|
|
|
Search Movie Review
Archives
|
|
|
| |
| Dvdivas
was founded by John Gabbard in 2000. It's purpose has been and
remains to be to provide you, the entertainment community with
the latest dvds and movie reviews. It will continue to be your
link to the most popular dvd movies. |
|
|
"Walt
Disney Treasures- The Chronological Donald Volume 1 (1934-1941)
"
|
 |
Reviewed
by: |
Wayne A. Klein |
| Genre: |
Family/Comedy/
Animation |
| Video: |
Anamorphic
widescreen |
| Audio: |
Dolby Digital
2.0 (Mono) |
| Languages |
English |
| Subtitles |
English |
| Length |
275 minutes
|
| Rating |
G |
| Release Date |
5/18/04 |
| Studio |
Disney Home
Video |
| Commentary:
|
None |
| Documentaries:
|
None |
| Featurettes:
|
Introduction by Leonard
Maltin |
| Filmography/Biography:
|
Clarence
Nash |
|
Interviews: |
None |
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
None |
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
None |
| Music
Video: |
None |
| Other:
|
Publicity
and Memorabilia Gallery, Story and Background Art Gallery, Easter
Eggs |
| Cast
and Crew: |
Clarence
Nash, |
| Written
By: |
Carl Barks,
Jack Hannah, Harry Reeves |
| Produced
By: |
Walt Disney |
| Directed
By: |
Dick Lundy,
Jack King |
| Music:
|
NA |
| The
Review: |
Disney's 8 minute gems established
the standard while that "Looney Tunes" and other shorts imitated
in the very beginning. These marvelous and very funny cartoons
appear for the first (and limited time as there's only 165,000
of these tins being produced) time on DVD the way they were
intended; Disney has released these classics uncut with an
interesting introduction by film critic and historian Leonard
Maltin. Dick Lundy and Jack King have been forgotten by a
lot of animation fans simply because these shorts haven't
been as visible as the Looney Tunes or MGM cartoons that so
dominated the airwaves on television during the last half
century. ***
Here we get some of Donald Duck's
most memorable cartoons. Of all the Disney creations, Donald
most closely resembles and influenced the Looney Tunes style
(Daffy Duck was created originally as something of a knock
off of Donald). Among the stand out shorts are "The Autograph
Hound", "Mr. Duck Steps Out", "Put-Put Troubles" and "Chef
Donald". While the Disney shorts lack the crazy, zany edge
that put Looney Tunes (and to a lesser extent MGM) on the
map, they have a charm unique to the Disney cartoons. ---
|
| Image
and Sound: |
Surprisingly
sharp and vivid looking, these shorts have been lovingly transferred
by Disney with the highest quality. There are some minor analog
artifacts in the way of hair and dirt but these were probably
there during the animation stage (and as such are on the original
negatives). Some of these look considerably better than the
earliest cartoons in the Looney Tunes set. The mono sound also
sounds great. --- |
| The
Extras: |
We get a
comprehensive and involving introduction by Leonard Maltin and
a tribute to Clarence Nash the voice and personality of Donald
Duck as part of Maltin's comments. We get a bit of background
on Nash as well. Additionally, the publicity and memorabilia
included astonishes. It's amazing that this material has survived
all this time and is a credit to Disney's archive department.
By the time of the second disc, the freshness that made the
early cartoons have such zip had begun to disappear. They're
still charming and there's one or two classics here that can
hold their own to the best of their time. Still, the cartoons
on Disc One show more daring and inspiration by comparison.
The second disc also has a number of marvelous Easter Eggs with
rare bits and pieces that you'll delight in (I'll leave these
for you to discover). --- |
| Commentary:
|
No commentary
to note which is just as well as the cartoons really speak for
themselves. --- |
| Final
Words: |
A marvelous
collection of classic cartoons finally receives its due on a
great two disc DVD collection. Fans of animation should snap
these up immediately as these will be going out of print after
the initial run of DVDs. |
|
|
