Looney Tunes Collectors Choice Vol. 4
Warner Archive Collection
The merry-go-round hasn’t broken down yet; the fourth volume of classic Warner Bros. cartoons from the Warner Archive is probably my favorite so far, based on the sheer variety of characters, directors, and laugh quotient. It’s a five-star winner.
Adding to the variety, the cartoons are presented in alphabetical rather than chronological order, by subject matter, or by character; I don’t recall if the earlier Archive presentations were laid out the same way, but it’s a fun way to watch. The collection includes 25 cartoons new to Blu-ray plus two bonus cartoons, and what makes them a “bonus” I’m not sure, they don’t appear to have controversial material that would plop them into an Extras subtab.
Rather than review every cartoon, here are some of my favorites in the set.
A Bone for a Bone (1951) features those ever-so-polite Goofy Gophers, intent on preventing the local dog from burying his treasure in their subterranean dwelling.
D’Fightin’ Ones (1961) isn’t very funny, but the subject matter is fascinating: it’s a parody of the classic film The Defiant Ones, with a cat and a dog.
Dangerous Dan McFoo (1939) is from the ‘30s, was inspired by a popular folk tale, and was directed by Tex Avery, and any of those criteria is enough to make it a must-see.
Double or Mutton (1955) gives us Sam the Sheepdog and Ralph the Wolf, who clock in before going after each other.
Hyde and Go Tweet (1960) and The Impatient Patient (1942) are both funny versions of, yes, Jekyll/Hyde stories. The former (with a monsterized Tweety after Sylvester) is hilarious and the latter (with Daffy Duck) is the only B&W cartoon in the set, unfortunately.
Streamlined Greta Green (1937) is the big discovery of the set, a beautiful cartoon about a little car who wants to grow up to fast. It’s a gem.
The remainder of the set has something for everybody; a handful of Daffy Ducks, a couple of Bugs Bunnys, two very funny Foghorn Leghorns, some characters I never cared for (sorry, the Abbott & Costello mice never did anything for me), and a few cartoons that appear to be pilots for characters that never caught on, including a weasel, a fox, and an obnoxious spider(!).
A few things jumped out at me across the set; first, I was delighted by the use of early Warner Bros. musical numbers, often 20 or 30 years old by the time the cartoons were made (for example, two mice set up a rendezvous to the tune of the Al Jolson “Quarter to Nine” number). Second, some characters appear as alter egos, either deliberately (the first cartoon in the set has a pair of Yosemite Sam doppelgangers) or as not-quite-on-model knockoffs (there are several cats on display who are not quite Sylvester). Also, note that the majority of the cartoons feature the “Blue Ribbon” reissue openings; these never bothered me but I know some people like to complain. That aside, the picture and sound are impeccable, up to the already high standard that the Warner Archive has set.
Like this? Also currently available is a combined set with the four volumes available so far, available for $39.99 from Movie Zyng. That’s right, more than 100 cartoons for $39.99. Sufferin’ Succotash!
