Rating: 
Summary: A Great Set!!
Review: An excellent DVD, well worth owning for anyone interested in Disney animation. The transfers are, for the most part, excellent. There are a couple of quibbles to be had, though. Some of the most interesting shorts on these discs can only be found as Easter Eggs, that is, they don't really appear on the menu as chapters, but have to be found pretty much by accident. It's rather annoying at times trying to remember which Easter Egg leads to which film. Also, despite the blurb on the back of the package, these films are not entirely uncensored. The version of the Three Little Pigs on this disc is an altered version. In the original release, the Big Bad Wolf appears in disguise as an unfortunate Jewish peddler stereotype. For this release, the soundtrack of the sequence has been retained, but the footage of the wolf in disguise has been replaced with newer footage which removes the supposedly anti-semitic material. It isn't especially well-done, either: in fact it sticks out like a sore thumb. These are minor quibbles. Disney is to be congratulated on releasing a lot of these films, in spite of the possibly rather dangerous content of a few of them. Each day I expect to open the paper and find that the disc has been pulled from distribution because some loony in some backwater has decided that the short Water Babies, a harmless and plotless film which centers upon a group of nude infant boys, [is offensive] and decides to sue. As far as I am concerned, it is worth the price of the entire set to have a pristine DVD of Who Killed Cock Robin?, which is one of the very best and most audacious films Disney ever released. The caricature of assorted Hollywood personalities is dead on, and I always laugh at Jenny Wren's Mae West-like flirting with the judge. Get this disk. You won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Great SS set, but the ommissions were painfully evident
Review: Before I obtained this DVD set, I had high expectations. I had seen some of the Mickey Mouse In Living Color set, and was enthrolled at the gorgeous color and clearity of the pictures. Not to mention sound with no hiss or other pollutants. The Silly Symphony DVD set did not disappoint.It is not my intent to author a history of Disney animation. However, a few facts will lead to a greater appreciation of this set. Disney started in the 20's with a character named Alice, that later developed into Mickey Mouse. Cartoons were all in b/w, and animation not as refined as in the 30s and 40s. From 1924 through 1926, Disney produced only Alice shorts. (Now THERE would be some real TREASURES if Disney ever released these toons! They've never been released commercially!) In 1927 and 28, Disney changed his primary character to Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit. These have also never been released. As 1929 drew to a close, other studios began releasing musical shorts - remember that sound with image only began in 1927 - and Walt was under pressure to produce a new product for theaters. One with color and sound. The Silly Symphony was born. Essentially, that's what Silly Symphonies are. They are a cartoon story to a musical soundtrack with almost no dialogue or verbal exchange. The first Silly Symphonies were composed of simple themes - in fact, there were a set produced that dealt only with the seasons: Springtime and Summer came out in 1930, Fall and Winter came out in 1931. Other titles were Arctic Antics, Frolicking Fish and Monkey Melodies. The animation was nice, but the themes were simple. In 1931 as audiences tired of these simple themes, Disney had to produce something new again, so began the fairy tale editions of Silly Symphonies. Some of these ended up being the studio's best work! By the mid 30's Disney was also doing purely artistic shorts which were somewhat abstract, culminating in a short, not on the DVD, (ouch!) called Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, about musical instruments coming to life in a totally Salvador Dali-like surreal backdrop. The Disney Treasures DVD focuses on several academy award winners (such as The Old Mill) and the fairy tale/story based Silly Symphonies. Many of Disney's finest efforts are included, such as the Tortoise and the Hare, The Grasshopper and the Ants, Three Little Pigs, 1929's Skeleton Dance, Flowers and Trees, Woodland Cafe, Music Land, and Disney's most lavish Symphony, Wynken Blynken and Nod. The color is great, the sound equally impressive. Many of these shorts were previously released on Disney's VHS line called "Limited Editions Gold" series 1 and 2 in the late 80's. (each series was 6 tapes). In fact, that line contains many SS shorts not on the DVD. However, the DVD does have some 35 different SS shorts on it. Many have introductions by the host of the series, Leonard Maltin. (Note! Many also have intros by Walt Disney - but they are hidden as Easter Eggs! You'll have to search for those Easter Eggs to get Walt's commentary!) All in all, this is a wonderful package for SS fans, with a nice selection of the Silly Symphony shorts (35 shorts are on the DVD, 36 are not) with subjects to please adults and children alike, gorgeous color and sound, and very attractive packaging. Plus you get a little 6x8 "card" of collectible poster art in the box. If you love 30's animation and especially Disney's, you can't go wrong with this set of DVDs. (Now, I HAVE to mention one thing. Although the selections on the DVDs are great, I wish they would have made this a 4 disk set, and put ALL 71 SS shorts on DVD at one time. There are some shorts that truly deserved to be on this DVD set, such as The Moth and the Flame, the four "Seasons" shorts, Three Blind Mouseketeers (a precursor to the Mickey Mouse Club!), Goddess of Spring, and certainly Toot, Whistle at el. I guess these are being held for Volume II at some point, but it would have been nice to not have quite as much commentary from Leonard, and more of the shorts instead. No offense Leonard.) All in all, I give this effort 4 out of 5 stars. Get this DVD, you won't regret it and you'll enjoy it for years!
