Tom and Jerry Volumes 1 and 2 VHS review

[Billy]

This review is a bit late but I only picked up both the videos yesterday. In February 2002 Warner Bros released Tom and Jerry Volumes 1 and 2 around the UK. Together they claim to feature every short from 1940-1946. Volume 1 has all shorts from ‘Puss Gets The Boot’ to ‘Baby Puss’ and Volume 2 has all shorts from ‘Zoot Cat’ to ‘Trap Happy’. I was a bit wary at buying them at first- There is a Tom and Jerry marathon coming soon on Cartoon Network UK, so I thought it would be silly buying these videos if I want to watch the same shorts all over again in a few weeks. But I don’t have any Tom and Jerry shorts in my collection, and these won’t have a logo at the top right-hand corner, so what the heck. Well, I pretty amazed at my bargain- I got both of these for half price (£4.97 each instead of the recommended £9.99 each) and am amazed to see all cartoons were uncut J and all but one had Mammy Two Shoes original voice! JJ Only ‘Dog Trouble’ had the new voice, which was probably either a mistake or the original print was missing. So this means the cartoons were different to the prints currently showing on Cartoon Network UK, especially ‘The Bodyguard’. On the video, when the MGM lion plays, there is a big black bar at the bottom masking out what should say ‘Color by Technicolor’. The wipes between scenes were also different. If anyone knows why, I’d be interested to know. The best thing about the tapes was finally seeing the uncut version of ‘The Milky Waif’- this one is certainly one of the most racially intense of these types of jokes I’ve seen at MGM, with only the one in ‘Casanova Cat’ coming close. Volume 1 (1940-1943) unfortunately has had a bit of a mix up, as the titles on the video sleeve and on the video itself are in different orders- I don’t know which one is the proper order, but that’s ok. Volume 2 (1943-1946) thankfully managed to get them in the proper order. Thankfully it is included on the tape itself. The picture quality varies from cartoon to cartoon- the ones with Lillian Randolph playing Mammy and the cartoons that feature racial jokes are a bit faded, probably because they had to dig up the original prints to put them on the VHS. Overall these are excellent buy and I really do hope that more volumes will be released.
The score? 4 out of 5 Boskos! :bosko: :bosko: :bosko: :bosko:

For more information, and for pictures of the videos visit this page-
http://www.noblepr.co.uk/Press_Releases/warner/tom_jerry.htm
(Note- the contents for Volume 1 on this page are a bit mixed up, and the listings for Volume 2 here mistakenly put ‘The Million Dollar Cat’ before ‘Zoot Cat’ and completely miss out ‘Trap Happy’ at the end.) It looks like my Volume 2 video sleeve is different to the one featured here, as mine does not mention ‘The Million Dollar Cat’ at all.

Hope you liked the review!

[chuckamuck43]

A few random thoughts -

Sounds like the source material that was used for some of the titles was kinda bad.
At least you have them un-cut:D!

I clicked on your link and had to laugh at Fred Quimby being lauded as the creator of "THE Tom & Jerrys" (aint'cha glad you're a TTTP member and know better?).

The artwork on the packages is really bright and colorful - not the best drawn T&J, but nice to look at over all - except for that WHV logo! I still find it weird to see Bugs Bunny's face on Tom & Jerry and ScoobyDoo video boxes!

Thanx for the review and link, Billy boy-boy boy-boy-boy....

[Daffyfan2002]

Well, I think that's because the Hanna Barbera company is now owned by Warner Bros.

[Billy]

News just in- Tom and Jerry volumes 3 and 4 will be released on 27th May 2002!

Edit- and just incase you are wondering, here is the proper list for Volume 1.

Puss Gets The Boot, The Midnight Snack, The Night Before Christmas, Fraidy Cat, Dog Trouble, Puss N Toots, The Bowling Alley Cat, Fine Feathered Friend, Sufferin' Cats!, The Lonesome Mouse, The Yankee Doodle Mouse and
Baby Puss.

[Billy]

Further news on the new volumes here.

http://www.noblepr.co.uk/Press_Releases/warner/tom_jerry_3_4.htm

Volume 3 will contain 1946-1948, and Volume 4 will contain 1948-1950.

