LTGC vol.5 - Something New Has Been Added!

... or at least something new for most of us who weren't even born when these cartoons played in the local cinema, in their full uncut glory. As you all know, many Looney Tunes were reissued without their proper openings and credits. Also, they were all mercilessly censored on TV. Because of that, it was difficult (or sometimes even impossible) to see many WB cartoons in their original and unaltered form. In this post, I will feature few curiosities and rare bits that have been restored in several cartoons from the latest Looney Tunes Golden Collection vol.5.

First, here are the title-cards and openings that have been fully restored. All these cartoons were seen only in Blue Ribbon reissued versions, for the last few decades:













Now, here are few scenes, previously censored in the majority of available prints.

I've Got To Sing a Torch Song (1933) - not a great cartoon, but interesting one for many reasons. Also, it was a very rare cartoon for a long time, before an excellent print appeared last year as a bonus in the superb "Busby Berkeley Collection". Oddly, this brief scene was missing, and nobody even knew of its existence:

Porky At The Crocadero (1938) - obviously, TV censors wanted you to believe that Cab Calloway caricatures are illegal, so this superbly animated scene of Porky in blackface has been excised:

Wholly Smoke (1938) - another brilliant cartoon by Frank Tashlin, and another scene you were not allowed to see:

Porky's Preview (1941) - Al Jolson in blackface, and as a stick figure. Wow, how offensive...

Crazy Cruise (1942) - I bet you haven't seen these scenes on TV:

Scrap Happy Daffy (1943) - again Tashlin. The whole cartoon was unofficially banned, though occasionally shown on TV. Also, it was nearly impossible to see a really good quality print, until now!

Hare Ribbin' (1944) - director's cut. Bugs shoots first :) And that's not the only difference between the dir.cut and the released version. One of my next posts is going to be dedicated to this cartoon, in both versions.





The quality of restoration is on the usually great level, and I haven't so far noticed any offending mistakes (DVNR, interlaced transfers, etc.)
One of the cartoons that benefited mostly from this new restoration is Tex Avery's Little Red Walking Hood. This cartoon was noted for its unique backround style - everything has been rendered with colored pencils. Visually, it's one of the most unusual cartoons, not only among Looney Tunes, but in the whole Hollywood cartoon production of the 30s and 40s. This new prints looks completely different from any available version (most of the other prints had the reddish tint). Does this restoration looks authentic and true to the original and intended look of this cartoon? We can't be sure, but it does look really interesting. Here are two screenshots, and you'll see many more in my next post.




Don't forget to read the excellent GAC review of the new Looney Tunes DVD set, written by Matthew Hunter.

T-t-t-that's all folks!

Eatin' On The Cuff

Well, it's been a long pause, but here we go again :)
I apologize for the lack of updates during last two weeks. As you all know, the Looney Tunes Golden Collection vol.5 is out, and this event must be celebrated with a series of posts. One of the cartoons contained in this DVD set is Bob Clampett's relatively obscure, but brilliant Eatin' On The Cuff (or The Moth Who Came To Dinner).

It's a funny variation of "the moth and the flame" story: a moth who's just about to be married to a bee, is tempted by a "sexy" black widow spider disguised as Veronica Lake. This cartoon has an admirable mix of cuteness and aggression that was very much Clampett's trade mark during the late 30s and early 40s. The animation is extraordinary - remember, this is one of the earliest cartoons that Clampett made with the former Tex Avery's unit, and the main animators were: Rod Scribner (who did some of his wildest and most uninhibited scenes here), Bob McKimson and Virgil Ross (the only officially credited animator). The characters were designed by Gene Hazelton, a superb artist who worked at Clampett's unit in 1942 (and later spent many years at MGM, working both for Tex Avery and Hanna & Barbera). His most famous work for Clampett was design of all main characters in Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarfs.

This cartoon was released on 8/22/1942, exactly between two popular Clampett classics: Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid and The Hep Cat. It was the last Clampett's black & white cartoon, and the use of this technique is quite extraordinary. It's also one of the rare WB cartoons that extensively used the live-action scenes, and photographed backgrounds. Clampett experimented with photo-backgrounds earlier in Porky's Pooch, and Friz Freleng's masterpiece You Ought To Be in Pictures from 1940 is almost entirely made as a live-action/cartoon combination.
The name of the live-action pianist and narrator (dubbed by Mel Blanc) is Leo White .








Here are few frames from a wonderful walk cycle (done by Bob McKimson?)
























































Confidentially, she stings!











The lack of color is probably the main reason why "Eatin' On The Cuff" isn't more famous, or more frequently shown on TV. It's in my opinion comparable to Clampett's best color cartoons.