By the time "The Barn Dance" (1928), the fourth Mickey Mouse short and the oldest film on this collection, was released, Mickey was well on his way to cartoon stardom. The viewer can see how quickly the Disney animators improved between "The Barn Dance" and "Mickey's Kangaroo" (1935, his last black-and-white film). The characters are so rubbery in "Barn Dance," that when Mickey steps on Minnie's foot, her leg stretches out on the floor. Mickey and Minnie look noticeably more solid by "Mickey's Mechanical Man" (1933). "Playful Pluto" (1934) offers the landmark sequence of Pluto trying to escape from sheet of fly paper: one of the first instances where an animated character actually seemed to think and react to his environment believably. But it's Pluto who gets the laughs--Mickey is already turning into the straight man he eventually became.
The Disney shorts also improved as films during this period. The direction becomes surer, with increasingly imaginative camerawork. If some cartoons look backward, recycling gags from "Steamboat Willie," "The Barnyard Concert" (1929) anticipates "The Band Concert" (1935). In both films, Mickey conducts a group of ragtag musicians in Zampa's "The Poet and the Peasant" Overture, and "Barnyard Concert" feels like a rough sketch for the brilliant "Band Concert," Mickey's first color short.
A few of these films include ethnic imagery that was considered good taste in the early '30s, but is no longer acceptable, as host Leonard Maltin cautions. (Unrated, suitable for ages 6 and older: cartoon violence, tobacco use, ethnic stereotypes) --Charles Solomon
1 M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E
This is the second volume of black and white Mickey Mouse cartoons. If you get this and the the first volume, you will have all the black and white Mickey Mouse cartoons. Some of the early cartoons are rather primitive by today's standards, but they are still fun to watch. And they get better as they progress from one cartoon to the next. One notable thing here is the cartoons that are labeled "From the Vault". These are cartoons that supposedly contain elements that may be offensive to today's audience (usually racial stereotypes), although in some of them I didn't notice anything that would be considered offensive. On the other hand, one of the "regular" cartoons here is called "Trader Mickey", and it contains caricatured African cannibals that will probably offend some people. Go figure. Anyway, this collection is a real treat for animation buffs. Get it before it sells out.
2 Great to have all of the b/w Mickey's out and uncensored!
This set is a real treat for the animation buff. Films long relegated to the vault due to sensitivity issues, finally get to see the light of day where they belong - in the hands of the true fan.
I feel sorry for the reviewer below who is so ignorant about the development of Technicolor - before there was three-strip color, films were in either black and white or the limited two-strip. Perhaps he's advocating colorization - perish the thought. Who knows, enough ink of that simpleton. Go out and treat yourself to some of the finest in the origins of a legend!
3 Puzzling
I don't know why they had to make these in black and White. I ahve seen many cartoons that were in color. It is not expensive to make Dvds in color. I think it even uses the same kind of disc. Why do we have to see these classic cartons in dull black and White? Everyone knows Mickey Mouse has red shorts, I don't want future generations to not know. Also they are not letterbox, but I think with cartoons that is okay because if the pcture gets too small you can't see the eyes of the cartoon figures and the eyes are the windows to the emotions, as has oft been said, adn even cartoons have emotional problems. Anyway, it seems weird to me that they are even Bragging about them being in black and white when there aer so many cartoons in color. I know they had invented color because Gone in the Wind is color and that was even long ago too. They should be cmplete.
4 Definitely for fans of classic animation
I have to say if you're a fan of vintage black-and-white cartoons you have to get this. This disc set starts with 1928's "The Barn Dance," which was the fourth Mickey Mouse short (and the second one Disney produced in sound). Already the Disney staff was improving upon what they had set the course with the previous "Steamboat Willie." And as you go along with the shorts according to chronological order, you can see how the animation improves as time goes along, as well as how the Disney staff learnd to use a more structured way of storytelling. (Certainly using storyboards had a postive effect on the series, which really was not done before Mickey. Some of these storyboard drawings you can check out on Disc Two.) Some of the early sound Mickey shorts might not have been big on plot but they had a lot of music and gags. Some of the best cartoons from this collection are "Barnyard Broadcast" (in which a cat and four kittens interrupt Mickey's radio broadcast), "The Barn Dance," "Delivery Boy," and "Playful Pluto." "The Barnyard Concert," done in 1930, is a prototype for the color "The Band Concert" (which would come five years later), in where Mickey conducts an orchestra in a barnyard despite continuing mishaps.
