User:Tholden28/Golden Collection

The Looney Tunes Golden Collection was an annual series of nine four-disc DVD box sets from Warner Bros.' home video unit Warner Home Video, each containing about 60 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies animated shorts. The series began in October 2003 and ended breifly in October 2008 before returning in November 2012 and ending in October 2014.

Overview
The Golden Collection series was launched in the aftermath of the success of the Walt Disney Treasures series that itself collected archived Disney material.

These collections were made possible after the merger of Time Warner (which owned the color cartoons released from 8/1/1948 onward, as well as the black-and-white Looney Tunes, the post-Harman/Ising black-and-white Merrie Melodies, and the first H/I Merrie Melodies entry: Lady, Play Your Mandolin!) and Turner Broadcasting System (which owned the color cartoons released prior to 8/1/1948, and the remaining Harman/Ising Merrie Melodies; most of these cartoons had been released as part of The Golden Age of Looney Tunes laserdisc series), along with the subsequent transfer of video rights to the Turner library from MGM Home Entertainment to Warner Home Video.

The cartoons included on the set are uncut, unedited, and digitally restored and remastered from the original successive Technicolor film negatives (or, in the case of the black and white shorts, the original black and white negatives). However, some of the cartoons in these collections are derived from the "Blue Ribbon" reissues (altered from their original versions with their revised front-and-end credit sequences), as the original titles for these cartoons are presumably lost. Where the original titles, instead of the "Blue Ribbon" titles, still exist, Warner has taken the "Blue Ribbon" titles out.

A handful of cartoons in the first two collections and the bonus cartoons on vol 6. have digital video noise reduction (or DVNR) artifacting. The noise reduction process sometimes unintentionally erases or blurs some of the picture on certain scenes of the cartoons, which has caused controversy among some Looney Tunes fans. The most recent collections, however, lack such artifacting. Since August 2007, Warner Bros. Home Video has been quietly reissuing copies of the fourth disc of Volume 2 that lacks artifacting and interlacing, because of numerous complaints by consumers.

Beginning with Volume 3, a warning was printed on the packaging explaining that the collection is intended for adults and the content may not be suitable for children. This goes along with Whoopi Goldberg's filmed introduction in Volume 3 that explains the history of ethnic imagery that frequently appears in cartoons of the 1930s and 1940s. Beginning with Volume 4, a singular disclaimer text card similar to Goldberg's spoken disclaimer precedes each disc's main menu.

The DVDs also feature several special features including interviews/documentaries of the people behind the cartoons such as Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Bob Clampett, Tex Avery, Carl Stalling, and Mel Blanc, pencil tests, and audio commentaries by animation historians Jerry Beck, Michael Barrier, and Greg Ford, as well as current animators Paul Dini, Eric Goldberg, and John Kricfalusi.

In some regions, such as Region 2 & 4, each disc in each volume is packaged (or re-packaged) separately.

Volume 1
Volume 1 (released on October 28, 2003) contains 56 cartoons (all in color) mostly from the 1950s with a smaller selection of shorts from the 1940s. Popular shorts include:
 * Rabbit of Seville
 * Duck Amuck
 * Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid
 * Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century
 * Rabbit Seasoning
 * Baseball Bugs
 * Drip-Along Daffy
 * Hair-Raising Hare
 * Deduce, You Say
 * Elmer's Candid Camera (the first appearance of Elmer Fudd)

Disc-by-disc breakdown

 * Disc one is dedicated to Bugs Bunny
 * Disc two is dedicated to Daffy Duck and Porky Pig
 * Discs three and four consist of random shorts featuring other characters, grouped by director: Chuck Jones and Bob Clampett on disc three, Friz Freleng and Robert McKimson on disc four

