Walt Disney Treasures

[Daniel]

It was a snippet of an email I posted that Leonard Maltin said what should be next. Hopefully it does happen.

[EricJ]

Given that Disney's doing the same Sleeping Beauty "coin" trick in giving away Zorro lithos with every two Treasure VIII purchase codes, it's starting to look pretty suspicious...

[Ben]

Ahh, yes, I remember that now.

Probably the reason I wasn't too impressed was because most of the very small number of people that would buy a Zorro set have already redeemed points or joined the movie club and have those episodes!

[David]

Actually I don't think there would be any crossover with next year's Zorro Treasure. There were 2 seasons of the 30 minute episodes. After those 2 seasons this is when Walt began to run into his network troubles. Then he made 4 final, hour long episodes that aired as part of the anthology series. I'm sure it will be these 4 hour long eps that will turn up in the next years Treasures.

Leonard also hinted to me that another volume in wave IX is likely to be animated set filling in the missing bits although naturally he wouldn't say more than that. Although I assume it will include some of the bits listed here: http://thedisneydigest.blogspot.com/200 ... ssing.html

[Ben]

I tried leaving this message there but it was too complicated (don't have any messaging program) and gave up, but he's missing out a LOT of material before they should start double dipping on individually released sequences from the Package Features as shorts.

Here's the full list - though some of these have turned up on different DVDs, including the Rarities Treasures, this is what they have to choose from. They CAN go past Walt's lifetime if they wish: both the Mickey Mouse and, now, Donald Duck have done this.

Hot Chocolate Soldiers (Mickey Mouse segment from Hollywood Party) – 1934 (for MGM)
Ferdinand The Bull – 1938
Der Fuehrer’s Face – 1943 (also counted as part of the Donald Duck series)
Education For Death – 1943
Reason And Emotion – 1943
Chicken Little – 1943
The Pelican And The Snipe – 1944
The Brave Engineer – 1950
Morris, The Midget Moose – 1950
Lambert, The Sheepish Lion – 1952
Susie, The Little Blue Coupe – 1953
The Little House – 1952
Adventures In Music: Melody – 1953
Football Now And Then – 1953
Ben And Me – 1953
Toot, Whistle, Plunk, And Boom – 1953
Pigs Is Pigs – 1954
Casey Bats Again – 1954 (sequel to segment in Make Mine Music feature)
Social Lion – 1954
Hooked Bear – 1956
How To Have An Accident In The Home – 1956 (also Educational release and Donald Duck series)
Jack And Old Mac – 1956
In The Bag – 1956
A Cowboy Needs A Horse – 1956
The Story Of Anyburg, USA – 1957
The Truth About Mother Goose – 1957
Paul Bunyan – 1958
Donald In Mathmagic Land – 1959 (also as an Educational release and the Donald Duck series)
How To Have An Accident At Work – 1959 (also an Educational release and Donald Duck series)
Noah’s Ark – 1959
Goliath II – 1960
The Saga Of Windwagon Smith – 1961
The Litterbug – 1961 (a one-off cartoon also counted as part of the Donald Duck series)
Aquamania – 1961 (a one-off cartoon also counted as part of the Goofy series)
A Symposium On Popular Songs – 1962
Freewayphobia No. 1 – 1965 (also counted as an Educational release and part of the Goofy series)
Goofy’s Freeway Trouble (Freewayphobia No. 2) – 1965 (also counted as Educational and Goofy)
Winnie The Pooh And The Honey Tree – 1966
Scrooge McDuck And Money – 1967
The Coyote’s Lament – 1968 (featuring Pluto)
Winnie The Pooh And The Blustery Day – 1968
It’s Tough To Be A Bird – 1969
Dad, Can I Borrow The Car? – 1970
Winnie The Pooh And Tigger Too – 1974
Man, Monsters And Mysteries – 1974
The Small One – 1978
Mickey Mouse Disco – 1980
Once Upon A Mouse – 1981
Vincent – 1982
Fun With Mr Future – 1982
Winnie The Pooh And A Day For Eeyore – 1983
Mickey’s Christmas Carol – 1983
Frankenweenie – 1984
The Wuzzles: Bulls Of A Feather – 1986 (TV cartoon released theatrically)
The Gummi Bears: A New Beginning – 1986 (TV cartoon released theatrically)
Oilspot And Lipstick – 1987
Sport Goofy: Soccermania – 1987
Roger Rabbit: Tummy Trouble - 1989
Mickey, Donald And Goofy: The Prince And The Pauper – 1990
Roger Rabbit: RollerCoaster Rabbit – 1991
Bonkers: Petal To The Metal – 1992
Off His Rockers – 1992
Roger Rabbit: Trail Mix-Up – 1993
Mickey Mouse: Runaway Brain – 1995
Totally Twisted Fairytales: Little Redux Riding Hood – 1998
Totally Twisted Fairytales: The Three Little Pigs – 1998
Totally Twisted Fairytales: Jack And The Beanstock – 1999
John Henry – 2000 (completed) / 2002 (released)
Grievance Of A Starmaker – 2002 (produced by WDTVA Japan)
Destino – 2003
One By One – 2003
Lorenzo – 2004
Home On The Range: The Three Pigs – 2004 (direct-to-video)
Mary Poppins: The Cat That Looked At A King – 2004 (direct-to-video)
Lilo And Stitch: The Origin Of Stitch – 2005 (direct-to-video)
The Little Match Girl – 2006