As noted in previous reviews, the cartoons that conatain racial or ethnic stereotypes are put in the separate "From The Vault" section on Disc Two. The intro to that section has Leonard Maltin explaining the context to the Al Jolson "Mammy" jokes as well as the play/novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Another cartoon that gets placed in that section, "The Moose Hunt," has a scatological joke that one does not expect from Disney. (BTW I understand why that intro was made, I just wish I could skip or skim through it. Having to go through that again and again just I could see the cartoons themselves gets quite redundant.)
Overall this is a great collection. It makes me want to check out "Mickey Mouse In Black and White Volume 1."
5 classic mickey
I always wondered why we never, (or, in my 45 years, very rarely) see the early mickey mouse cartoons. I mean, there was never much trouble back when I was a kid seeing the old Warner bros. cartoons, the early Fleschier-popeye cartoons(which to me were the best cartoons of all!) The one Cartoon that has become as rarely seen as these early Mickeys is the Fleschiers classic, full length "Hoppity goes to town".
But it seems with thye release of these 1st Mickey cartoons we have the answer to why we never see them, & the answer is provided by Leonard Maltin. The Disney studios was afraid that Mickey Mouse, the character that CREATED THEM, was offensive! They seem to believe that, instead of laughing out loud (as the kids who watched them at our house on x-mas did) children will cry & go hide under their beds.
By the way, can anyone tell me why "Mickeys good deed" a cartoon I had never seen before but now think might be the finest Christmas cartoon ever made, was included in the "from the vault" section?? What could have been offinsive about it? The fact that it is an X-mas story & Jews, Muslims, etc dont celebrate x-mas??? I really dont get that one, but the DVD is worth getting just for that wonderfull cartoon alone.
6 I would join my voice in praise.
At last! the rest of the Black and White Mickey Mouse cartoons. I've seen very few of these, and it's great to have here the complete shorts. As has been said elsewhere, the main beefs about volume one have been met...the EBIL NON PC cartoons with the WICKED RACIAL JOKES (it's odd that no-one ever seems to single out the ethnic Jewish gags that feature in pre-war Disney shorts either in colour or black and white, but skin colour...WWWWOOOOAAAAHHHH!) have all been segregated so they get one warning from Leonard Maltin and then you can "Play All", which couldn't be done with Vol One, probably due to fears of offending those who might inadvertently use these cartoons as electronic babysitting wallpaper.
One I loved was "The Haunted House" with animation reused from "The Skeleton Dance" ... if the PC part can be skimmed over this would be great at Hallowe'en even now. The Iwerks animation of the earlier shorts is fantastic, with a vitality that seems to fade as the artwork becomes more, well, artistic with movement being rendered more realistically. I don't regret getting this one.
Gripe? Disney will probably never issue this as Region 2...they've only put out the first "MM in living colour" disc as far as I know, and this stuff while being a MUST HAVE for a cartoon lover isn't kiddie fodder or mass market material.
I'm just glad that they didn't whack on a collectors price for such collectable material.
7 Vintage Mickey
"Mickey Mouse in Black and White, Volume Two" (1928-35) represents another valuable treasure trove of early Disney animation. The remaining 40 cartoons in this collection range from Ub Iwerks gems such as "The Barn Dance" (1928) and "When the Cat's Away" (1929) to politically incorrect obscurities along the lines of "Mickey in Arabia" (1932) and "Mickey's Man Friday" (1935). Upon viewing these shorts in chronological order, one notices the increased skill of the Disney animators and, sadly, the gradual diminution of Mickey's character -- from naughty cartoon star to squeaky-clean nonentity. Though Volume One showcased many of the finest black-and-white shorts, the second volume has its share of classics, including "Traffic Troubles" (1931), "Mickey's Mechanical Man" (1933) and "Mickey's Steam-Roller" (1934). With more than five hours of material, this DVD set is a must-have for animation buffs.
8 Politicially correct -- but rather insulting
As a hardcore Disney fan, the Treasures series is a dream come true -- and I certainly won't rest until I have every single cartoon from the Disney vault. I originally owned Mickey in B&W Vol 1 when it was on Laserdisc fifteen years ago; and knowing then that there were a few missing, I am thrilled to have this second volume.
But unfortunately, the people at Disney seem very much ashamed of their cartoons. On most of the Disney Treasure series, any appearance of a gun, an obscure racial stereotype or the use of the word "Mammy" is preceeded by a gushing apology from Leonard Maltin, explaining how back in the Dark Ages of the 1930's, people weren't as enlightened as they are today, and that we shouldn't judge too harshly.
But what the Disney people don't realize is that most people today don't know who Al Jolson was and won't know what "Mammy" is referring to. By pointing out these often hard-to-spot gags (one is a face-shaped balloon floating in the background), it just makes us notice them and even look for them.
