Press Release Warner Archive Collection Press Release: Tom and Jerry (Complete CinemaScope Collection 1954-1958) (Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

[moviepas]

Reviews are out. It looks like the 1954 shorts are not in their original 2.55:1 aspect ratio, but do have stereo sound. Too bad. I wonder why? Maybe the original camera negatives weren't available and the only elements they had were modified to 2.35:1

Interesting point re elements. Keep in mind the MGM vault fire that lost a lot of material including animation like the MGM cartoons other than T&J as well. I have wondered uncensored TV elements were lost for animation.

 

[dana martin]

Mine arrived and had to immediately watch, beautiful and breathtaking. George and Company have excelled with this release. Honestly the difference in composition between this and Academy ratio made some of the ones that I've seen through the years take on New Life as if it was a completely different cartoon. Plus the addition of three other cinemascope cartoons as bonus features only enriches this release.

Hopefully in the future we'll get back to Academy ratio shorts as there are still 51 of the original Hanna-Barbera that deserve the same kind of beautiful release like this one did.

 

[Mark-P]

There appears to be an answer to the aspect ratio question in the podcast "The Extras".

Restoring a Cinematic Legacy: Tom and Jerry The Complete CinemaScope Collection Blu-ray - The Extras

Join animation historian Jerry Beck and George Feltenstein from the Warner Archive as they unfold the rich tapestry behind the Tom and Jerry CinemaScope Collection. Discover the revolutionary role of CinemaScope in the 1950s and how it breathed li...

www.buzzsprout.com

Mr. Feltenstein says that they looked at the original negatives from the early cartoons and found that they were actually 2.35:1, not 2.55:1 despite the fact that 20th Century Fox (owners of the CinemaScope process) had not yet blessed the 2.35:1 ratio and he has no explanation as to how these cartoons got created in the narrower aspect ratio.

So what I take from what Mr. Feltenstein is saying, is that the centerline must be offset and there is unused space on the left side of the image on the original negative where the optical soundtrack would be placed.

 

[Todd_Z]

just received my copy and after watching the first 4 cartoons all i can say is the quality is breathtaking. The restoration work done on these is phenomenal and you would never know the original prints were some 70 years old. Hats off again to the WB Restoration team and crew. I sure hope consumers keep purchasing these titles so many more can get released and seen like never before.

 

[Broomy]

just received my copy and after watching the first 4 cartoons all i can say is the quality is breathtaking. The restoration work done on these is phenomenal and you would never know the original prints were some 70 years old. Hats off again to the WB Restoration team and crew. I sure hope consumers keep purchasing these titles so many more can get released and seen like never before.

I agree, the restoration looks amazing. I hope the rest of the MGM cartoons library can be equally restored to the same standard.