Tom & Jerry: Golden Collection, Volume One Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Tom & Jerry: Golden Collection, Volume One Blu-ray Movie Review

The first volume of what promises to be an exciting high definition collection...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown October 23, 2011

Pardon me for a moment. I have a soapbox to mount. "Tom and Jerry: Golden Collection Vol. 1 is intended for the Adult Collector and May Not Be Suitable for Children." So reads a warning on the back cover of the 2-disc Blu-ray release of the Golden Collection's first volume; a small warning that precedes an even lengthier message which appears after each disc loads. It bodes well for purists I suppose -- each message calls attention to the uncut, unedited nature of the Tom & Jerry theatrical shorts featured in the collection -- but it also casts light on an ever-spreading hypersensitivity that, ironically, is often oblivious to the old adage, "those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it." Might I enter a suitable paraphrase: those who shelter their children from the past only limit their children's appreciation for just how far society has come.

In the race to sweep decades-old racism and once-prevalent stereotypes under the rug, some parents and family values advocates, though certainly well-intentioned, are tiptoeing around a number of excellent opportunities to discuss such issues with their children. And anyone who assumes that kids aren't aware of differences in skin color (or capable of reacting to those differences with burgeoning prejudices of their own) either have no children or aren't paying very much attention. To say that classic Tom & Jerry theatrical shorts may not be suitable for children is really saying, "may require parents to talk about important topical issues with their young children." But that's the end of my sermon. In the event that I've offended anyone, let me just add, "the commentary offered by this writer does not necessarily reflect the views, positions or opinions of Blu-ray.com or its administrators."

"Some of the cartoons you are about to see are a product of their time. They may depict some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that were commonplace in American society. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. While the following does not represent the Warner Bros.' view of today's society, some of these cartoons are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed."

Well written, I think. I don't blame Warner Bros. for issuing carefully worded warnings; such is the world we live in. Quite the contrary. I'm pleased to see the early Tom & Jerry shorts are being made available in their entirety, a decision that restores and preserves the original intent of the shorts' animators, even if that intent, whether purposeful or not, is politically incorrect and indeed offensive on occasion. There are portions of the Golden Collection Vol. 1 that aren't suitable for children... or rather children in a vacuum. Adult collectors, parents and, yes, kids with any measure of reasonable guidance will find plenty of joy, laughter and nostalgia nestled in the Blu-ray set's thirty-seven theatrical shorts. Don't misunderstand: racism and racial stereotypes, again whether intended or not, are no laughing matter. But neither is censorship. Given proper preparation and perspective, there's no reason why Tom & Jerry's earliest appearances should be tucked away on so high a shelf that a new generation of children can't reach them.

There's something to be said for revisiting a thirty-seven-short slice of animation history, not to mention examining the earliest milestones in the lives of two animated icons. I had a blast, even if the occasional two seconds of blackface or appearance by Mammy Two Shoes inspired me to share something more important with my son: a lesson about where we once were, where we are now, and how far we have to go.

The thirty-seven shorts in the Tom & Jerry Golden Collection Vol. 1 include:

1.		Puss Gets the Boot (1940)		20.		Tee for Two (1945)
2.		The Midnight Snack (1941)		21.		Flirty Birdy (1945)
3.		The Night Before Christmas (1941)		22.		Quiet Please! (1945)
4.		Fraidy Cat (1942)		23.		Springtime for Thomas (1946)
5.		Dog Trouble (1942)		24.		The Milky Waif (1946)
6.		Puss N' Toots (1942)		25.		Trap Happy (1946)
7.		The Bowling Alley-Cat (1942)		26.		Solid Serenade (1946)
8.		Fine Feathered Friend (1942)		27.		Cat Fishin' (1947)
9.		Sufferin' Cats (1943)		28.		Part Time Pal (1947)
10.		The Lonesome Mouse (1943)		29.		The Cat Concerto (1947)
11.		The Yankee Doodle Mouse (1943)		30.		Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse (1947)
12.		Baby Puss (1943)		31.		Salt Water Tabby (1947)
13.		The Zoot Cat (1944)		32.		A Mouse in the House (1947)
14.		The Million Dollar Cat (1944)		33.		The Invisible Mouse (1947)
15.		The Bodyguard (1944)		34.		Kitty Foiled (1948)
16.		Puttin' On the Dog (1944)		35.		The Truce Hurts (1948)
17.		Mouse Trouble (1944)		36.		Old Rockin' Chair Tom (1948)
18.		The Mouse Comes to Dinner (1945)		37.		Professor Tom (1948)
19.		Mouse In Manhattan (1945)

