Walt Disney Treasures: More Silly Symphonies - Volume Two (1929-1938)
Devil Inside
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
Buy Walt Disney Treasures: More Silly Symphonies - Volume Two (1929-1938) on DVD
These cornerstones of the Disney empire can range from tedious to
masterful, but this new two-disc box set contains more than a few of the latter.
First and foremost is the astonishing Hells Bells (1929), a musical romp
through hell, featuring demons and the Devil himself, a definite rare
peek at Disney's dark side. The set also includes two great Christmas
cartoons, Santa's Workshop (1932) and The Night Before Christmas (1933)
-- the latter of which eliminates the poem's grownup narrator (in his
nightshirt and cap) in favor of an all-child world. Any cartoon with
anything vaguely offensive (racial stereotypes, etc.) is shuttled off to
a section called "From the Vault," which comes with a disclaimer by
Leonard Maltin. The set also includes the "four seasons," Springtime
(1929), Autumn (1930), Summer (1930) and Winter (1930), as well as the
famous Little Hiawatha (1937). If animation fans had to choose only one
Disney set to own, it would have to be these.
Note: Disney has also released three other Walt Disney Treasures box sets:
The Complete Pluto, Vol. 2: 1947-1951, The Hardy Boys: The Mickey Mouse Club: 1956-1957 and Your Host Walt Disney: TV Memories: 1956-1965. Reviews coming soon!
Starring: n/a
Written by: n/a
Directed by: Ub Iwerks, Wilfred Jackson, Ben Sharpsteen, etc.
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 316 minutes
Date: December 22, 2006
