For those nostalgic for these classic animated shorts and don't own any previous Disney animated shorts on DVD, check it out!
As a child, I can easily remember my prized possession was a Walt Disney book that my father purchased for me and it featured the chronology of the early classic Walt Disney animated shorts. Some of these shorts were shown on the Disney Channel when I was younger but suffice to say, with all the new animation, a lot of these classics have probably been forgotten or have been released on VHS video.
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment are now releasing a few of these shorts on DVD for the first time (some have appeared on past Disney DVD releases). With the first three volumes released, the fourth, fifth and sixth volumes will be released on May 12, 2009.
A lot of these short films were created in the 1920-1940's and typically featured characters that were not reoccurring (with the exception of the tortoise and the hare which appeared in a second short). Some were released under the "Silly Symphony" moniker of animated shorts released between 1929-1939 which...
My 4-year-old Daughter Loves It
Enjoyable for both children and grown-ups to watch together. Indeed, it is helpful to watch this with your kids so you can explain some of the grown-up elements to them.
The really odd thing here, marketing-wise, is that the award-winning Paul Bunyan cartoon is easily the best and most well-known short here. I can remember enjoying it as a kid on the Sunday night Wonderful World of Walt Disney show. Now, my daughter loves Paul and Babe the Blue Ox, too. The cartoon has everything: heart, humor, pathos, and an ending that is both sad and happy. Also, the recurring theme song is wonderful.
The dog here is the Windwagon cartoon, which is artistically beautiful, but the characters and plot just doesn't hold interest. It especially suffers here, following the completely absorbing Paul Bunyan. My daughter goes away and plays with her toys when Windwagon comes on. Paul Bunyan should have been the final cartoon on this DVD.
The tortoise and the hare cartoons...
Not all great but Paul Bunyan is a Disney Classic IMHO
Its been over 50 years since I've seen these shorts. Yep, saw them either in the theatre or on TV as a kid. Not all hold up well... "The Goddess of Spring" and "Babes in the Woods" were "Silly Symphonies" which were aimed at adults more than kids and feature full colorful animation. "The Tortoise and the Hare" - and its lesser-seen "Toby Tortoise Returns" were short 8 minute humorous cartoons. The prizes here are the later "Paul Bunyan" and "The Saga of Windwagon Smith", each in the later style limited animation - but beautifully colored, and each running a full 16 minutes or more.
Watching "Windwagon Smith", I'm wondering how many folks noticed a nod to the recent Bernie Madoff scandal. The town folks all invest in this big "scheme" to make money and then build an even bigger ship (the way they plan to move folks west), only to return home with their money lost.
The quality varies based on the age of the film and they were not restored (the last two didn't need...
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