Tom & Jerry: Golden Collection, Volume One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As I mentioned earlier in the review, Warner's Volume One restoration is quite impressive. Scratches, nicks, hairs, dirt, wobble and other print wear-n-tear still appear, but to eliminate every imperfection and inconsistency, especially those inherited from the original animation cels and nitrate elements, would be an overly invasive process that would rob the shorts of their texture and personality. Not that the 1080p/AVC-encoded results are underwhelming in the least. Colors have been restored with an exacting eye, black levels are perfectly inky, grain is undeterred and presented in its natural state, and every last flick of the animator's pen, fine line, color fill and background brush-stroke has been carefully preserved and lovingly transferred (soft as some of it may be). Moreover, artifacting, banding, aliasing and other significant digital anomalies are kept to a minimum, and the encode is as proficient as anyone, purist or casual animation fan, could hope for. Only those with reasonable, well-informed expectations will be greatly rewarded, though, so proceed accordingly.

Tom & Jerry: Golden Collection, Volume One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The only arguable disappointment to be had is with Warner's Dolby Digital mono mix. It's bright, clear and... well, serviceable, but little more. The entire soundscape exhibits the qualities one should expect from seventy-year-old animated shorts and, on the whole, presents a reasonably faithful single-channel experience. A lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono mix would have been more ideal, sure, but I doubt the resulting sonics would've received much of a bump. Ah well, considering the source elements and the age of the shorts, it's more than adequate.

Tom & Jerry: Golden Collection, Volume One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentaries: Twelve informative audio commentaries are available for nine shorts: "Puss Gets the Boot" with animator Mark Kausler, and with comedienne Nicole Parker and historian Earl Kress; "The Night Before Christmas" with author Michael Mallory, and with Parker and Kress; "The Yankee Doodle Mouse" with Mallory; "The Zoot Cat" with historian Jerry Beck; "Mouse Trouble" with Mallory; "Quiet Please!" with Kausler; "The Cat Concerto" with director Eric Goldberg; "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse" with Mallory, and with Parker and Kress; and "Kitty Foiled" with Beck.
• Vaudeville, Slapstick and Tom and Jerry (HD, 23 minutes): An extensive, newly produced retrospective documentary that digs into the inspirations, comic styles, slapstick roots and development of Tom and Jerry's whimsically violent rivalry.
• How Bill and Joe Met Tom and Jerry (SD, 27 minutes): This more traditional doc, helmed by one of those chummy, isn't this swell? disembodied narrators, is just as valuable as it charts the relationship between William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and cat-n-mouse duo Tom and Jerry.
• The Comedy Styling of Tom and Jerry (SD, 6 minutes): MADtv actor Ike Barinholtz, MADtv actres Nicole Parker and animator Mark Kausler chat about Tom and Jerry's patented slapstick routines. Thankfully, it's the only extraneous extra in the 2-disc set.
• The Midnight Snack Pencil Test (SD, 9 minutes): A fully assembled pencil test reel for the 1941 short, "The Midnight Snack," comprised of pencil drawings, key frames and music.
• The Worry Song from Anchors Aweigh (SD, 8 minutes): Gene Kelly and Jerry dance... in standard definition.

Tom & Jerry: Golden Collection, Volume One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you have any love for Tom and Jerry, the first volume of the Tom & Jerry Golden Collection will prove to be a coveted addition to your shelves. Not every short is created equal, and some of the content wades into racially charged waters, but this is as complete and untainted as a collection of classic Golden Age theatrical shorts gets and it bodes extremely well for future Golden Collection Blu-ray releases, especially when it comes to the shorts' restoration, video transfer and supplemental features. The 2-disc set's Dolby Digital mono mix won't sit well with lossless diehards, of course, but I doubt a lossless track would help very much when it comes to seventy-year-old animated shorts. Still, ideal is ideal, meaning Volume One could be better, if only in principle. Be that as it may, animation enthusiasts, collectors and kids of all ages will find a lot to love within these thirty-seven shorts, even if it requires some maturity and frank discussion when dealing with some of the set's trickier uncensored scenes.