I launched my home video label Cartoon Logic because after years of working on others’ projects, I finally wanted ones I could truly own a piece of, and to fill a gap in the animation-on-home video landscape: carefully curated collections of the “forgotten” cartoons with informed historical bonus material (especially audio commentaries, a neglected and misunderstood art). When I started the label with a Kickstarter for Aesop’s Fables – The 1920s Vol. 1 (a byproduct of my New York animation studio research with cohort Charlie Judkins), I was expecting to make do with prints sourced from private collectors and archives. Lo and behold, I was able to forge a relationship with Blackhawk Films, which resulted in 20 silent-era Paul Terry classics sourced largely from the best surviving 35mm fine grains and even camera negatives! There will be a second volume of Fables, hopefully, via Kickstarter later this year. In the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy this other collection I’ve been cooking up…
The Famous Studios Champion Collection is something I’m sure everyone was doubtful would ever happen, but you will have it April 21st. In cooperation with Paramount Pictures Archives, Cartoon Logic (with distributor ClassicFlix) is proud to present this collection of 18 fully-restored Famous cartoons mostly from the original separation exposure negatives.
Famous is another story in animation history where things didn’t turn out as well as they could have with the talent available (these were the folks that made all the Fleischer classics of the ’30s, after all), but I’ve always been a big fan of their best work. I tried to make sure all of the crew was here: Seymour Kneitel, Izzy Sparber, Bill Tytla, Dan Gordon, Dave Tendlar, Myron Waldman, Al Eugster, Nick Tafuri, Johnny Gent, Marty Taras, Steve Muffatti, Orestes Calpini, Jack Mercer, Sid Raymond, Jackson Beck, Mae Questel, Arnold Stang… I don’t think they ever expected Famous to get a spotlight quite like this!
This collection shows that while Famous may be seen as a “lesser” studio, the production values were “A” level through their first decade, and I think everything I picked out here has something to recommend them.
The featured cartoons are…
NO MUTTON FER NUTTIN’ (1943) – The first in the Noveltoons series, with Blackie Sheep and Wolfie. Dan Gordon started this cartoon but left before it was completed, so received no screen credit. (The other two unfinished Gordon cartoons were Moving Aweigh and A Self-Made Mongrel.)
THE HENPECKED ROOSTER (1944) – Herman the Mouse’s debut, with the husband-and-wife pair Henry (later Hector) and Chickenpie/Bertha.
SUDDENLY IT’S SPRING! (1944) – An extra-long Noveltoon special with Raggedy Ann.
A LAMB IN A JAM (1945) – Blackie and Wolfie return. Keith Scott thinks it may actually be Arnold Stang voicing Wolfie in this.
THE FRIENDLY GHOST (1945) – The debut of Casper, inarguably Famous’ most enduring non-sailor character.
BARGAIN COUNTER ATTACK (1946) – Little Lulu in perhaps the funniest of Famous’ animated series with the comic character.
SHEEP SHAPE (1946) – Blackie and Wolfie again, in arguably the one true screwball classic Famous ever did, and depicted on the disc’s cover (by Stephen DeStefano). Sid Raymond debuts his Bert Lahr voice and was probably never better. Click here to see a clip.
SUDDEN FRIED CHICKEN (1946) – Bill Tytla directs Herman and Hector in this wildly violent cartoon.
MUCH ADO ABOUT MUTTON (1947) – The final cartoon starring Blackie, though Wolfie would be used for several more years.
A BOUT WITH A TROUT (1947) – Maybe the most-remembered of the Little Lulu cartoons, with the song Swinging on a Star.
THERE’S GOOD BOOS TO-NIGHT (1948) – Casper returns under the direction of Myron Waldman, who became the main de-facto director for the ongoing series. Infamous for its traumatizing ending.
BUTTERSCOTCH AND SODA (1948) – The first in the Little Audrey series proper (Lulu’s replacement when they decided they could do essentially the same character cheaper without paying a license), in which she goes through Lost Weekend-ish withdrawal over her candy addiction.
