Two weeks ago I did a plug for Arnold Leibovit’s latest restoration of his classic compilation – The Puppetoon Movie. I had an open spot on the blog today and coincidentally Arnie emailed me a bunch of comparison frame grabs (below) and in the physical mail I actually received the actual blu ray of the new restoration and collection.
I haven’t had time to watch and rewatch the whole thing – give yourself at least three or four hours to do that… as this baby is loaded. I did as much skimming I could in an hour, so this isn’t a formal review. But I can tell you one thing: This is a MUST-HAVE.
This is the ultimate version of Arnie’s one-man effort to restore and revive Pal’s Puppetoon series – and that’s a cause I can get behind. If it wasn’t clear from my last plug, this is much much more than the feature “spruced up” – its a “director’s cut” slightly with a revised order, with an additional Puppetoon (“Wilbur The Lion”), and fully restored Paramount opening and closing’s. And they look fantastic.
Not only that – the bonus materials, the extras, are incredible. The centerpiece is The Puppetoon Movie: A Legacy Revisited – a brand new 50 minute tribute to pal and the Puppetoons with Joe Dante, Floyd Norman, Phil Tippett, Bob Kurtz, Dennis Murren – a dozen other – and somehow he included me!
After that there is an extra special ten minutes with Aardman’a Peter Lord as a stand-alone tribute to Pal stop-mo greatness. After that – almost a dozen Pal Puppertoon odds and ends, including a second Mounds candy commercial, I hadn’t seen before; the best version of the Tashlin/Sutherland “Daffy Ditty” – The Lady Says No; cel animation from the 1930s; Industrial films for Shell, Phillips, and other clients – amazing rareties.
And if that weren’t enough, a full color 28-page booklet that is the Puppetoon story, all in Arnie’s words (and rare color photos), literally everything you need to know. A masterclass in Pal puppetry on film.
This disc set is available NOW – Arnie is selling it now on his own site. It’s now available on Puppetoon.net. My advice, get it now while you are able.
One more plug for the first of series of in-person screenings Arnie is planning. Puppetoons and Sci-Fi classics on the big screen – as they were meant to be seen. With Arnie and special guests in person.
Here is info on his very next screening in Southern California :
Saturday, April 18, 2026
The Frida Cinema – Santa Ana
305 E 4th Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701
👉 https://thefridacinema.org/movies/the-day-the-earth-stood-still/
We’re celebrating the 75th Anniversary of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL with the following unique presentation:
• A theatrical screening of The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
• 8-Foot-Tall Gort Robot — Live-on-Stage
• Two restored George Pal Puppetoons
• Plus a Bonus Pre-Screening Premiere of The Puppetoon Movie – A Legacy Revisited
Arnie will be hosting as he was a friend of director Robert Wise and George Pal.
🎟 Tickets $20 – Get Tickets Soon As We Expect A Sell Out
👉 : https://thefridacinema.org/purchase/1377240/
Schedule:
4:00 PM – Doors Open
5:00 PM – The Puppetoon Movie – A Legacy Revisited
7:00 PM – Two George Pal Puppetoons + The Day the Earth Stood Still
This event is being presented only once, and seating is limited.
Jerry Beck is a writer, animation producer, college professor and author of more than 15 books on animation history. He is a former studio exec with Nickelodeon Movies and Disney, and has written for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He has curated cartoons for DVD and Blu-ray compilations and has lent his expertise to dozens of bonus documentaries and audio commentaries on such. Beck is currently on the faculty of CalArts in Valencia, UCLA in Westwood and Woodbury University in Burbank – teaching animation history. More about Jerry Beck [
I got my copy of the recent 4K “PUPPETOONS movie“ yesterday and, wow, judging from the sound alone it is a knockout! Sadly, I have not found the special features yet, but I will! I know I will enjoy the extra“PUPPETOONS“ included. I only wish I could appreciate the booklet, but that’s a minor thing. I urge, like Jerry, all to get this particular restoration! I’m even thinking of dropping the earliest restoration of this because now I have just about everything“PUPPETOONS“ needed!
This is great news — not only that the Puppetoons are getting a deluxe blu-ray edition, but are also being shown on the big screen with a science fiction classic! Is the Gort robot an actual prop from the movie, or a replica?
I’m sold.
I just received my Blu-ray copy in the mail today. I’m home recovering from a knee replacement and what a delightful way to spend the afternoon watching these beautifully restored & remastered Puppetoons. I’ve been waiting quite a while to see these and they are truly wonderful. If you’re as excited about these wonderful animations as I am I would order a copy ASAP. You won’t be disappointed.. Great job Arnold & team, Thanks!
It sucks that we’ll never see a full restoration of The Little Broadcast, it’s one of George Pal’s best shorts
Asking out of genuine curiousity, but what makes you so certain of that?
Part of “The Little Broadcast” that is not shown in TPM is a clip from the end of “Hoola Boola” (which also gets cut in TPM but luckily was an extra on an earlier version of TPM on DVD). [I guess that makes “The Little Broadcast” a “cheater” in a sense]. What I like is the ending of “The Little Broadcast” where the conductor is chased out of the theater by the little shaped “Hoola Boola” figures out into the street.
Jerry, I think you would appreciate these:
https://www.mariowiki.com/Gallery:Super_Mario_RPG:_Legend_of_the_Seven_Stars
These characters and items look like they could have appeared in a Puppetoon! They have a hand crafted, clay appearance.
Speaking of Puppetoons odds and ends, has the mystery of the found Lou Bunin clip that Steve Stanchfield posted back in June of last year been solved yet? Did David Schroeder’s guess about the caricature in the clip turn out to be correct? I’m curious to find out.
( As a reminder, here’s the referred-to article: https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/blu-ray-set-blues-and-a-lou-bunin-mystery-clip/ )
The web site is blocked…..any other way to order this?
Please go to this website to order: https://puppetoon.net/products/pup-movie-restored