But this particular collection goes beyond the previous collections, which is why I can't give this one 5 stars. They have taken all the cartoons that could be remotely offensive, including most of the best in this collection(including a classic Christmas cartoon), and placed them in a separate section. To access this section, you have to sit through a three-minute apology from Leonard Maltin, which cannot be skipped or scanned -- you have to sit through it every single time you watch these cartoons. They call this section "From the Vault", which I took to mean that they hadn't been seen in many years. Actually, they mean that these cartoons should only be watched alone, by adults, in the dark of night -- each time making me feel like a prurient pervert.
Still, I do applaud Disney for releasing these, especially their WWII collection, without censoring them for our delicate modern minds. But I do wish they would stop treating their own classics as though they might turn us all into gun-wielding Nazi racists.
9 Not quite the best, but the rest.
The best of the black and white Mickeys, and the best known all went on the first set. Leaving, obviously, the lesser cartoons for this follow-up collection. But second rate Mickey is still first class entertainment, and most of these cartoons are entertaining indeed.
As with the previous set, the worst aspect of the collection is Leonard Maltin. WHY can't he trust his viewers to have a little intelligence?
In vol. I, any cartoon that contained humor that was less than PC by contemporary standards was burdened with a brief introduction warning us about what we were about to see. In this volume, all those 'offensive' cartoons are clustered together in a separate section of the second disk, labeled "From the Vault." Apparently these cartoons are so offensive that they have to be locked away in a vault, and only viewed after Maltin has given us a detailed apology about how people were so unenlightened in the 1930's and '40's that they put such horrific content in their cartoons. And that, while SOME people might want to lock these films away for all eternity, HE believes that it's ok to watch them, if only to help us understand how much times have changed. Sigh...
To make it worse, every time you want to view ANY cartoon from 'the vault' you have to first sit through the commentary. The disk won't allow you to fast forward through it. And, to be honest, I couldn't even figure out what was supposed to be so 'offensive' about several of the shorts in 'the vault.'
Still, if you can put up with Maltin, this is a wonderful set, and well worth owning for any fan of Disney or early animation. (BTW, if there are any easter eggs on the disks, I haven't been able to find them.)
10 The conclusion of Mickey's black-and-white career
Mickey Mouse in Black and White Volume 2 brings all of the shorts left out of the first volume, uncut and uncensored. Disney enthusiasts/collectors should all own this long-awaited set, and just the casual viewer may enjoy them as well. Included are the final 40 shorts, completing the collection of Mickey Mouse cartoons. From the first short on the set to the latest "Mickey's Kangaroo" there can be seen clear artistic progress in not only the quality of the animation but also the telling of the stories within each cartoon.
The picture quality of the set is as good as it could be. For cartoons 70+ years old, some dust and grain should be expected. But most of them are great quality. Each short has been restored from the original negatives and they really do look great. The picture is sharp and crisp and I applaude Disney for their work in restoring these pictures. The sound quality is not great by today's standards, but I am sure that it is even better here than it ever was during the original releases. There were a few shorts that tell you that the original opening music cue has not survived, maybe about 5 of them in all. So while things arent 100% perfect remember that these are very old cartoons.
The content of this Treasures series is very good. Few of these shorts have been seen by the general public in a long time and some maybe have not been released at all due to ethnic/racial stereotypes and uncharacteristic behavior (violence, tobacco use). One such short is "Mickey's Mellerdrama" where Mickey and the gang put on a play about Uncle Tom's Cabin. But unlike previous waves where Maltin would have to put each short into its historical perspective, the potentially offensive shorts are all in a section on disk 2 titled From the Vaults. This was a great move on Disney's part. You can now hear Leonard Maltin explain that the shorts back then were not meant to be offensive during their original inception but that parents should cautiously allow their children to watch them and take the time to put it into context so children will not interpret them the wrong way. This handling of the non-PC shorts should please everyone displeased in the past with the Maltin introductions. Also, there is a Play All feature which is great to just kick back and enjoy the whole set at your own leisure. The extras are worth a look also, and they include the following:
* Mickey Mania: Collecting Mickey Merchandise
* Mickey's Portrait Artist: John Hench
* 'Pioneer Days' And 'The Castaway' In Several Versions
* Art Galleries: Mickey Mouse, Fully Covered; Mickey's Poster Archive; Background Paintings; Animation Drawings
The final verdict is that MMIBW V 2is a great addition to he treasures line and is in my opinion near the top of the sets released so far. It is great to now own all of the Mickey Mouse shorts, most obscure and locked in the Disney Vault until now. Yeah, the quality of the collectible tin has decreased with each wave(the certificate of authenticity instead of the stamped tin, there is no longer the blue banner to hold the tin together, and the details of the set that used to be printed on the back are now on paper glued to the back of the tin), but it is what is inside that counts here, a wealth of animation and Disney history to be enjoyed by the young and old alike.