Rating:
Summary: EASTER EGGS: Hidden cartoons on these disks
Review: OK, there are no kids in our household, but we both love this DVD and its Mickey Mouse companion. The editorial reviews describe the DVD quite well, so I won't go into any more detail other than to pont out that there are some "hidden" cartoons on these disks. I found 2 on DISK 1: on the menus, use the right and left button on your remote until various objects on the screen light up.
Rating:
Summary: Waiting for nr 2!
Review: Just a joy to see and hear. Only 2 complaints. Way too much Maltin and way too kind questions from him. I thought he was a filmcritic...I really hope he isn't bought by the Disney company. More analysis and history about the films and facts about all the great animators! Now I wait for at least 37 more Symphonies - among them "Merbabies", "Hell's Bells", "Playful Pan", "The Merry Dwarfs", "King Neptune", "The Moth and the Flame", "Midnight in a Toy Shop" and Ub Iwerks "Summer" and "Autumn" (1930). Will this happen December 2005?
Rating:
Summary: Music to your Ears... and Eyes
Review: Walt originally slated the creation of the SILLY SYMPHONIES to experiment with new animation techniques. This work would ultimately result in the techniques and technology used in full-length features like SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS. That is not to say that there isn't plenty to offer here... This edition of the WALT DISNEY ARCHIVES is filled with long sought after material, gorgeously remastered and filled with surprises. Some of the cartoons are wonderful to watch, particularly the first multi-plane camera cartoon, THE OLD MILL... It is a beautiful mixture of several different techniques to tell a nature story filled with mood and the elements. Throughout are also scattered curiosities... Like the THREE LITTLE PIGS and its three sequels, THE BIG BAD WOLF, THE THREE LITTLE WOLVES and PRACTICAL PIG... All of which capitalized on the popular song WHOS AFRAID OF THE BIG BAD WOLF... Then there is two version of THE UGLY DUCKLING where one could easily see the studios growth within a few years time... Other characters, like the Tortoise and the Hare also appear more than once. Each cartoon is an education of sorts even though they are not all wonderful. That is also where this DVD falters. Presented in a wonderful tin package, this set is obviously seen as an archive, heavy of interest to a collector. And yet, the shorts are not presented in a logical or chronological order, something any 'collector' would want. The packaging gets real confusing a couple of times, the booklet inside lists all the episodes available on the disc yet you can't find them all on the disc itself without finding 'hidden locations'. I've heard of hiding 'extra' material, but these episodes are the reason you bought the disc. There are occasional appearances by Walt and interesting commentary by Leonard Maltin to secure the value of the piece. WALT DISNEY TREASURES is a wonderful series that I hope to see more... The episodes are wonderfully remastered and presented... Toodaloo...
Rating:
Summary: What a Treasure!