[Vdubdavid]

Any chance we'll get these uncut, undubbed collections here in the States?

[hippety hopper]

Thanks for putting this therd up.
I wasn't too interested in getting these video because I looked at the price and thought that there would only be like 5 cartoon's but now I will definatly get them.

[rodney]

Originally posted by Vdubdavid
Any chance we'll get these uncut, undubbed collections here in the States?

Wishful thinking probably. There are already current Tom & Jerry collections for sale over here. And those are the same ol' dubbed versions that CN has been shoving down our throats for a few years now.

[Pilmedium]

If you get the cartoons uncut, and the Mammy cartoons with the original voice, picture quality really doesn't matter. Based on the above information, I can assume Cartoon Network UK doesn't remove cartoons completely like CN does in the US. With all those cartoons, you got a good deal. ;)

[lislebartman]

It really doen't matter to me...I have all the 'Mammy' cartoons uncut and not dubbed, even "Saturday Evening Puss" & "The Framed Cat"! :D

Am I gloating? Yes!! :p

[Billy]

Well the only Hanna Barbera cartoons I've never seen on CNUK are 'Tops With Pops' 'Feedin The Kitty' and 'His Mouse Friday'

[Pilmedium]

Then they are not perfect, even though censorship issues differ outside the United States.

[hippety hopper]

OK I thought I'd put my thought on theses tape's up.

Volume 1:
Seeing as how all but 1 has mammy's original voice I'm not complaining. The picture quality is pretty good on all of them (Fine Feathered Friend is a bit blurred). The cartoon's are in the right order, its the box that has the mistake.

Volume 2:
Not as great as the first tape but it does have 13 cartoon's rather than the 12 on the first tape.
The quality ain't great on a few cartoon's The Body guard being the worst. Actually that one's quality is crap, propbably because its been on so many over T&J compliation tape's before.
Seeing The Milky Waif uncut was good, "Hurry up, honey child!"

Rating 3.5/5

After all that I'm pleased so far and will eventually great Volumes 3 and 4.

[TServo2049]

Does the print of Puss Gets the Boot on the tape have Mammy saying "O-W-T, OUT!" instead of "O-U-T, OUT!" (which is in the version that always airs on TV)

[Thad Komorowski]

Originally posted by lislebartman
It really doen't matter to me...I have all the 'Mammy' cartoons uncut and not dubbed, even "Saturday Evening Puss" & "The Framed Cat"! :D

Am I gloating? Yes!! :p


Say, Bart, care to tell who gave you those two specific titles?...:D :p ;)



Thad K

[Billy]

Originally posted by TServo2049
Does the print of Puss Gets the Boot on the tape have Mammy saying "O-W-T, OUT!" instead of "O-U-T, OUT!" (which is in the version that always airs on TV)

It's the 'O-W-T- OUT!' one.


Originally posted by hippety hopper
The quality ain't great on a few cartoon's The Body guard being the worst. Actually that one's quality is crap, propbably because its been on so many over T&J compliation tape's before.

This must be an old print- the words 'Color By Technicolor' have been masked out by a big black bar, similar to what NTA did. I still don't know why though, it's not in the restored version seen on CN. And did you notice the ending card of 'Mouse In Manhattan' shakes about a bit on the tape? This was also made still on the CN restored version. Anyway, Look out for my review of Volumes 3 and 4 as soon as they are released (If I can get my hands on them)

[hippety hopper]

BillyH
I went back and checked a VERY old tape I have of T&J on the BBC from the 80's and it was the same print's of "Fine Feathered Friend" and "The Body guard" so I'm thinking that the prints on CN must be re-mastered, the version of the body guard from the BBC also has the same wipe's as the video version.

[Billy]

Apologies for bringing this ancient thread back up, but the original date of 27th May 2002 was pushed back to the 9th of June. So, I browsed every shop I could find and got the same "Tom and Jerry videos? What Tom and Jerry videos?".

Today, an advert was released to say that the videos will be released on the 8th July. So, when I get them the review will follow immediately.