Don't forget that Disney has hinted at a Oscar nominated and winning cartoon set, too, which may see a lot of these come to light in other ways.

I won't even go into what could be included in an "Educational" animated Treasures set!

[David]

His list is just the stuff that is missing. And as you say most of your list is already in the Treasures line up.

It's would be interesting to know whether Disney would include 'Hot Choc-late soldiers'. Is Hollywood Party public domain nowadays?

[Ben]

Nah, most of that list is <I>not</I> in Treasures. Most of the <I>first half</I>, yes, but not the rest.

Without looking or trying to remember the Rarities contents, these are still up for grabs in the Treasures line:

Hot Chocolate Soldiers (Mickey Mouse segment from Hollywood Party) – 1934 (for MGM)
Susie, The Little Blue Coupe – 1953
Casey Bats Again – 1954 (sequel to segment in Make Mine Music feature)
Social Lion – 1954
Hooked Bear – 1956
How To Have An Accident In The Home – 1956 (also Educational release and Donald Duck series)
In The Bag – 1956
The Story Of Anyburg, USA – 1957
Paul Bunyan – 1958
How To Have An Accident At Work – 1959 (also an Educational release and Donald Duck series)
The Saga Of Windwagon Smith – 1961
The Litterbug – 1961 (a one-off cartoon also counted as part of the Donald Duck series)
A Symposium On Popular Songs – 1962
Freewayphobia No. 1 – 1965 (also counted as an Educational release and part of the Goofy series)
Goofy’s Freeway Trouble (Freewayphobia No. 2) – 1965 (also counted as Educational and Goofy)
Winnie The Pooh And The Honey Tree – 1966
Scrooge McDuck And Money – 1967
The Coyote’s Lament – 1968 (featuring Pluto)
Winnie The Pooh And The Blustery Day – 1968
It’s Tough To Be A Bird – 1969
Dad, Can I Borrow The Car? – 1970
Winnie The Pooh And Tigger Too – 1974
Man, Monsters And Mysteries – 1974
The Small One – 1978
Mickey Mouse Disco – 1980
Once Upon A Mouse – 1981
Vincent – 1982
Fun With Mr Future – 1982
Winnie The Pooh And A Day For Eeyore – 1983
Oilspot And Lipstick – 1987
Sport Goofy: Soccermania – 1987
Roger Rabbit: Tummy Trouble - 1989
Roger Rabbit: RollerCoaster Rabbit – 1991
Bonkers: Petal To The Metal – 1992
Off His Rockers – 1992
Roger Rabbit: Trail Mix-Up – 1993
Totally Twisted Fairytales: Little Redux Riding Hood – 1998
Totally Twisted Fairytales: The Three Little Pigs – 1998
Totally Twisted Fairytales: Jack And The Beanstock – 1999
John Henry – 2000 (completed) / 2002 (released)
Grievance Of A Starmaker – 2002 (produced by WDTVA Japan)
Destino – 2003
One By One – 2003
Lorenzo – 2004
Home On The Range: The Three Pigs – 2004 (direct-to-video)
Mary Poppins: The Cat That Looked At A King – 2004 (direct-to-video)
Lilo And Stitch: The Origin Of Stitch – 2005 (direct-to-video)
The Little Match Girl – 2006


Hot Chocolate Soldiers ("choc-late"!?) is under dispute in a tangle between Disney, who produced the Mickey sequence and Silly Symphony like short for the film, and Warner Bros, the rights holders of the MGM film.