Review: I can't possibly describe the awe that I feel while watching this DVD treasure of Disney's finest from the early years of animation. You get exactly what you expect and more. Just the two cartoons "Skeleton Dance" and "The Old Mill" are worth the cost. But even my young children love the colorful characters in these delightful cartoon shorts. The loveable three little pigs come to life as well as the tortoise and the hare, Mother Hen,(with a delightful appearance by a very early Donald Duck), and it even has some great surprises that you don't expect if you use your remote and find the Easter Eggs hidden throughout the DVD.
This DVD has more than you may expect and is worth every penny, particularly if you love these old Disney shorts. Thank you, Walt, for your contribution to the entertainment industry.
Rating:
Summary: Please! Share this with your little ones
Review: These Disney cartoons lack the smartalecky humor of Warner Bros. cartoons, and I don't know how a 10-year-old would react. But I can tell you that my 3-year-old, who was bored stiff by Atlantis and only intermittently amused by Shrek, watches this set over and over (as he watched the tapes I made from Ink & Paint Club before it). Nor is he alone-- my sister's child has a friend whose first thing to do every time she visits is to watch Water Babies (usually 3 or 4 times). This is real cartoon magic for little kids and their parents, innocent in the best sense, generally gorgeous in the lush early Technicolor, and bursting with imagination. Yeah, the menus are a little confusing (you have to learn where all the Easter Eggs are to see some of the best cartoons), but that's a small quibble; it's a joy to have these in such handsome transfers and one can only hope for another set to follow with the other half or so of the Silly Symphonies.
Rating:
Summary: Recapturing a piece of my youth
Review: I just recieved this dvd today and i must say it's one of the best in my dvd collection. Every Disney fan should own a piece of this vintage Disney magic. I understand the complaints about the imperfections of the film. There are some little specks here and there on some of the shorts. However, I've noticed a major improvement on the color incomparison to when i used to watch it on the very same tv not too long ago on the disneychannel. Little specks are a small price to pay to recapture that happy moment of my youth. Anyway... there are also complaints on the repeated segments with Leonard pick's. I believe it was unnecissary for Disney to include that on the dvd, but despite that you're still getting 5 fabulous hours of amazing animation. After watching this, I believe i'm going to buy other disney treasures as well. if you need more info about quality or quantity of the dvd... my aim is sezinschange i doubt anyone could be completely unsatisfied with this collection that disney has put together. there are some i wish they had included in the collection, but perhaps they'll unlock more treasures from the disney vault in the future. i'll definately be the first in line to buy when they do.
Rating:
Summary: Disney's Treasures
Review: I thik Leonard Maltin said it best, "The years haven't dimmed the luster of these charming, often ingenious cartoons, full of colorful characters and inventive ideas." I think the only thing I can add to that is that they are also filled with a lot of heart and warmth. There are life lessons and morals, but not told in a heavy handed kind of way. But most of all they are still very entertaining. I was touched by the heart in 'Music Land', amazed at the technical achievement in 'Egyptian Melodies', impressed by the quiet beauty of 'The Old Mill' and I still can't get that song out of my head from 'The Grasshopper and the Ants'! I knew I'd enjoy this set, but I didn't think I'd enjoy it THIS much! Also the bonus material is quite fun. Being able to see all those collectibles from the Silly Symphonies was a real treat as was the interview with Richard Sherman. I've learned quite a bit fom this set and incredibly, it has deepened my already deep respect for the Disney artists of years past. My only complaint would be that a few shorts appear on both discs. It seems to me that including it once and having room for one not yet presented makes more sense. But it's a small scratch in a blazingly bright treasure. Thank you Disney for opening up your vaults!
Rating:
Summary: Very good, but not complete, collection of Silly Symphonies
Review: I did originally order this collection assuming it contained all of the Silly Symphonies (I think about 75 were made). Even though the packaging indicates there are only 31, I counted 37 (not counting Leonard's Pick's), but some of them are only accessable by 'easter eggs' or watching all of them in a row.
Anyway, despite the flaws noted by others, it's really wonderful to have so many of these shorts available. I think Disney did a pretty good job of including the best ones of the series. It would have been a five-star collection if they'd cleaned the clips up, but even so, it's a definative example of the Disney Studio's master craft. Let's hope they issue a Volume 2 of Silly Symphonies!
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