Statistics

 * 47 cartoons on this collection were released no earlier than August 1, 1948 and thus have been part of WB's own television packages. The remaining 9 cartoons were released prior to that date and thus were part of the Associated Artists Productions (a.a.p.) television package later owned by Turner (including the latest-released cartoon in this package, Haredevil Hare).
 * Three of the creditless Blue Ribbons in the former package are featured with restored technical credits: The Foghorn Leghorn, Kit for Cat, and Scaredy Cat.
 * Bugs Bunny dominates the set. In addition to having his own 14-cartoon disc, he appears on 12 more cartoons spread across the other three discs (along with one cartoon featuring the prototype), for a total of 26 (or 27, if counting Elmer's Candid Camera) cartoons with Bugs Bunny (though in Duck Amuck, he remains an unseen character until the end of the short).
 * 55 of the cartoons on the set were directed by one of the more well-known directors (either Clampett, Freleng, Jones or McKimson). Only one cartoon directed by a lesser-known director is included: 1949's Porky Chops, directed by Arthur Davis.
 * Also, 55 of the cartoons contain at least one recurring character. The only one-shot on the set is Early to Bet.
 * A total of 14 character debuts are on this set: Bugs and Thugs (Mugsy), Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears (The Three Bears), Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid (Beaky Buzzard), Canary Row (Granny), Devil May Hare (Tasmanian Devil), Don't Give Up the Sheep (Ralph and Sam), Drip-Along Daffy (Nasty Canasta), Elmer's Candid Camera (Elmer Fudd), Fast and Furry-ous (Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner), Feed the Kitty (Marc Antony and Pussyfoot), Golden Yeggs (Rocky), Hair-Raising Hare (Gossamer), Haredevil Hare (Marvin the Martian), and Rabbit's Kin (Pete Puma).
 * Chuck Jones is the most-represented director on the set, with 27 cartoons.
 * Two of the Oscar-winning cartoons are contained on this set: For Scent-imental Reasons (1949) and Speedy Gonzales (1955).
 * Yankee Doodle Daffy is the only public domain cartoon to be restored on the set.

Volume 2
Volume 2 (released on November 2, 2004) contains a broader selection of cartoons from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s including This was the first volume to have 60 cartoons. From then on, this would be the number of cartoons in each volume.
 * What's Opera, Doc?
 * One Froggy Evening
 * A Bear for Punishment
 * The Great Piggy Bank Robbery
 * Show Biz Bugs
 * I Love to Singa

Disc-by-disc breakdown

 * Disc one, as in the first edition, contains all Bugs Bunny cartoons.
 * Disc two has 11 Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner shorts, along with two Hubie and Berties, 1 starring a group called the dover boys, and 1 with the Three Bears.
 * Disc three contains 9 Sylvester/Tweety shorts, along with 6 cartoons starring Daffy Duck and/or Porky Pig (most of which are directed by Tweety creator Bob Clampett, along with one from Sylvester creator Friz Freleng, and one from Chuck Jones - who paired Sylvester and Porky in a series of shorts in spooky settings, though the Jones cartoon on this disc is Old Glory). One in the latter set of cartoons actually stars a version of Sylvester.
 * Disc four is an all-stars disc, though there is some co-relation between each cartoon on the disc: they are either musicals (with lots of singing), Hollywood parodies, set on a stage, or incorporate other forms of show-business.

Statistics

 * 31 of the color cartoons on the set were in WB's own television packages (released August 1, 1948 or later), while the amount of a.a.p.-owned color cartoons (released before August 1, 1948) tripled from the last set to 27. The remaining two cartoons are the first from the Sunset Productions package (all black-and-white cartoons except the Harman-Ising Merrie Melodies from Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! onward) to be released on one of the sets.
 * Bugs Bunny, despite appearing in fewer cartoons in this set, still has the most representation, with 20 cartoons.
 * This volume was the first to contain creditless Blue Ribbons released as such - in other words, their original credits were not found.
 * Despite that, four Blue Ribboned cartoons did get restored to their original form on this set: Baby Bottleneck, Back Alley Oproar, Book Revue (reissued as Book Review), and I Love to Singa. In addition, although its opening wasn't found, Old Glory does have its original ending restored. Similarly, although it is still a Blue Ribbon, Have You Got Any Castles has previously-excised footage featuring a caricature of Alexander Woollcott restored.
 * The number of one-shots on the set is 7, up from 1 on the last set.
 * This set has the first restored cartoons from the following directors: Tex Avery, Cal Howard/Cal Dalton, and Frank Tashlin.
 * Chuck Jones defends his title as most-represented director on an LTGC set, having 22 cartoons. Friz Freleng is a close second with 21 cartoons. Combined, they have 43 cartoons on this set, nearly 3/4 of all cartoons on this set.
 * Two character debuts are on the set: One Froggy Evening (Michigan J. Frog, considered a one-shot in the classic era) and Tortoise Beats Hare (Cecil Turtle).
 * The number of restored Oscar-winners goes up to 3, as Tweetie Pie (1947) joins the list.
 * Four public domain cartoons have been restored for this set: A Corny Concerto, The Dover Boys, Have You Got Any Castles?, and Hollywood Steps Out.

