Cartoon Classics-Volume 10

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General		Extras
Category	Animation	None
Rating
Year Of Production	?
Running Time	76:49
RSDL / Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Chuck Jones Isadore Friz Freleng
Studio Distributor	Flashback Home Entertainment	Starring	Mel Blanc
Case	?
RPI	$9.95	Music	Carl W Stalling

    What is sexist, racist, violent, intolerant and has just about every other non-politically correct theme possible? Why, it's retro cartoons of course! There are a couple of moments in a couple of these cartoons (a black and white minstrel segment for example) that are really a bit ripe by today's standards. These actually predate the cartoons that I remember and grew up with - by that stage things were a little tamer. They are an interesting time capsule showing American values of the period and in some places should cause the producers to hang their heads in shame. The portrayal of Native Americans in another of the cartoons shows how people's attitudes were influenced by the media.

    All that aside there is also, if not in very good condition, a great record of early animation here. The earliest Bugs Bunny cartoons are on this disc along with a very early Elmer Fudd. In fact, the entire collection is a series of Bugs cartoons, but not the Bugs you probably know and love. His voice and actions are quite different to what you might expect.

Prest-o Chang-o (7:06)

Two dogs enter a house, one that a magician used to live in. Also in the house is a rabbit and some left over items from the magician such as his magic wand. Cue dogs in one corner and the rabbit in the other, complicated by a little magic.

Hare-um scare-um (7:40)

A hunter (not Elmer in this one) is out for rabbit stew. Unfortunately for him, the rabbit he chooses to hunt is none other than Bugs Bunny. The hunter and his faithful hound do not really stand a chance of getting this particular rabbit in a pot.

Fresh Hare (7:33)

In this little number Elmer Fudd is a Mounted (well actually there is no horse) Canadian Policeman and he is out to arrest Bugs on charges ranging from jaywalking to resisting arrest (as if Bugs could do anything else). Poor old Elmer does not do the service proud as he is bamboozled time and again by that crafty rabbit. In the end, Bugs is captured, and this is where we break out into a little musical number done up as minstrels.

Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt (7:37)

Little Hiawatha is hungry, hungry for rabbit. Considering the size of America it is amazing that the hunted rabbit always seems very familiar and has a opening line about 'up'. Hiawatha does not fare any better than the previous two hunters in his search for a nice little lunch.

Elmer's Candid Camera (7:45)

Elmer has taken up a new hobby, wildlife photography. Of course, the life is a little too wild when he tries to photograph that little grey rabbit.

Hold the Lion Please (8:25)

The lion, the king of the jungle, is taking some flack from his mates. They think that he is past his prime and is not fit to be king any more. To prove himself he announces that he is going to hunt rabbit (there seems to be a common theme here). Who should pop up as the target of this hunt? None other than Bugs. This time Bugs nearly comes to an untimely end, but is rescued in the nick of time by a phone call.

Elmer's Pet Rabbit (7:45)

Elmer is passing a little pet shop, one with a particular grey rabbit in the front window. Of course Bugs is not happy with a hutch in the back garden and so he moves into the house - not quite what Elmer had in mind.

Jack Wabbit And The Beanstalk (7:15)

Fe Fi Fo Fum, I smell the blood of a .. rabbit !? Well, they don't actually use that line, but I couldn't resist it. Bugs is up the beanstalk - this particular beanstalk leads to the land of giant carrots. While trying to do a little harvesting, the giant comes along and is not impressed. Can a giant take on the rabbit and win?

Hare Remover (7:26)

Elmer as a mad scientist? He is trying to discover a potion that will release the Hyde from within. In his experiments he uses animals, the last of which has just run screaming from the laboratory. Needing more animals to test his formulas, Elmer heads out and captures a rabbit. The formula never works but a bear gets involved, leading to lots of fun.

Rabbit Punch (7:41)

Bugs Bunny's mouth gets him in real trouble this time. While slagging off at a boxing match, he suddenly finds himself in the ring with a real bruiser. The usual tricks are employed but they don't seem to be working as well as they usually do.

Video

    The transfers are presented at their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio and not 16x9 enhanced,. although there is something not quite right about the framing on this disc - the bottom and top of the cartoons appear to have been cropped. Signs appearing near the bottom of the screen have half the bottom line cut off.

    The image is not very sharp and the shadow detail is lacking. The image is also very washed out, particularly in the upper end of the spectrum (6:12). There is a fair amount of low level noise present also.

    Colours are washed out and noisy and reds in particular are shifted to the left (16:36).

    There are minor MPEG problems but no major blocking. There is wobble but this could come all the way back from the source material. Film artefacts abound with grain, scratches, dirt and so on.

    There are no subtitles on this single layered disc.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    Dialogue quality is acceptable. As far as you can judge on old animated cartoons, the audio sync looks acceptable as well.

    The music is tinny and distorted but these are the Merry Melodies and the music is one of the best parts of the whole deal.

    The surrounds and the subwoofer are not used.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Menu

    I am undecided on whether kids should see these cartoons. Values have changed, and I am not sure the lessons are the correct ones. I would have no hesitation in letting my kids watch the cartoons from the later period where most of the material is just harmless slapstick. For adults, these are a record of the animation of the period - pity about the quality.

    The video is not good.

    The audio is not much better.

    There are no extras.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall