Max Fleischer’s Gulliver’s Travels (1939/E1/Koch Blu-ray)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C Extras: C Animated Feature: C+
The
biggest threat to Walt Disney in the 1930s was Max & Dave Fleischer, who
eventually signed a deal with major studio Paramount while Disney dealt with
distributors that were not always as powerful (RKO being the only major he had
as a distributor before forming his own distribution) but the brothers did not
have the money Disney had and only produced one feature film. Their version of Jonathan Swift’s classic
book Gulliver’s Travels (1939) had
songs, threw out the political context of the book and though interesting, was
not up to what Disney pulled off the year before with Snow White.
However,
the studio had moved to Florida, was doing the best work in its history and it
is an interesting animated version, even when it does not work. As compared to so many later versions that
seem phony and condescending, it at least sees wondrous potential in the book
and shows an alternate way to doing such an animated feature versus Disney that
we would not see again. You can read
more about the Fleischer Studios at this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3184/Somewhere+In+Dreamland+(Fleischer
They have
fun with the idea of Gulliver in the land of the Lilliputs and with only 77
minutes, goes into directions the book never would. Somewhat ambitious, it is not the studio’s
best work, but is technically the first animated feature ever made outside of
Disney and is historic in that respect.
It is worth seeing, flaws and all, a somewhat orphaned film that has
been released numerous times on low def video formats having gone into public
domain.
Unfortunately,
despite supposedly coming from a 35mm print, the 1080p 1.33 X 1 image looks
detail-challenged despite the restoration that went into it. Opening credits look more like 16mm with
their lack of detail and the playback is uneven throughout. Color looks a bit off at times and even
plugged up versus how great a three-strip, dye transfer Technicolor print would
have and I have seen better footage and stills of this film, so this is far
from definitive. The old optical mono is
here in Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, boosted 2.0 Dolby Stereo and a Dolby 5.1 mix
that shows how weak the source they had to work with is. Overall, playback disappoints and a better
print has to be out there somewhere, but most copies on video have actually
been worse.
Extras include
two Gabby shorts related to the film and a vintage featurette The Making Of A Cartoon that shows us
the Fleischer Studios at their peak.
- Nicholas Sheffo