WB wanted to put the film out a couple of years ago but could not reach an agreement with Disney on the animated sequences (there wasn't a full "buyout" contract like there was for the Forbidden Planet VFX) and so only put out segments. Disney likewise can't seem to put the short out.

They should agree for WB to put out a single DVD with Hollywood Party, and Disney to put the whole Mickey/Jimmy Durante sequence with the Chocolate short out in a single collection, and then call it quits.

The short isn't "great", a fairly standard, mushy Symphony like few minutes, but the Mickey/Durante sequence beforehand is pretty neat...animation and live-action from 1934!

[David]

Social Lion – 1954
Hooked Bear – 1956
How To Have An Accident In The Home – 1956 (also Educational release and Donald Duck series)
In The Bag – 1956
The Story Of Anyburg, USA – 1957
Paul Bunyan – 1958
How To Have An Accident At Work – 1959 (also an Educational release and Donald Duck series)
The Saga Of Windwagon Smith – 1961
The Litterbug – 1961 (a one-off cartoon also counted as part of the Donald Duck series)
A Symposium On Popular Songs – 1962

All of these are in the Treasures line up somewhere.

Hot Chocolate Soldiers ("choc-late"!?) is under dispute in a tangle between Disney, who produced the Mickey sequence and Silly Symphony like short for the film, and Warner Bros, the rights holders of the MGM film.

WB wanted to put the film out a couple of years ago but could not reach an agreement with Disney on the animated sequences (there wasn't a full "buyout" contract like there was for the Forbidden Planet VFX) and so only put out segments. Disney likewise can't seem to put the short out.

They should agree for WB to put out a single DVD with Hollywood Party, and Disney to put the whole Mickey/Jimmy Durante sequence with the Chocolate short out in a single collection, and then call it quits.

The short isn't "great", a fairly standard, mushy Symphony like few minutes, but the Mickey/Durante sequence beforehand is pretty neat...animation and live-action from 1934!

I have the short on DVD. Somehow Germany was provided with an unedited release of 'Hollywood Party'.

[Ben]

Without looking or trying to remember the Rarities contents...

Hence some of the ones in your list...I just wasn't sure what was and wasn't in there. The "How To Have An Accident"s are out? Cool!

That still leaves a lot that that blog didn't cover, and quite a few before they need to start adding the short subject versions of the Package Features shorts. There are the Chip'n'Dales also, and some other


Hollywood Party on DVD? Wow, cool. I have it from a one-off late night/early morning showing on TV way back when. Who put it out in Germany?

[David]

That still leaves a lot that that blog didn't cover, and quite a few before they need to start adding the short subject versions of the Package Features shorts. There are the Chip'n'Dales also, and some other

I guess he's just suggesting the re-jhuzzed package feature segments, since the Treasures usually only covers Walt era content, and it might not be that likely that they'd include all that post Walt stuff in a Treasures release.

The only things I can see missing from his list, that are on yours are The Coyote's Lament, The Gummi Bears: A New Beginning and The Wuzzles: Bulls of a Feather, but he does comment that he hasn't included TV stuff given theatrical airings.

Apart from that the only other two things missing from his list I can see are Man, Monsters and Mysteries and Frankenweenie. Maybe he missed them accidentally, but if I recall correctly (It's been a long time since I saw either) weren't both of them primarilly live action? Maybe that's why he didn't include them.

Hollywood Party on DVD? Wow, cool. I have it from a one-off late night/early morning showing on TV way back when. Who put it out in Germany?

It's this one I think, but I don't know where my copy is and I can't remember what the cover looks like! http://www.amazon.de/Laurel-Hardy-Holly ... 534&sr=8-1

[Ben]

Treasures usually only covers Walt era content

Yes, but given the precedent shown for "Mickey's Christmas Carol", "The Prince And The Pauper", "Runaway Brain" and the selection of (frankly redundant) Donald Duck cartoons from the Mickey Mouseworks shows, they have shown a willingness to step outside that box.

