The Cartoons That Time Forgot - The Ub Iwerks Collection, Vol. 1

Rating:
Summary: A TRUE ANIMATION PIONEER
Review: Ub Iwerks worked as a commercial artist in Kansas City when he met Walt Disney who was in the same profession. When Disney decided to form an animation company, Ub Iwerks was the first employee he had due to his skill at fast drawing as well as being a personal friend.

When Charles Mintz raided Disney's animation studio and stole the rights to their character Oswald the Rabbit, Ub was the only associate to remain with Disney. He served as the principle animator for the first Mickey Mouse shorts and Silly Symphonies. Iwerks was so prominent in the production of these shorts that it was speculated that Ub was the dominate force behind the success of Disney Productions. The combination of Iwerks' rising ambitions, occasional differences with Walt and a tempting deal to finance his own studio prompted him to break away in 1930. His studio was never a tenth of the artistic or financial success that Disney was. His studio was closed in 1936. He worked for Columbia starting in 1938 and worked for two years until he decided to return to Disney. The two men never commented on their renewed relationship but the reunion was mutually beneficial.

The first DVD volume has 32 of Iwerk's cartoons from the well-known (relatively speaking) to the very obscure.

Here's a few highlights:

"Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp" 1934. Aladdin is a slave who has to clean lamps. He rubs a magic lamp, and a genie appears. Wishing himself into the palace, the lad is off to the sultan, and meets a beautiful princess. His evil master tries to steal the lamp, but Aladdin prevails.

"The Village Smitty" 1931. This time, Flip is the village blacksmith. He tries to shoe his cat-like girlfriend's horse.

"The Village Barber" 1930. As the village barber, Flip tries to cut the hair and beard of a tough lion character. The film ends with Flip, the Lion and some other animals singing a barber shop quartet.

"Viva Willie" 1934. While playing Cowboys & Indians, Willie and his friend stop outside the local movie theater. They see a poster for the latest film, "Viva Villa." Willie tells his friends how he once captured Pancho Villa and saved Mary (a saloon performer) when he was the sheriff. Willie enters the fantasy world of the marquee ad, roping in the desperado and his ugly crew. The tavern billows with clouds and stars during the fight.

"The Valiant Tailor" 1934. A diabolically mirthful giant tortures the king. The giant tries to tease a little tailor. He is outsmarted by the tailor, who saves the king from his clutches...and puts the giant in stitches. The king rewards the tailor.

A true Collection of classics by an early master