The Golden Age of Looney Tunes is a collection of laser discs released by MGM in the early 1990s. There were five sets made, featuring a number of discs (five discs in Volumes 1 to 4, four discs in Volume 5), and each disc side represented a different theme, being made up of seven cartoons per side. The first collection was also released on VHS, with each volume representing one disc side. Like many other Looney Tunes home video releases by MGM, this set uses faded 16mm a.a.p. TV prints, except Volume 5, as MGM/UA and Turner had no access to the original negatives, which were being stored at the Warner Bros. Studios.
With the exception of the Censored Eleven and, in the case of later printings, "Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips", every Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies short in the Turner library was released in this collection either as LaserDisc a.a.p. print or USA 1995 dubbed versions of which Volume 5, the majority consists.
All the cartoons were released before the Time Warner/Turner merger and before the Golden Collection DVDs came out, so none of them had restored elements of original titles.
Gallery[]
VHS[]
All the VHS tapes were released around 1992, some time after the LaserDisc set came out.
Cover | Title | Shorts |
---|---|---|
Vol. 1: 1930's Musicals |
| |
Vol. 2: Firsts |
Note: One featured cartoon, Daffy Duck and Egghead, technically, was the first Daffy Duck cartoon in color, and the first where the character actually has that name. This was used because Turner did not own the rights to Porky's Duck Hunt. | |
Vol. 3: Tex Avery | ||
Vol. 4: Bob Clampett | ||
Vol. 5: Chuck Jones | ||
Vol. 6: Friz Freleng | ||
Vol. 7: Bugs Bunny By Each Director |
Note: This video was recalled due to pressure from a Japanese group because the tape contained "Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips". The 5-tape VHS boxed set was also recalled for the same reason. | |
Vol. 8: 1940's Zanies | ||
Vol. 9: Hooray for Hollywood | ||
Vol. 10: The Art of Bugs | ||
VHS Boxed Set |
Note: This boxed set was recalled.
|
LaserDisc[]
Volume 1[]
- This set was released on December 11, 1991.
Notes:
- Some copies of this set have "Racketeer Rabbit" in place of "Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips".
- One featured cartoon in Volume 1, Side 2 of the set, "Daffy Duck & Egghead", technically, was the first Daffy Duck cartoon in color, and the first where the character actually has that name. This was used because Turner did not own the rights to "Porky's Duck Hunt."
- "Have You Got Any Castles" appears without a restored opening and ending.
- "A Wild Hare" is an unrestored Blue Ribbon print.
Volume 2[]
- This set was released on July 1, 1992.
Volume 3[]
- This set was released on December 23, 1992.
Volume 4[]
- This set was released on July 14, 1993.
Notes:
- The 1940 release version of "A Wild Hare" included on Side 1 of the release had recreated title cards and the original "Carole Lombard" line restored, but had the wrong opening music; uses the 1941-45 opening theme instead of the correct 1939-40 opening theme. The opening from A Gander at Mother Goose was hacked onto the opening title as evident from the WB shield when later restorations in 2008 came out.
- "Bars and Stripes Forever" remains unrestored, with a hacked off opening, which would later be restored for the cartoon's dubbed version.
Volume 5[]
- This set was released on April 2, 1997.
Notes:
- Due to the late release, 1997, and merger of Turner and Time Warner, most of the shorts on this volume are USA 1995 Turner dubbed versions. Due to these releases, some original ending or BR endings have been out of circulation since 1997. However, some have their original ending or Blue Ribbon ending title cards restored to DVD or some have been found in their Associated Artists Productions prints through TV or DVD/VHS recordings and releases. The only two cartoons on this set to be released as Associated Artists Productions unrestored prints are "The Merry Old Soul" and "Country Mouse".
- All of the cartoons on Side 1 are USA 1995 Turner prints, despite most being in the public domain in the United States. Although their original prints do exist, unlike the 1936-41 cartoons that were released into this volume, the cartoons featured on this side had their original ending cards kept, only in a smaller screen in the end, for their USA 1995 Turner dubbed prints.
- All of the cartoons on Sides 2-7 are USA 1995 Turner prints.
- "Dog Gone Modern" and "The Curious Puppy" use the 1941-55 MWRA ending music cue.
- "She Was an Acrobat's Daughter" and "Rookie Revue"'s original endings would later be restored on DVD.
- "The Fifth-Column Mouse"'s original BR ending would later be restored on DVD.
- "My Little Buckaroo" and "A Star Is Hatched" use the 1938-41 ending cue.
- "The Fighting 69½th" is the same version released on the 6th Volume of the Golden Collection.