READIN’, RITIN’, AND RHYTHMETIC (1948) – One of the Screen Songs produced in Polacolor. Thought to be lost for decades (it was never part of the TV package), this release marks its first appearance maybe since its original release.
HEP CAT SYMPHONY (1949) – De-facto director Dave Tendlar and animator Marty Taras in their element with pre-Herman & Katnip cat-and-mouse violence.
A HAUNTING WE WILL GO (1949) – The final Casper cartoon released under the Noveltoon banner, he’d go to his own series the following year.
CAMPUS CAPERS (1949) – Tytla directs Herman again, with Arnold Stang as his officially established voice actor. Has a particularly cringeworthy gaslighting gag involving tongue meat.
OUR FUNNY FINNY FRIENDS (1949) – De-facto director Al Eugster with another Screen Song, with a lot of aquatic life that looks “inspired” by Dr. Seuss illustrations.
QUACK-A DOODLE-DOO (1950) – Our program closes with the (first) birth of Baby Huey.
The disc will have an array of bonus features: optional audio commentary by Jerry Beck, Will Friedwald, Bob Jaques, Mike Kazaleh, Rob Waldman, and yours truly; production artwork galleries; and two “mostly lost” Famous cartoons: Snuffy Smith in SPREE FOR ALL (sourced from the only known black-and-white 35mm print, courtesy of Jerico Dvorak) and Buzzy the Crow in CAT O’ NINE AILS (picture only; the soundtrack is not known to exist, and, regardless of whatever you read on the Internet, is not at any major American archive… so if you know of an English track, you’ve found something that’s eluded fifty years’ worth of cartoon research).
A scene from “Cat O’ Nine Ails” (1948)
One frequent comment I’ve gotten regarding Fables is that viewers are surprised how much they like them, now that they’ve been given a solid restoration and presentation. I have little doubt that this Famous disc will do the same for these cartoons, and I really hope you all enjoy it! It will be available on both Blu-ray and DVD, and you can buy it (preferably) from the ClassicFlix website, or Amazon.
THAD KOMOROWSKI is a writer, journalist, film restorationist and author of the acclaimed (and recently revised) Sick Little Monkeys: The Unauthorized Ren & Stimpy Story. He blogs at 
I’m glad that both “A Bout with a Trout” and “Bargain Counter Attack” will be included in this collection.
The prospect of seeing high quality restorations of “The Friendly Ghost”, “Sheep Shape”, “Butterscotch and Soda”, and “Readin’, ‘Ritin’ and Rhythmetic” makes me as excited as Wolfie beholding Blackie in drag! Well, okay, maybe not quite that excited. Let’s not get silly here. But seriously, I look forward to adding this collection to my library, and I look forward to further volumes of Aesop’s Fables as well. Cartoon Logic is off to a fine start!
Hey Thad:
I guess this meand alll cartoons will have original Paraomunt titles, Right?
Also this thing could possibly open the door to restoring most if not all Harvy Cartoons to original Paramouunt glory.
Who knows, that might be going on behind our backs as I write this.
I’d like to see your reply to this message.
Now many of these cartoons were on Steve Stancfield’s Noveltoon disk, but It sounds to me like you’re saying that tthis time
they will look the best they can look Right?
Can’t wait to see/her what you say
This is great news! I totally get what you mean by referring to audio commentaries as “a neglected and misunderstood art.” Looking forward to some great things in that regard. Famous Studios certainly had a prolific output, and it’s great to see some care given to not only the presentation, but also to the extra features. Many of these pieces have appeared on inexpensive VHS tapes or DVD “collections” but not necessarily given the respect they deserve. I’m very excited to see this set!
yahoo! paramount cartoons on blu ray! awareness has reached its zenith here as the best famous studios cartoons have been restored on video!
I wonder if the pre 50 shorts will make it on Casper and company next instead of that crappy 90s Richie rich show on me tv toons! or at least cartoon all stars!
this is great news!
From 2007s Popeye to now we’ve seen lots of restored shorts…..and lots of mountains!
t
Already preordered from ClassicFlix and I can’t wait to see these great restorations!
Wow! I have already pre-ordered my copy the minute and I read the list of titles and now your review has solidified my deepest interest in this disc. I hope this series continues. I would love to see all of the “little Lulu“ cartoons made available, especially after seeing the YouTube videos, which are in decent to pour shape. At least they exist in someway, but restoration? That would be major! Thanks for this job and good luck to many more.
Holy mackerel, I’m going to have to make this a day-one purchase! A great collection of shorts, including some I despaired of ever seeing either cleaned up copies of or original titles for (that ‘Suddenly It’s Spring’ title has me drooling)!
This is going to be fantastic!!
Two questions about ‘Cat O’ Nine Ails’: is the visual element sourced from the original negative as opposed to a release print and that’s why the soundtrack is not present? Also, is there any chance of subtitles from a surviving cutting continuity or script?
More details will be included on the disc itself… CAT O’ NINE AILS is from the original picture negative, but no soundtrack is known to exist. It will have subtitles sourced from the transcript in the original copyright synopsis. The original storyboards will also be a bonus feature.
Well, Buzzy with no soundtrack at all is still better than Buzzy with crappy 90s synth music over it.
Quick question, Thad
Why did the original soundtrack to CAT O’ NINE AILS go missing? That’s pretty peculiar…
Splendid, thank you for the additional details, Thad!
(I accidentally used the handle I have on another blog for my original comment. I was so excited yesterday I hadn’t let myself fully wake up yet!)
I also preordered mine from ClassicFlix and hoping to seeing many more volumes.
I. Am. Stunned.
If something like this can happen (and thrive), is there actually some kind of hope for other future surprises?
Tyer-heavy Terrytoons?
And dare I say it?… Betty?… Boop?
Thanx, Thad!
I’m SUPER excited to own this blu-ray, and even more excited since we have a few screenshots showing how some of these will look. Suddenly It’s Spring and A Bout with a Trout are two of my favorites, and the fact I will finally see them in the way they are supposed to look is amazing. And I thought that would NEVER happen. I’m hoping the same treatment will be done with the Color Classics as well. Most of those are in the PD. I could (maybe) see it happen.
I wish that the Famous Lulus get remastered/restored (all of them)
but i dread the copyright complications might get in the way (regarding who owns Little Lulu)
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t Universal under DreamWorks Animation (which also owns Casper, Baby Huey, and the other Harvey Comics characters that came from Paramount) own her?
Actually, yes. The character of “Little Lulu” is part of the Classic Media library that was bought by Dreamworks, and is today owned by Universal.
Great NEWS, Thad!!…I already pre-ordered it and waiting for your next Kickstarter for Aesop’s Fables Vol. 2!
I, too, would prefer to purchase this collection directly from Classic Flix. However, at present the website is not set up to take international orders, e.g., it won’t accept a mailing address that doesn’t have a U.S. state or territory in it. Unless this can be rectified in the next few months, I’m afraid I’ll have no choice but to give Mr. Bezos his pint of blood.
This is awesome! I never thought the day would come where the Non-Popeye Famous cartoons would finally get a proper restoration and home video release! I hope to see more restored Famous cartoons in the next collection (or volume) if possible. Maybe you guys can do Terrytoons or the 1940s Superman cartoons next if possible! Blackie the Sheep IMO was a pretty underrated character.
As a massive Little Lulu fan I want to thank you for your hard work in getting this put together. I’m really looking forward to seeing these shirts finally in decent condition.
I look forward to seeing what you come up with next.
I can’t wait to see Readin’ ‘Ritin and Rhythmetic for the first time ever!
I pre-ordered mine on Classicflix yesterday night!
Yowzer! This is really cool! I’m so used to seeing these ‘Noveltoon’ shorts in VERY low-quality, mostly from public domain tapes/dvds. Just by looking at those screencaps, the restoration work looks gorgeous. It makes me respect and appreciate these shorts even more!
