Plot: What’s it about?
Although Disney has released some of the older animated shorts as supplements on discs, fans have demanded dedicated compilations since DVD first arrived. And after an extensive wait, Disney has started to deliver and as part of their Walt Disney Treasures line, they’ve released a collection of Silly Symphonies made from 1929-39. This is a very nice selection of animated shorts also, including some of the true classics and six Academy Award winners, so this is one loaded deck, to be sure. I am so thrilled to own such shorts as The Grasshopper and the Ants, The Skeleton Dance, The Ugly Duckling, and Flowers and Trees, but this two disc release is jammed to the gills with well crafted content. As with the other Walt Disney Treasures sets, Silly Symphonies is presented in a lavish two disc set found within a sturdy, attractive metal case, one which uses a lid, as opposed to hinges. This set is also limited to 150,000 copies and with such a wonderful array of animated shorts, no one should miss this excellent release.
Disc One
Fables & Fairy Tales
1. Mother Goose Melodies
2. Babes in the Woods
3. Lullaby Land
4. The Tortoise and the Hare
5. The Flying Mouse
6. The Robber Kitten
7. The Golden Touch
8. The Country Cousin
9. Elmer Elephant
10. The Grasshopper and the Ants
11. Who Killed Cock Robin?
12. Water Babies
13. Wynken, Blynken, and Nod
Favorite Characters
1. Three Little Pigs
2. The Big Bad Wolf
3. Three Little Wolves
4. The Wise Little Hen
5. Toby Tortoise Returns
6. Practical Pig
Disc Two
Accent on Music
1. The Skeleton Dance
2. The China Plate
3. Egyptian Melodies
4. Flowers and Trees
5. The Cookie Carnival
6. Music Land
7. Woodland Cafe
8. Farmyard Symphony
Nature on the Screen
1. Birds of a Feather
2. The Busy Beavers
3. Just Dogs
4. Father Noah’s Ark
5. Funny Little Bunnies
6. Peculiar Penguins
7. Mother Pluto
8. The Old Mill
Video: How does it look?
The animated shorts are presented in full frame transfers, as intended. I was surprised to see the shorts look this good, but even with nice treatments, only so much can be washed off, considering the age of the materials involved. The prints show some age signs, but look better than expected, without a doubt. The colors do pulse a tad at times, but this never becomes a distraction, as hues usually look stable and on the mark. You’ll see some flecks and grain on the print, but all things considered, Disney has issued these animated shorts in fine form and given their ages, I think they look terrific in these presentations.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original mono soundtracks are used and that’s good news, as these shorts wouldn’t benefit from new remixes. As these are older shorts (1929-39), some signs of age are expected and can be heard, but nothing too serious emerges. I never heard much hiss or distortion, as the elements seem clean and easy to understand, very nice work indeed. The music is vital to these shorts of course, so it comes as great news that the tunes sound good here, with minimal age related flaws to discuss. You’ll know these are older mono tracks without a doubt, but as far as the material goes, these options are more than solid. You can also enable English subtitles, should you be inclined to do so on the shorts.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This set includes an interview with composer Richard M. Sherman and Leonard Maltin, an introduction with Maltin, a featurette that showcases some of the promotional materials based on Silly Symphonies, a nice selection of artwork & promotional stills, and of course, a number of hidden extras that aren’t to tough to track down.