Volume 3
Volume 3 (released on October 25, 2005) contains a selection of cartoons (52 in color, 8 in black-and-white) mostly from the 30s and 40s, but with some from the 50s and 60s including such popular shorts as Additional features include three Private Snafu cartoons, a 1963 television show pilot entitled Philbert, and two Harman-Ising era shorts:
 * Robin Hood Daffy
 * Hillbilly Hare
 * Birds Anonymous (Academy Award Winner)
 * Duck! Rabbit, Duck!
 * Walky Talky Hawky
 * Sinkin' in the Bathtub (the first Looney Tunes short ever)
 * Its Got Me Again, the first WB cartoon nominated for an Academy Award (originally going to be Lady, Play Your Mandolin!, the first Merrie Melodie).

Disc-by-disc breakdown

 * Disc one, as with previous volumes, is all Bugs Bunny.
 * Disc two features Hollywood caricatures and parodies.
 * Disc three mainly concerns Porky Pig, with a few other pig-related cartoons thrown in.
 * Disc four is the all-stars disc.

Statistics

 * 31 of the color cartoons came from the a.a.p. package - more than any other set. The other 21 color cartoons were in WB's own packages. The 8 black-and-white cartoons were in the Sunset Productions package.
 * Bugs Bunny remains the most-represented character, having 20 cartoons on the set (same as last volume).
 * Two Blue Ribboned cartoons have their original titles restored: Daffy Duck and Egghead and Speaking of the Weather. Both shorts have incorrect ending music though due to the soundtrack being sourced from the Turner "dubbed versions".
 * Birds Anonymous joins the list of restored Oscar-winners.
 * Two directors are represented for the first time on this set, Jack King with Hollywood Capers and Ben Hardaway with Porky and Teabiscuit.
 * Chuck Jones is once again the most-represented director, having 15 cartoons on this set. The only others with at least 10 are Friz Freleng (12 cartoons) and Robert McKimson (11 cartoons). These three combine for 38 of the cartoons on the set, almost 2/3.
 * 6 character debuts are on this set: I Haven't Got a Hat (Beans, Ham and Ex, Kitty, Oliver Owl, Porky Pig), Odor-able Kitty (Pepé Le Pew), Porky's Romance (Petunia Pig), Rabbit Punch (The Crusher), and Walky Talky Hawky (Foghorn Leghorn and the Barnyard Dawg).
 * 9 cartoons that fell into the public domain years before have been restored for this release: An Itch in Time, Case of the Missing Hare, Falling Hare, Hollywood Capers, Pigs in a Polka, Porky Pig's Feat, Thugs with Dirty Mugs, The Wabbit Who Came to Supper, and Wackiki Wabbit.
 * The number of one-shots restored on this set is 9 - more than the previous two combined.

Volume 4
Volume 4 (released on November 14, 2006) contains selections (51 in color and 9 in black and white) ranging from 1936 to 1966 (the latest Looney Tunes cartoon yet), including such popular shorts as
 * Knighty Knight Bugs
 * Mexicali Shmoes

Disc-by-disc breakdown

 * Disc one continues the tradition of the all-Bugs Bunny disc.
 * Disc two is dedicated to director Frank Tashlin.
 * Disc three contains only Speedy Gonzales cartoons.
 * Disc four consists of cartoons starring obscure cats, with a few Sylvester cartoons thrown in for good measure.

Statistics

 * 40 of the color cartoons on this set (2/3 of the selection) were in WB's own television packages. The remaining color cartoons were in a.a.p. package. All 9 black-and-white cartoons were in the Sunset Productions package.
 * Bugs Bunny keeps his title as the most-represented character, though his number of cartoons is down to 15, and now he shares the title with Speedy Gonzales.
 * Frank Tashlin, with help from his own disc, is the most-represented director on this set, breaking a three-year streak from Chuck Jones - who, along with Friz Freleng and Robert McKimson, each have 14 cartoons. The remainder are directed by either Bob Clampett or Arthur Davis.
 * The last Oscar-winner to be restored is Knighty Knight Bugs, the only Bugs Bunny cartoon ever to win an Oscar.
 * Three character debuts are on this set: The Aristo-Cat (Claude Cat and Hubie and Bertie), Cat-Tails for Two (Speedy Gonzales) and Mississippi Hare (Colonel Shuffle).
 * The number of one-shots is now at 11.
 * The Night Watchman is the only cartoon on this set with its original titles restored after years of existing only as a Blue Ribbon reissue.
 * Two public domain cartoons have been restored for this set: Porky's Railroad and Puss n' Booty.
 * This set features the first three cartoons with the "Abstract WB" titles to be restored: A-Haunting We Will Go, Pancho's Hideaway, and The Wild Chase. These are also the first three cartoons from the DePatie-Freleng era to be restored.

