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FELIX THE CAT
The FELIX THE CAT animated series holds a special place in my childhood memories, because it is one of the first TV shows I remember watching. The DVD will bring back a lot of memories in someone of my generation, and I’m sure that FELIX THE CAT is a show that fans will want to share with their kids. |
This DVD review 
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DVD
reviews are Copyright © 2002 THE CINEMA LASER and may not be copied
or reprinted without the written consent of the publisher. |
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I
remember watching episodes of the FELIX THE CAT ($20) television
series when I was a wee little tyke. While my memories of the individual
storylines faded over the years, I did remember the basic premise of the
show, as well as the lyrics and melody of the theme song, which has never
left my head. The character of Felix The Cat was created by Otto Messmer
and he was the probably the biggest animated star of the silent era. Over
time, Felix faded into the background when talking animated stars like
Mickey Mouse, Porky Pig and Bugs Bunny came into the spotlight. However,
like any good cat, Felix proved that he had nine lives by reappearing
in the 1959-1959 television series produced by Joseph Oriolo. Spanning
264 episodes, the syndicated FELIX THE CAT television show remained
a fixture on television for decades.
Continuing
on into the 21st Century, 10 selected episodes from the FELIX THE CAT
TV series have been released on DVD by Sony Wonder. In the series the
mischievous Felix usually finds himself in some kind of dilemma, usually
at the hands of his arch nemesis- The Professor, who wants to steal Felix’s
magical bag of tricks. As one might imagine, The Professor proved to be
no match for the magical bag of tricks, and in later adventures, he mellowed
towards Felix, allowing the cat to become babysitter and friend to his
nerdy nephew Poindexter. In other adventures Felix has his problems with
the criminal Rock Bottom and Master Cylinder- The King Of The Moon. All
of the episodes are charming, amusing and perfectly suited to a younger
audience, as well as those who remember FELIX THE CAT from their
own childhoods and are feeling a bit nostalgic.
Sony
Wonder has made the FELIX THE CAT episodes available on DVD in
the original full screen aspect ratio of its television broadcasts. Considering
the age of the programs, the transfers are incredibly nice. The image
is very clean and mostly free from age related anomalies and excessive
debris. An occasional speckle and a bit of film grain are probably the
biggest flaws in the presentation. Considering that this is vintage animation
for television, the picture is a bit softer than what one would find in
theatrical cartoons of the same period. Colors generally have a dusty
pastel quality, but otherwise look rather good. Blacks are accurately
rendered and contrast is just fine. The Dolby Digital monaural soundtrack
is crisp and free from noise or distortion. Dialogue is always completely
intelligible. The fidelity is rather limited, with music and sound effects
sometimes sounding a bit harsh.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD’s interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to the individual episodes, as
well as some supplements. The 1920 short film FELINE FOLLIES, which
was Felix’s unofficial film debut, is included on the DVD. A Felix
the Cat Through the Ages interview with author John Canemaker
offers a concise history of the character and his creators through various
incarnations. Original Felix the Cat Promo Reel offers clips
used to promote the TV show in various languages. Felix the Cat
Sing-A-Long provides the kiddies a chance to follow a bouncing
ball and sing the show’s theme song. A trivia game and DVD-ROM features
have also been included on the DVD.