Tex Avery's Droopy: The Complete Theatrical Collection
BY Ryan LaMarca / 2008-02-11
After director Tex Avery left Warner Bros. Animation in 1941, he was hired by MGM Studios a year later where he created some of the studios most memorable characters aside from Tom and Jerry. Among these were Screwy Squirrel and of course, Droopy Dog. The Droopy cartoons are among the best that the classic MGM cartoons have to offer, and are on par with some of the best of the Looney Tunes. Tex Avery is a master when it comes to these cartoons with the timing and direction that he implements to make these shorts hold up to this day. These cartoons are hilarious and now, thanks to Warner Home Video, the entire Droopy collection is available in one two-disc set. Although the set is advertised as Tex Avery's Droopy, only seventeen of the shorts were directed by him. Six other cartoons were directed by Michael Lah, and one by Dick Lundy. And as always, MGM cartoons have that producer credit given to Fred Quimby, although I was pleasantly surprised to see William Hanna and Joseph Barbera credited as producers on a couple of the shorts.
A typical Droopy cartoon mostly features Droopy in some type of job or occupation, whether it be sheriff, butler, matador, athlete, knight, or a boy scout, being antagonized by either the Wolf or by Spike, who are out to cause trouble or beat Droopy for a prize in some way. I personally prefer Spike the bulldog over the Wolf, as he seems be a better foil for Droopy. Shorts with the Wolf are equally enjoyable, but I prefer Spike. Usually, they're be an introduction, then the Wolf or Spike trying to kill Droopy for six minutes, and an end. But they're hilarious and the jokes are always funny. These cartoons are very fast paced and are jammed packed to the top with gags. Another popular Tex Avery character that is sometimes present is the Girl, and she often appears in cartoons with the Wolf. She is usually the object of the Wolf's attention and must be rescued by Droopy.
There are no truly bad Droopy cartoons. Even ones that may not be laugh out loud funny are still cute and enjoyable to watch. One of my personal favorites in "Wags to Riches." It's actually featured on this set twice. It's featured in full screen on Disc 1 as "Wags to Riches" and in Cinemascope on Disc 2 as "Millionaire Droopy." The Cinemascope version was actually a remake of the original cartoon and is more detailed and stylish than the original. In it, a rich old man has died and has left his fortune to Droopy in his will. However, the will also states that in the event of Droopy's death, the entire fortune would revert to Spike, the old man's other dog. So, Spike now tries to kill Droopy for the remainder of the cartoon from trying to blow him up, smash him with a tree, or trick him into diving in a painted tennis court. Of course, Droopy always outwits Spike, or the traps become what they appear to be, leaving Droopy unharmed and Spike hurt. Eventually, Spike puts shaving cream on Droopy and reports him as a mad dog, but when the paddy wagon arrives, the foam blows onto Spike and he is taken away.
What's also worth pointing out is that a few of these Droopy shorts were actually produced in widescreen Cinemascope format and have been preserved for this DVD set. The set includes all seven Cinemascope Droopy cartoons which include: "Millionaire Droopy," "Grin and Share It," "Blackboard Jumble," "One Droopy Knight," "Sheep Wrecked," "Mutts About Racing," and "Droopy Leprechaun." However, only one cartoon, "Millionaire Droopy" is directed by Avery, while the remaining six were directed by Lah. All seven were produced by Hanna and Barbera. These cartoons were given new transfers that look fantastic, especially on a widescreen television. The colors are very crisp and the viewing experience is wonderful.
The Droopy DVD set comes with two special features. The first is an eighteen minute retrospective featurette and biography of Tex Avery and the Droopy character titled "Droopy and Friends: A Laugh Back." It features interviews with various animators and animation historians who point out how Avery was a pioneering genius in terms of animation. They discuss his preciseness with timing and gags as well as the legacy and impression he left on the field of animation. It's quite good and gives a lot of information that helps to explain how important Avery was to animation and how his style left a lasting influence in the field. Also present is a short five minute featurette called "Doggone Gags: The Best of Droopy" which is basically one big montage of what the producers deemed the funniest moments from all of the Droopy cartoons. Personally, it's hard to enjoy these clips when they're taken out of the context of the cartoon and it's really impossible to narrow down the best Droopy moments because almost every moment is hilarious.
These cartoons have never looked better. The new prints for the Cinemascope cartoons look especially good and it's wonderful that Warner took the effort to remaster these great cartoons. Although they did not get as good a treatment as the Looney Tunes shorts, these cartoons are presented very well. However, some people have pointed out errors with the remastering of these cartoons due to the effects of DVNR, or Digital Vision Noise Reducer. This process removes excess dirt and scratches from the film, or any line that is present for only a frame or two, but occasionally removes some of the actual cartoon cel. This is evident in some of the cartoons on this set including "Droopy's Good Deed" and "Daredevil Droopy" as well as "Wags to Riches" and "Three Little Pups." Most of its effects are not that noticeable and don't really take away from the viewing experience. The menus are basic with the Droopy theme playing in the background. Thankfully, both DVDs are single sided each with separate artwork and fit inside a slipcase.
These Droopy cartoons are among some of the best the Golden Age of Animation has to offer. They're always very funny and cute and allow for great fun. Although this is only the tip of the iceberg of the MGM shorts Warner has yet to release, at least we have this. Still left in the vaults are the one-shot Tex Avery cartoons as well as his Screwball Squirrel series. This set comes highly recommended and is sure to delight all ages and anyone who watches.
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