More Tex

The country wolf sums up the reaction of Tex Avery fans when the world was told there would finally (!) be a Blu-ray release of some of his MGM cartoons. Animation fans couldn’t order it fast enough.

Now, Jerry Beck has revealed the Warner Archive people will be releasing Volume 2. When? Well, with the pandemic situation the way it is, the time line is a bit in doubt but it’ll be before the end of the year.

The revelation was made yesterday on the Stu’s Show podcast.

A few other things mentioned by the inimitable Mr. Beck:

● There were supposed to be 20 cartoons on Volume 1, but one was left off because of some temporary skittishness somewhere within Warners (in offices of entertainment companies, skittishness is practically an incurable pandemic). However, this cartoon will be included in Volume 2. Jerry left enough clues that the cartoon in question is Happy Go Nutty (1944). The cartoon contains an explosion/blackface gag cut out of other video and television releases.



I’m very pleased Warner Archive is releasing the cartoons uncensored. You’ll get to see a fully-restored version of the gag above along with some very funny stuff (including Avery’s end-title card turnabout).

● There will be more than 20 cartoons on this Blu-ray. Jerry didn’t say which ones but, in his opinion, this release will be better than the last one. There are so many great Avery cartoons, I’ll be happy with whatever is put on disc. I am looking forward to a restored Magical Maestro, though it’s best seen at a theatre because of Avery’s use of corners of the frame. It would be a treat if the original ending of Lucky Ducky somehow could make it onto the release. And Blitz Wolf, Avery’s first MGM release, is a huge jump from much of what he did at Warners, and it will have its war-time gags restored (some anti-Japanese animation was either changed or deleted). And there are so many more.
● The door is open to possible bonus materials. The impression I get from Jerry is Warners is like any huge conglomerate. It owns all kinds of things but they’re all separate and apart. So just like profits from Disneyland aren’t used to shore up some ABC streaming channel, Warner Archive can’t just put its hand out and get cash from Warner Home Video or any of its other entertainment companies. It’s a small operation that has to make it on its own, or at least well enough so the corporate hierarchy doesn’t dissolve it. This is a windy way of saying Warner Archive doesn’t have the money for frills. Assembling a little professional-looking video, even limiting it to stills and voice-over narration, takes time and some expense. Perhaps Jerry and Mark Kausler or Keith Scott could be induced to do commentary tracks. Even .png files of the MGM cartoon synopses from the Library of Congress would be welcome. Keith, incidentally, is responsible for what really is the bonus material for the first Blu-ray, though it’s not on the Blu-ray itself. He wrote about the voice actors on Volume 1 at the Cartoon Research website.
● Eventually, all of Tex’s MGM cartoons will be released.
● Other Warner Archive projects are taking a proverbial back seat (in the Car of Tomorrow?) for now. Sorry, fans of the churn-‘em-out, 1950s Famous Popeyes, it means you’ll have to wait because...sing along now:
I’m full of bravery
But let’s see Tex Avery
Says Popeye the Sailor Man
(Toot Toot. Eyebrow goes up and down)

By the way, if you want to hear animator Bob Jaques and Thad Komorowski examine each of the cartoons on Volume 1, tune into their podcast here.

Again, my thanks and appreciation to Jerry Beck for making these sets finally a reality.