remastered the show for DVD, they used the same end title fanfare on all 26 Secret Squirrel cartoons, but it's Atom Ant's music, not Secret Squirrel's. I am gonna "guess" since the picture portion was identical, they mastered it just one time and then cut it onto the end of all the cartoons. The opening title cards were left alone (maybe because they are all unique with the title of each cartoon on them) so the three with Atom Ant's intro music still have it, on the opening title, and the rest have Secret Squirrel's intro music. Just the end title music (on 23 out of 26) was changed.

 

[Broomy]

If they do Secret Squirrel, I really would like to see them correct the error with the end title music on the Secret Squirrel cartoons. All but three have the wrong musical fanfare on the end title.

What happened was, three of the Secret Squirrel cartoons (including the first one, "Sub Swiper") used Atom Ant's opening and closing fanfare, while the other 23 used Secret Squirrel's own fanfare. (I don't know why, and I don't consider this an "error," as all indicators are that this is how they aired.)

When they remastered the show for DVD, they used the same end title fanfare on all 26 Secret Squirrel cartoons, but it's Atom Ant's music, not Secret Squirrel's. I am gonna "guess" since the picture portion was identical, they mastered it just one time and then cut it onto the end of all the cartoons. The opening title cards were left alone (maybe because they are all unique with the title of each cartoon on them) so the three with Atom Ant's intro music still have it, on the opening title, and the rest have Secret Squirrel's intro music. Just the end title music (on 23 out of 26) was changed.

WAC have been pretty good about making sure the HB shows go in disc as close as possible to how they were originally broadcast. It was a shame the bumper for Space Ghost where he flys past and waves at Dino Boy was missing but I’m sure this was an honest oversight.

Penelope Pitstop was released on DVD with incorrect opening music so I hope that gets corrected too when that show is released.

Lastly, Wacky Races should be released in its proper format. On the DVD each segment has the opening and closing titles stuck on for some reason.

 

[Mark Y]

WAC have been pretty good about making sure the HB shows go in disc as close as possible to how they were originally broadcast. It was a shame the bumper for Space Ghost where he flys past and waves at Dino Boy was missing but I’m sure this was an honest oversight.

Penelope Pitstop was released on DVD with incorrect opening music so I hope that gets corrected too when that show is released.

Lastly, Wacky Races should be released in its proper format. On the DVD each segment has the opening and closing titles stuck on for some reason.

I remember a comment from Earl Kress regarding splitting the Wacky Races in two, with each cartoon having its own individual opening and closing: "The lawyers made them do it that way" (whatever that means).

The Wacky Races mid-show commercial break bumper is an "Easter Egg" on the DVD set.

 

[Broomy]

This is now up for preorder on MovieZyng.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Thank you for supporting HTF when you preorder using the link below. As an Amazon Associate HTF earns from qualifying purchases. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.

https://www.amazon.com/Magilla-Gorilla-Show-Complete/dp/B0DYPLZ9SX?crid=2IC1AH2AJHNLT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Qn9nO-xZ3x62J6x9LZsrfkR7P_s1o0ZeDRv8PvIyqpjGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.4thh8a04scNvrC_2bTgRkN3q0bx2AJ_vikYx0LL_7No&dib_tag=se&keywords=UPC%3A+840418324424&qid=1740789880&sprefix=upc+840418324424%2Caps%2C211&sr=8-1-fkmr0&linkCode=sl1&tag=theextrasstor-20&linkId=4adeb856a1a0f1cc19f105d8a61a922f&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

 

[Mark Y]

I noticed on Me-TV Toons that the closing music on the Magilla Gorilla show was shorter than the version that's been out there for years -- on Cartoon Network showings and on the "Saturday Morning Cartoons 1960s" DVDs. I guessed this was shortened for TV but I just got the Magilla Gorilla Blu-Ray set and I see it's the same there as well -- in this You Tube video the section from 0:47 to 1:03 is edited out and the credits scroll seems to be sped up on the Me-TV Toons and Blu-Ray version.

I note that the one on the SMC sets is the "de-sponsorized" version and the one on the Blu-Ray set is the original including the Ideal sponsor plug, i.e. they are different versions of the closing. Was the original Ideal version actually shorter or was this edited after the fact?

Kudos for including the Ideal sponsor plugs as well as the Screen Gems "dancing sticks" at the end.

 

[Randy Korstick]

I received my copy yesterday and watched the 1st episode. Great job by WAC. Night and day difference between the old DVD. On the DVD most of the Magilla cartoons looked good and about half of the Ricochet Rabbit cartoons looked good but none of the Pumpkin Puss and Mushmouse cartoons looked good. They all look good here with nice colors. Its great to see the opening and closing credits and Intersitals . They included 2 different closing credits.

 

[Greg Chenoweth]

What do you mean that they don't look good? Also, what type of display are you watching them on?

Randy said the cartoons did not look good on DVD but on the Blu-ray release they look great! WB did no restoration on the Magilla DVD set and they did not include the opening and closing credits and no interstitials and it showed. Good news on this Blu-ray release.

 

[Timothy E]

The official HTF review has been posted HERE.

 

[Mark Y]

I received my copy yesterday and watched the 1st episode. Great job by WAC. Night and day difference between the old DVD. On the DVD most of the Magilla cartoons looked good and about half of the Ricochet Rabbit cartoons looked good but none of the Pumpkin Puss and Mushmouse cartoons looked good. They all look good here with nice colors. Its great to see the opening and closing credits and Intersitals . They included 2 different closing credits.

What are the differences? I have skipped around the set but haven't seen different closings -- just one which appears to be edited and sped up.

 

[Randy Korstick]

What are the differences? I have skipped around the set but haven't seen different closings -- just one which appears to be edited and sped up.

I'm going by memory right now. They basically both said the same thing but had some different images.

 

[The-Cinema-Upstairs]

I wasn't familiar at all with Punkin' Puss & Mushmouse until this release. Mushmouse, in some way reminded me of someone and I couldn't put my finger on who...until I DID!!

Am I the only one!?!?

 

[Greg Chenoweth]

I wasn't familiar at all with Punkin' Puss & Mushmouse until this release. Mushmouse, in some way reminded me of someone and I couldn't put my finger on who...until I DID!!

Am I the only one!?!?
View attachment 253739

Who is this guy in the photo? I’ve never seen him before.

 

[Broomy]

I always heard the Punkin' Puss & Mushmouse shorts were the weakest on this show. I loved them the most watching through this set earlier this year

 

[The-Cinema-Upstairs]

Who is this guy in the photo? I’ve never seen him before.

Its Leslie Jordan

 

[The-Cinema-Upstairs]

I always heard the Punkin' Puss & Mushmouse shorts were the weakest on this show. I loved them the most watching through this set earlier this year

I read a review that said that and I disagree with that...especially now that I unintentionally see Mushmouse as a caricature of Leslie Jordan. I can't unsee it now!