"Man, Monsters & Mysteries" is a deserved place in there (the Treasures are never an animated/live-action split...many of them play across these lines), also because it features a lot of new animation (of "Nessie", by Ward Kimball if memory serves), though I agree "Frankenweenie" shouldn't make the cut...apologies, that was a left-over from my personal list of specials. I would also agree that The Wuzzles and Gummi Bear pilots not be included, though they did get international release.

Still a lot of extra stuff there, especially considering the running time which, on things like "It's Tough To Be A Bird", "MM&M" and "Dad Can I Borrow The Car?) run 20-25-30 minutes-ISH.

I really wouldn't want space wasted on rehashing theatrical subject versions of sequences from the Package Features. PERHAPS there's a separate set in that, which could also feature uncensored material from other Disney films ("The Martins And The Coys", etc) that could highlight some of these alternate editions.

If more Treasures are on the way, my optimum picks would be a "Rarities II", to feature a few more Alices, the three Chip 'n' Dales, the shorts mentioned above and featurettes bringing us up to Destino, which would provide a decent time frame at which to stop, bringing things full circle in going back to Walt's time to complete the film in 2003.

The second would be the long-rumored "A Disney Education" set, featuring the "I'm No Fool..." series that REALLY should be on the "Pinocchio" Platinum but is not, plus the several shorts that haven't turned up yet and that come right into the 1980s (and beyond?) to show us how Disney characters helped us to recognize various topics, safety and health issues. Then there are the "People & Places" films, which could be combined with selected Theme Park movies, for a travelogue set, etc...

I try to keep running lists on the films under these categories as Disney have listed them officially in books and other documents. There's a LOT that we haven't seen yet.

[David]

I try to keep running lists on the films under these categories as Disney have listed them officially in books and other documents. There's a LOT that we haven't seen yet.

Oh don't worry, I have lists of them all too and I know how much is missing. I'll be interested to see just how accurate his list of live action shorts is (If he does one) :p

Anyway back to Hollywood party. Yes that's the right DVD. Yes it's uncut. Yes it features the Hot chocolate soliders segment in colour. Yes it also features the segment with Mickey playing the piano and having a ding dong with Jimmy Durante.

Also (i don't know whether you know or not) the scandinavian DVD of Make Mine Music is uncut. Although it's a NTSC > PAL transfer. So preprare for judderama.

[Ben]

Then there is perhaps hope for a R1 disc from WB, since they put that out there.

I actually have Make Mine Music uncut from "another source". And Song Of The South, but <I>not</I> from a bootleg, so I'm good there too.

Interesting to compare lists one day...I'm sure we're both missing or overlooked some material here and there.

[EricJ]

Okay, really dumb question, but:
Are the tins REALLY tin, and is it worth keeping them (unlike those cardboard sleeves from the shelf disks, which it's okay to throw into the recycling bin)?

See, the Dr. Syn was the first Treasures set I'd ever bought (was never a Davy Crockett, WWII or chronological-shorts fan)...
And while I like "finally" having one of those limited tins for the permanent shelf, I didn't realize there was an identical disk case inside--Particularly as I'd read the world's supply of tin had or nearly exhausted, and most all tin cans today are recycled content.
(Which material costs could be one reason Disney wants to get out of the Disney Treasures market...)

I thought I should keep the Neato Collectors' Metal Case in case I ever have to sell on eBay (and then, only if it goes to Blu, which isn't likely), just don't want to have to deal with the eco-guilt.

[Ben]

I don't know if they're really "tin", but they're not cardboard slipcases either!

I have all my Treasures lined up and pretty darned neat they look too. Dr Syn was the first you bought? None of the previous animation ones?

I don't think tin shortage is a reason for Disney to get out of Treasures...it's the high costs/low returns. If they wanted to change the packaging - again, if it even <I>is</I> tin - they could do without problem or fuss ("hey, you want these to continue, they need to continue like this").

Out of them all, Syn going Blu (eventually, and maybe not even as a "Treasure"), is more a possibility than any of them, actually, since the new widescreen restorations were mastered to HD.

Personally, I don't see the Treasures going to Blu-ray, not in the current configuration. The sales are low enough as is, and then they'd only be appealing to a niche of a niche. I do expect some titles to come along some day, when the format has even more support, but apart from perhaps branding the line "Walt Disney Treasures", they won't be like what we get now. My bet is that they go for more of a mainstream market and use the more popular/well recognized titles.