Totally agree! I’ve always seen the Famous output of the 40s and 50s (especially the more violent stuff) as contemporary parodies of classic Hollywood cartoons, almost as if Itchy & Scratchy was an actual 1940s cartoon series. Only having beat up versions to watch the Famous (and Terrytoons) product with for so long has just been an unfair way to compare them with the more well respected product of Disney, Warners, and MGM. I can’t wait to see these in their fully restored glory, what an excellent piece of work here.
There are approx. 110 Famous Studios non-Popeye, non-Superman shorts from the “UM&M”/NTA syndication package. Let’s hope this disc sells well enough to get the rest of them restored.
Thad, congratulations on this milestone Blu-Ray release. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this has been at least 40 years in the making after having to settle for dupe prints on Public Domain videos for the last four decades or so. Jump cuts in the picture and sound of each of these films due to splices have always been a pet peeve of mine when trying to enjoy these cartoons in spite of the condition those prints were in.
I sincerely hope that this is the beginning of great things to come. With that being said, I really do hope to see the second Raggedy Ann cartoon called “The Enchanted Square” in a future volume. That has always been one of my all-time favorites from Famous.
Looks like a winner to me. The fact alone that it’s done with the cooperation of Paramount makes it sound like one of the biggest classic animation releases this year.
Prouuuud Harvey Holic that I am, these are absolute GORRRgeous!!!
If there’s ever a volume 2, I really hope the proto-Screen Song “When G.I. Johnny Comes Home” (1945) can be found and included. That’s always been on my curiosity radar for a long time.
This sounds neat, a lot of the public domain famous cartoon studios shorts are finally being restored after years or decades of watching it in vhs tier quality. Also glad that there are some evidence that these previously lost cartoons do exist.
Amazing.
Maybe not you, but won’t SOMEBODY release David Hand’s Animaland on Bluray? I’ve been meaning to pick up the DVD for a few years now, but don’t want the disappointment of having a low res copy of something that CAN be scanned in HD.
I am so excited about this. I assume that the original Paramount openings and titles have been restored as well. Everything out there has always looked pink and had the titles replaced.
Very exciting! I’ve only ever seen some of the noveltoons drip-fed through Thunderbean so it’s nice to have a whole set of Famous cartoons. I look forward to the release!
Growing up in the mid-west in the 1960s, I never had the pleasure of seeing any Blackie/Wolfie, Little Audrey or early Casper cartoons. In fact, my area never even showed Herman & Katnip, Baby Huey or Buzzy shorts. My introduction to Casper was the New Casper Cartoon Show. Huey and Audrey were just comic book stars to me back then.
My goodness, Mr. Komorowski, this is a surprise! I always like to suppport old cartoon stuff, so I’ll order this one posthaste. I look forward to your next “Aesop’s Fables” disk, too (the first one is excellent).
This is great news, Thad! I’m so happy to see that the Famous Studios library is finally getting the respect and recognition it so rightfully deserves. Will this be available for international purchase for those of us who live outside the U.S.; at least on Amazon?
“Looks ‘inspired’ by Dr. Seuss illustrations” is a very charitable way of describing “Our Funny Finny Friends”. In fact, many of the fish in the cartoon’s opening scene were copied directly from the pages of “McElligot’s Pool” (1947).
I was absolutely one of those pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the Aesop’s disc. And now with this Famous Studios release, you are off to a flying start with your new label. It is wonderful to see Cartoon Logic as part of the new home video landscape, and I am excited for anything else you might have in store for us.
i hope they make a volume 2 with more little lulu.
Looks like I have a DVD to add to my collection…and one of cartoons I never saw on TV. You get Casper’s debut which is worth it alone. Looks like this “Champion” collection is a winner.
Looking forward to this! Quite honestly, 1942-1950 Famous Studios >> Miami-era Fleischer. Obviously not to cheer Paramount on for their part in Fleischer becoming Famous, a multitude of factors after all, but the Fleischers’ final years (outside Popeye and Superman) were largely that mediocre.