Search - Tom & Jerry, Vol. 1 on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 9/17/2023...

Interesting classic cartoons at the beginning of what we know as animation today!

Good Cartoons, severely cropped!

Cherubino | 05/08/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The cartoons could be fun to watch, but they are severely cropped on all four sides, which means characters are often only partially visible etc. Think abaout it twice even for this great price."

Beware the "cat and mouse" bait-and-switch here!

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 06/10/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Product description for this Tom & Jerry cartoon set describes it as "their most fun-filled escapades of cat-and-mouse games." These are NOT MGM Tom & Jerry toons but decades-older b&w VAN BEUREN shorts starring human Mutt & Jeff ripoffs. Also, these guys play NO "cat and mouse games."

Van Beuren was RKO's animator. Their product is crude compared to Disney or Fleischer. Just as Warner's animation division was hitting their stride, VB was winding down. Paul Terry (who later gave us Mighty Mouse and Heckle & Jeckle) drew for this outfit that in 8 years of existence revived Felix the Cat, brought life to the Little King and created Farmer Al Falfa, Molly Moo Cow and Cubby Bear. Tom & Jerry was Van Beuren's 'A' list series.

In the 75 years since VB's demise, most of their roster has faded into obscurity. A glimpse of these nine shorts reveals more about why that happened than words can. On a 1 to 10 scale, none here rate above a 6.


PROGRAM--

A SWISS TRICK (1931) - Mountain climbing leaves Tom and Jerry stranded and hungry.

ROCKETEERS (1932) - Tom and Jerry blast off for the moon but end up elsewhere.

IN THE BAG (1932) - Tom and Jerry fly an egg-shaped airplane out West, where they meet up with an outlaw.

POTS AND PANS (1932) - At Tom and Jerry's diner, all the appliances sing and dance.

PLANE DUMB (1932) - After a plane crash off Africa's coast, Tom & Jerry are pursued on-shore by "spear-chuckers."

A SPANISH TWIST (1932) - The human Tom & Jerry get dumped from a raft by an octopus and end up in Spain, where they meet a flamenco dancer and fight a bull.

PIANO TOONERS (1932) - Tom and Jerry's musical adventures at an opera house include meeting a fat diva and a flapper.

PENCIL MANIA (1932) - Artists Tom and Jerry play tricks on each other using their art supplies.

A FIREMAN'S LIFE ("Hook and Ladder Hokum") (1933) - Tom and Jerry as firefighters."

Rare cartoons that are an aquired taste!

Paul J. Mular | San Carlos, CA USA | 06/17/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, thes prints are cropped on all 4 sides, it is the same film transfer that "Cartoon Craze" uses for their Tom & Jerry DVD. Until someone goes back to the original films and re-transfers them this is the best you will get. Most of the time the cropping does not hurt the cartoons, but one does wish for better treatment.

Overall, the picture is sharp with decent contrast.

This Genius DVD has two more Tom and Jerry's than the similar Cartoon Craze DVD, so I would suggest getting this one. Only two of these cartoons are on superior DVDs, so this makes a good companion to the other DVD collections.

The humor of these cartoons is unusual. The most startling one is when Tom & Jerry are flying in a plane and a bird flies into their engine. The propeller cleans the feathers off of the bird and the engine cooks it. Tom & Jerry then produce a dinner plate and catch the cooked bird for their dinner.

This is not Disney!

The cartoons included here are (in order of original release):
SWISS TRICK (12/19/31)
ROCKETEERS (01/30/32)
IN THE BAG (03/26/32) (also on Mackinac's quality DVD "Attack of the 30's Cartoons")
POTS AND PANS (05/14/32)
PLANE DUMB (06/25/32) - some Bevis & Butthead humor in this one!
A SPANISH TWIST (10/07/32)
PIANO TOONERS (11/11/32) (also on Image's quality DVD "Cartoons That Time Forgot: The Van Beuren Studios")
PENCIL MANIA (12/12/32) - a very imaginitive cartoon!
HOOK & LADDER HOKUM (04/28/33) - re-titled with a home movie title "A Fireman's Life". Directed by the great Frank Tashlin (Warner Brothers cartoons & Jerry Lewis features)!
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