Jerry Beck has the list of special features and "bonus" cartoons for the next Looney Tunes DVD set. As you can see, there are fewer special features this time around, but more cartoons, which is a fine trade-off as far as I'm concerned.)
The bonus cartoons aren't rare or censored -- alas, we're going to have to wait and see if the Censored More-than-11 (because there are a lot more than 11 cartoons now that don't get shown anywhere) ever get released -- just additional cartoons that fit in with the theme of the disc. It's good to see Sniffles and Hippety Hopper finally make an appearance on these sets; no, they're not the greatest series, but they were reasonably successful series (especially if you count Sniffles' success in the comics) that deserve some token representation in this series.
And "Punch Trunk" is always nice to see; dating from one of Chuck Jones and Mike Maltese's great years, 1953, it's a one-shot that is in some ways even weirder than their greatest one shot from that year, "Much Ado About Nutting" (which is also on this set). Essentially it's a traditional spot-gag cartoon, except that the subject is totally insane: a realistic-looking but tiny elephant runs around a city. (The elephant and the squirrel in "Nutting" seem to demonstrate an interest on Jones' part in integrating semi-realistic animal behavior into a WB-style gag cartoon.) Someone has suggested that it's a take-off on UFO sightings, which were becoming increasingly common; the scenario is, what if instead of spotting a UFO or a little green man, people spotted a tiny elephant?
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
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6 comments:
S.S. Michael Maltese...
Dr. Robert Bruce...
Mr. Pratt...
Love those in-jokes. This is a minor classic. Too bad those bonus shorts won't be restored.
With the LT franchise apparently going for four to two DVD sets from now on, it looks like they decided to squeeze as many cartoons onto this four-volume set as possible that would be problematic to get onto a two-volume one (my guess is the future releases will be like a slightly-more-hardcore version of the current Spotlight Collection DVDs, with one or two non-starring character cartoons only per DVD in the future).
Interesting noting all the social changes. All the smoking, for example. You can imagine the hysteria it would provoke now to show a mother smoking in the same room as her young daughter. Or the drunk staggering home from the tavern.
And that line. "Oh Marsha!" "Oh John!"
Joseph T Major
Thank you for posting this! This is one of my favorite cartoons. And the drunk examining his watch and telling the elephant off is probably in my top-10 favorite gags.
I hope the bonus cartoons are restored. On previous volumes they haven't been.
Wonderful background layouts in this short. Notice how quickly and economically the vertical pan's sillo props set up the ritzy atmosphere of the posh apartment building. Ditto the drunk scene's liquid-looking solids structure. Not a frame goes wasted.
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