11 The More Abscure BW Cartoons...
While Volume One of Mickey Mouse In Black and White covered more conventional, well-known shorts, Volume Two (this one) covers the rest.
Who's ever seen WILD WAVES or JUNGLE RHYTHM? THE SHINDIG? THE CASTAWAY? After watching the Disney Channel's various morning shows that showcased 1930s/40s Disney shorts, I never recalled seeing these.
Some go from the hillarious ( THE BARNYARD BATTLE and THE PLOWBOY) to the simply
12 Play All!
This "volume 2" of Mickey Mouse in Black and White is superb. Perhaps in response to complaints about volume 1, volume 2 includes a "Play All" option, and we get fewer of Leonard Maltin's banal cautions that "This cartoon may be hazardous to your child's political correctness." Certain cartoons with racial stereotypes are grouped in a separate section of disc 2 ("From the Vault") that is not linked to "Play All." This is not a bad way to handle the issue.
13 Must-have for the Serious Disney Collector
If the Disney wartime cartoons were perhaps the most obscure and hard-to-find, then the black and white Mickey Mouse shorts presented in this volume are without a doubt next in line. With never-before-released and rarely seen (since their original debut more than 70 years ago!) shorts, this collection of 40 Mickey Mouse cartoons, is a definite must-have for any serious Disney collector. Only a few shorts, such as "Shanghaied," "The Haunted House," and "Mickey's Good Deed," had been released previously as part of the cartoon compilations that came out on video during the 80's. The rest are here for the first time on DVD and only the few devoted and lucky people who watched and enjoyed when Disney Channel actually played these shorts, may even know or recognize them. Some, such as "Mickey's Mellerdremmer," which shows Mickey and the Gang portraying the characters from Uncle Tom's Cabin, and "Mickey's Man Friday" featuring cannibals, are presented here, as with every other single short, UNCUT and UNEDITED, regardless of their definitely un-PC content. There is actually a section of the second disc dedicated to ten shorts that showcase what modern audiences may consider as unacceptable stereotypes and behaviors, especially coming from a Mickey Mouse cartoon. A virtual comic strip, an interview, a featurette and a gallery round up this DVD release that will undoubtedly be a favorite for anyone who loves and collects Disney animated shorts.
14 Ub Iwerks, gone but not forgotten, well almost not forgotten
If you are a fan of vintage cartoons as I am, you have probably already purchased this set or it is on its way. This set makes up the B&W Mickey shorts that were passed over in the first volume, when Disney was unsure of the current popularity of these cartoons. The most important thing about this set is that most of these cartoons have not been shown on television for decades, if at all. The most historically important thing is that most were directed by Ub Iwerks, originator of the Mickey Mouse style and some would say the inspiration for Japan's Manga style for the past half century. These films are rare gems that should be in any collection, and are extremely effective as entertainment for any child. The often overlooked character, Horace Horsecollar is also featured in most of these shorts.
15 Cheap packaging compared to previous tins
This series is a dream come true since the first day of DVD, because you can choose any cartoon you like and have them all together. But this year the back cover is not printed on the tin but only a piece of paper poorly sticked to the box so it immediately falls apart! Also the "bond" around the tin was not included anymore. Beginning last year they stopped hammering the number into the metal, only a card saying 164,572 / 175,000. Cheap treatment for a prestige article. Content is great but there are so few truly special packaged editions that this is a sad development.
16 THE BIRTH OF A MOUSE!
The second volume in the Mickey in Black & white from the Disney Treasures collection picks up where volume one left off and gives us all 40 of the remaining mickey mouse shorts.
I'm guessing most of these shorts have not been seen in ages. I personally have always preferred the old style, black-eye only look of mickey to the more modern look of today.
And of course, nothing beats the classic animation from the 30's and 40's before studios started doing things on the cheap.
Among my favorites in this collection are:
"Mickey's Mechanical Man" - Mickey's built a robot named Champ who's going to win Mickey a prize by fighting Beppo the Gorilla, the Kongo Killer, in a boxing ring.
"The Haunted House"
"Mickey's Pal, Pluto"
"traffic Troubles" - Mickey is a taxi driver. He takes Percy Pig to an appointment, but loses him on the way. His next fare doesn't fare much better; Minnie must go to her music lesson, but a detour through a barnyard and an encounter with a snake-oil salesman ruin that plan, too.
