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Woody Woodpecker DVD
Topic Started: Jul 11 2007, 09:44 AM (812 Views)
thadk
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I have posted some framegrabs from my copy that arrived today.

http://classicanimation.blogspot.com
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mort bakaprevski
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Well, unfortunately, the set doesn’t contain JUNGLE JIVE (the Bob Zurke cartoon) or COW COW BOOGIE (with Mead Lux Lewis) or SCRUB ME MAMA WITH A BOOGIE BEAT… but it still is definitely on my ‘must buy” list!!!.
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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panzer the great & terrible
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Does it have "The Fastest Man in Siam?"
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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mort bakaprevski
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If you mean THE GREATEST MAN IN SIAM, the answer is yes (also has ABOU BEN BOOGIE). thadk has all of the cartoons listed on the Popeye thread (it's there because that's where I asked him about the Zurke & Lewis caroons)!!!
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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thadk
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I posted a review of it here...

http://reviews.goldenagecartoons.com/woody
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Laughing Gravy
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Last night, I sat down, hit "play all", and made it through the first four Woody Woodpecker cartoons. Man, are they COLORFUL. They seem much more colorful than the Warners cartoons from the same era. I don't like the cartoons very much, though; of the four, the first two (Woody's first two appearances, the initial one in an Andy Panda 'toon) were good enough for FNF viewing, but the next two were repetive and boring. I switched to the special features and watched that Lowell Thomas 1-reeler about how cartoons were made -- fun, interesting stuff, and Walter Lantz had hair, but Oswald the Rabbit was still an annoying, boring character -- and King Klunk, a minor gem that pretty much lifted its entire plot from Kong, with little variation. That's an FNF definite.
"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
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The Batman
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Out of all the recent classic animation releases (Looney Tunes, Popeye, Droopy, etc), Woody Woodpecker is the one property I have absolutely no interest in. Didn't like the character (or most of the other characters in the set) as a kid, don't like 'em now. Your mini-review has convinced me that I made the right decision, LG.
Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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mort bakaprevski
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I noticed that the Woodpecker cartoons from either 47 or 48 (maybe both) said "Released by United Artists." I thought Lantz had been exclusively associated with Universal through his whole career. Anyone (thadk, Rodney) know the story behind these anomalies???
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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rodney
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For reasons unknown, he left Universal and signed with United Artists. After a year or so, the studio shut down for a couple of years. When they opened back up, the shorts were distributed by Universal again, but with much lower budgets. Maltin's animation book talks about this a bit.

I really like the Woody cartoons up until the studio reopened in 1951. It should also be noted that it's a miracle that this release came out at all. Universal has ZERO interest in these characters.
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Laughing Gravy
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Tonight, I watched two more Woody cartoons, the awful Hollywood Matador and Ace in the Hole, an airplane cartoon that was actually pretty good (if you overlook the fact that Woody - a bird - thinks he needs a plane to fly). Both are from 1942.

Then I switched over to Hell's Heels, a 1930 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon. I found it tasteless and unfunny. Finally, Toyland Premiere, a not-too-bad Christmas cartoon from 1934 that has Santa feted by movie stars, including Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan, Karloff's Frankenstein Monster, Al Jolson (in blackface), and others. For all intents and purposes, it was a Laurel & Hardy cartoon; they got the most gags.
"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
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Bonga
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I'm sort of having a similar reaction to Woody, whom I had not seen for decades prior to getting the box set, though I did have a chance to meet Mr. Lantz, about 30 years ago (he was one of the most cordial people you can imagine; I was with him for a couple of hours, and he was utterly nice to everyone we encountered, equally so to people who didn't know who he was as to those who did). The first thing I notice about the cartoons is how colorful they are, how nicely the backgrounds are painted, vibrant but calm--they look like Disney product from the late thirties. The next thing that becomes apparent watching this box is how little charisma any of the characters have. Woody, who is a thoroughly one-note character, is the most interesting of the lot, the rabbit and the panda bear are the animated equivalent of a giant sucking sound. I watch them and don't crack a smile. I can see an individual well-placed Woody cartoon would work nicely, but this is one set of discs that should not come with a "Play All" feature. After three or four, you're itching and leaving the room to get a drink and really, really happy that in the quest for classic animation, you can ditch this disc and put in the newly released Popeye one. Wow, has anyone noticed the colors in Sinbad the Sailor? I knew the colors on the cheap PD versions were faded, but I had no idea what a restoration would yield. It's kind of like scraping away what you think is an etching by Breugel and finding that underneath is a painting from Peter Max. Thought I'd cut the wrong mushrooms into the stir-fry for a minute.
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mort bakaprevski
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Well, if you want some good stuff, go to CD #3 & the Cartune Classics:

BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY – Definitely NOT politically correct… but some good gags & the music is terrific.

MOTHER GOOSE ON THE LOOSE – A number of great gags and the narration is done by someone doing a spot on imitation of Frank Morgan. I don’t know why, but it works perfectly.

PIGEON PATROL – Skip it!!!

CRAZY MIXED UP PUP – Not one of Tex Avery’s best, but still quite good… and it has Daws Butler.

SH-H-H-H-H-H – Tex again. Very imaginative and VERY funny!!!
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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thadk
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I love Lantz cartoons. The ones by Shamus Culhane and Tex Avery are incredible. Dick Lundy's are really slick and usually funny. I can't wait for future volumes with Don Patterson, Alex Lovy, and Sid Marcus directed shorts.

I really don't care for any of Jack Hannah's or Paul Smith's shorts though, though they are good time-wasters.

I helped pick out the Andy and Oswald cartoons on the set (most of my choices are there), so if you think they suck, oh well.

Universal hates the Lantz cartoons and characters, so as Rodney said, it's hard to believe it came out at all.
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Laughing Gravy
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THANK YOU. I was hoping that somebody that enjoys these cartoons would step up 'n' defend 'em. You'll note that even those of us who don't care for Lantz cartoons supported the project by purchasin' the darn thing!
"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
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mort bakaprevski
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thad, why does Universal hate the Lantz cartoons??? Elucidate, por favor!!
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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