Search - Tweety / Elmer Fudd: A Corny Concerto [Slim Case] on DVD

Nifty Classic Toons

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 07/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an good collection of early animation that includes 2 from Ub Iwerks's solo work, after he left Disney, and the Mickey Mouse he had brought to life with his genius. These 2 episodes from 1935 show their age, but are still very enjoyable. There is an expressiveness to the characters that makes them special, and I especially like "Old Mother Hubbard". Perhaps the most unique cartoon in this collection is also from 1935, "The Sunshine Makers", which is beautifully drawn and colored, and has a story line that is odd and perhaps symbolic on many levels.

Total running time is 60 minutes and the episode list is:



1: "A Corny Concerto" (1943). Directed by Robert Clampett, animated by Bob McKimson, music by Carl Stalling, with Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan doing the voices of Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd for the Schlesinger Studios.

This is a terrific parody on Disney's "Fantasia", with Elmer Fudd instead of Leopold Stokowski, conducting the "withmic stwains of Stwauss" with "Tales of the Vienna Woods" and "The Blue Danube" at the Corny-Gie Hall.

2: "A Tale of Two Kitties" (1942). Directed by Robert Clampett, animated by Rod Scribner, with music by Carl Stalling for the Schlesinger Studios.

This has 2 cats, Babbitt and Catsello, and parodies of the comic team of Abbott and Costello, trying to get Tweety for dinner. This was the first appearance of Tweety, who was more of a pale peach color in his early days than the yellow we are used to. This cartoon has a lot of WWII references in it.



3: "The Mite Makes Right" (1948). Directed by Bill Tytla, animated by Steve Muffatti and George Germanetti, music by Winston Sharples, for the Famous Studios.

Features Tom Thumb, who is sad that because of his size, he can't help his father in the farm, so he runs away to the circus, to find fame and fortune. "I may be small, but I'm going to do big things."

4: "Little Lambkin" (1940). Directed by Dave Fleischer, animated by Dave Tendlar and William Sturm for the Fleischer Studios.

Features a boy who doesn't want to leave his animal friends and move to the city, so he makes chaos of the gadgets in the city apartment to insure his return to the country house. The gizmo madness is very cleverly done.



5: "Old Mother Hubbard" (1935). Created by Ub Iwerks for Celebrity Productions, with terrific music by Carl Stalling.

Iwerks is a giant of animation art history, and this is a lively story that centers on Mother Hubbard's dog, who cures Old King Cole's many illnesses, by making him laugh.

6: "Mary's Little Lamb" (1935). Created by Ub Iwerks for Celebrity Productions, music by Carl Stalling.

Mary's lamb follows her on her last day of school, and tries to join in the fun. Lots of song and dance numbers in this toon.

7: "Gold Rush Daze" (1939). Directed by Ben Hardway and Carl Dalton, animated by Gil Turner, music by Carl Stalling for Vitaphone Productions.

All the characters are dogs, and include a prospector, looking for gold in them thar hills.

8: The Sunshine Makers" (1935). Directed by Burt Gillett and Ted Eshbaugh for Van Beuren Studios.

This is my favorite of this DVD collection, and it is quite bizarre. Look-alike gnomes have found a way to bottle sunshine, and make everyone happy, and they fight with another set of gnomes who live in the dark, and are only happy when they're sad. The gloomy gnomes get pelted with sunshine bottles, making them all come together into one joyous group. This one has fabulous artwork, and is very unique.

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