Well...there's lots more. This is just fantastic stuff. It's animation the way it isn't done anymore.
Add to that a whole host of extras: Leonard Maltin introductions, "Mickey's Mania: Collecting Mickey Merchandise", "Mickey's Portrait Artist: John Hench", "Mickey's Sunday Funnies: A Virtual Comic Strip", Still Frame Galleries, etc.
Great stuff and highly recommended.
17 "Play All"?
Please let there be a "play all" option on the mickey b&w!
I can sit back and let the entire colletion play for my family or friends, soaking it all in. But when you have to select each cartoon one by one, it really breaks up the patience and flow.
Imagine having to hit play for every song played at a party.
Please let there be PLAY ALL!
18 mickey mouse in black and white review
it was a good movie. very funny, and good. you should buy it.
19 Calling Mr. Duck!
I am pleased to see that this title will complete the Mickey Mouse catalogue. But what happened to The Chronological Donald Volume Two?!
After the excellent first volume last year, I expected to be treated to a dose of D.D. annually for at least the next couple of years. Disney are obviouslty trying to string out a good thing - the flirts!
20 Great set, but....
This awesome 2 disc set will be part of the worst wave (so far) of Walt Disney Treasures. Only this and The Complete Pluto are worth looking forward to. The Mickey Mouse Club set will be interesting to watch once, but never again. And like wave 2, we are only getting 3 titles instead of 4 again. Wonder what happened to what was supposed to be the fourth this time around, True Life Adventures. Oh well.
21 Rarely Seen Mickey
The contents of this set have been released.
In addition to the below listed 40 Mickey Mouse black and white cartoons, the set contains the following bonus items.
Disc 1 Bonus
Leonard Maltin Introduction
Mickey's Mania: Collecting Mickey Merchandise
Mickey's Portrait Artist John Hench
Disc 2 Bonus
Leonard Maltin Introduction
Leonard Maltin From The Vault Introduction
Mickey's Sunday Funnies: A Virtual Comic Strip
Still Frame Galleries
The cartoon titles are as follows, with the year they were released.
1. The Barn Dance 1928
2. The Opry House 1929
3. When The Cat's Away 1929
4. The Barnyard Battle 1929
5. The Plow Boy 1929
6. Mickey's Choo-Choo 1929
7. The Jazz Fool 1929
8. Jungle Rhythm 1929
9. The Haunted House 1929
10. Wild Waves 1929
11. Just Mickey 1930
12. The Barnyard Concert 1930
13. The Cactus Kid 1930
14. The Shindig 1930
15. The Picnic 1930
16. Traffic Troubles 1931
17. The Castaway 1931
18. The Moose Hunt 1931
19. The Delivery Boy 1931
20. Fishin' Around 1931
21. The Barnyard Broadcast 1931
22. The Beach Party 1931
23. The Grocery Boy 1932
24. The Mad Dog 1932
25. Barnyard Olympics 1932
26. Musical Farmer 1932
27. Mickey In Arabia 1932
28. Trader Mickey 1932
29. The Wayward Canary 1932
30. Mickey's Good Deed 1932
31. Mickey's Pal Pluto 1933
32. Mickey's Mellerdrammer 1933
33. Mickey's Mechanical Man 1933
34. The Steeple Chase 1933
35. Shanghaied 1934
36. Playful Pluto 1934
37. Mickey's Steam-Roller 1934
38. Mickey Plays Papa 1934
39. Mickey's Man Friday 1935
40. Mickey's Kangaroo 1935
Most of the cartoons are very entertaining and are among my favorite cartoons of all time. Many of the cartoons have never been released on video or shown on the Disney Channel. Some were shown on the Disney Channel, but were censored when shown. Some of the most entertaining cartoons and some of my favorites, such as The Moose Hunt, Mickey In Arabia, Trader Mickey, Mickey's Good Deed, Mickey's Mellerdrammer, and Mickey's Man Friday have not been shown (or shown censored) due to gun violence or racial/ethnic stereotypes. Although such scenes would still be objectionable to some, the cartoons are very special and need to be seen complete and uncensored. Cartoons that are considered to have objectionable scenes will be shown in a special section of Disc 2 called From The Vault. Leonard Maltin will do a special introduction for this section.
I have seen all these cartoons uncensored and look forward to a DVD set with nicer quality picture and sound.
Among the uncensored cartoons, one of my favorites is Mickey's Good Deed - a great Christmas cartoon, which shows the close friendship between Mickey and Pluto.
