NEW RELEASES Disney's 'Treasures' have extras
Film critic Leonard Maltin presents the two-disc sets.
By RANDY A. SALAS
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL STAR TRIBUNE
The third wave of the essential "Walt Disney Treasures" (Buena Vista, $32.99 each) comes out this week after a six-month delay. The four new releases -- two-disc sets in deluxe tins with loads of extras -- cover Disney's eye-popping 1950s survey of space and beyond, the many shorts it made to aid the war effort in the '40s, color Mickey Mouse cartoons from 1939 on, and Donald Duck cartoons from 1934-41.
The sets are lovingly presented by film historian and critic Leonard Maltin. So who better to ask for his favorites from each?
"Tomorrowland": "I especially love Ward Kimball's animation sequences in 'Man in Space,' 'Man and the Moon' and 'Mars and Beyond.' They're unlike anything the Disney studio did before or since -- modern, irreverent and ingenious. I'm also very fond of my interview with Ray Bradbury (because of Ray, not because of me)."
"On the Front Lines": "So much to choose from here, but my favorite cartoon is 'Der Fuehrer's Face,' which was originally going to be called 'Donald in Nutziland.' I can only imagine how this must have been greeted when it was released in the midst of World War II."
"The Chronological Donald, Vol. 1": "As an old-movie buff, I get a special kick out of the 1939 cartoon 'The Autograph Hound,' in which Donald sneaks onto a movie-studio lot to meet some of his favorite stars, from Shirley Temple to Greta Garbo."
"Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Vol. 2": " 'Symphony Hour' is one of the funniest cartoons the studio ever made; it's a perfect cartoon to show to people who think old-school Disney was all about cute animals and a benign sense of humor. It's also a perfect counterpoint to the great 1935 Mickey Mouse cartoon 'The Band Concert.' "