Volume 5
Volume 5 (released on October 30, 2007) is the next-to-last volume to be released, with 41 color cartoons and 19 black-and-white cartoons (the most of any set thus far), including such popular shorts as
 * Ali Baba Bunny
 * Bewitched Bunny

Disc-by-disc breakdown

 * Disc one features Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. This is the first time that the first disc is not entirely dedicated to Bugs Bunny, now sharing the spotlight with Daffy Duck.
 * Disc two contains parodies of fairy tale stories.
 * Disc three honors the work of director Bob Clampett.
 * Disc four features Porky Pig and other early classics - all in black-and-white (the first such disc in the LTGC).

Special features includes the 2000 PBS documentary Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens, a Life in Animation, and the director's cut ending from Hare Ribbin'.

Statistics

 * 22 of the featured color cartoons are from the a.a.p. package, while the remaining 19 were in WB-owned packages. All 19 black-and-white cartoons are from the Sunset Productions package, a record.
 * Bugs Bunny, with only 13 shorts, is no longer the most-represented character. That title now goes to Porky Pig, with 17 cartoons on this set.
 * Bob Clampett, helped in part by his own disc, is the most-represented director on this set with 21 cartoons.
 * Directors making their LTGC debuts on this set are Tom Palmer and Hawley Pratt.
 * Two character debuts are on this set: A Tale of Two Kitties (Tweety) and Bewitched Bunny (Witch Hazel).
 * I've Got to Sing a Torch Song (part of the Sunset package) is the first black-and-white Merrie Melodie to be restored on DVD.
 * The Bashful Buzzard marked the first time that a Blue Ribbon with a static title card saying "THE END" in Lydian lettering was refurbished for DVD release.
 * A record 5 creditless Blue Ribbons have their original titles restored on this release: The Bear's Tale, Holiday for Shoestrings, Little Red Walking Hood, The Trial of Mr. Wolf, and You Were Never Duckier.
 * 8 public domain cartoons (also a record) have been restored for this release: Eatin' on the Cuff, or The Moth Who Came to Dinner, Farm Frolics, Foney Fables, Porky's Pooch, Porky's Preview, Scrap Happy Daffy, A Tale of Two Kitties, and The Wacky Wabbit.

Volume 6
Volume 6 (released on October 21, 2008) concludes the entire series of the Golden Collection. The ratio of color to black-and-white cartoons (41 to 19) is the same as the previous volume. This volume contains such popular shorts as
 * Hare Trigger
 * Bear Feat
 * Norman Normal

Disc-by-disc breakdown

 * Disc one is an all-star disc comprising cartoons from various characters.
 * Disc two (Patriotic Pals) is a war-themed disc, primarily featuring shorts released during World War II.
 * Disc three, which is all black-and-white, focuses on the early days of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, and features many shorts with Bosko and Buddy.
 * The fourth and final disc is filled with the most requested shorts (all one-shots), including Horton Hatches the Egg and Norman Normal.

In addition, there are 20 bonus cartoons, including various Warner Bros. shorts and several shorts directed by Friz Freleng for MGM in the late 1930s.

Statistics

 * Among restored cartoons in the main program: 24 of the color cartoons were in WB's television packages. A total of 23 cartoons (17 color and 6 black-and-white) are in the a.a.p. package. The rest of the black-and-white cartoons are in the Sunset Productions package.
 * This set is the first not to contain a disc at least partially dedicated to Bugs Bunny. In fact, not counting bonus cartoons, this set has the fewest Bugs cartoons with only 2.
 * Sylvester and Bosko, with 6 cartoons each, are the most-represented characters on this set.
 * Chuck Jones, with 17 cartoons, regains his title as most-represented director on this set.
 * This set has the first Harman/Ising-era cartoons to be restored for DVD release. 12 H/I cartoons are featured on this set.
 * Three character debuts are on this set: Buddy's Day Out (Buddy), Hare Trigger (Yosemite Sam), and You Don't Know What You're Doin'! (Piggy).
 * A record-shattering 15 cartoons from the public domain are restored for this release: The Booze Hangs High, Bosko the Doughboy, Congo Jazz, Crowing Pains, Daffy - The Commando, The Ducktators, Fifth Column Mouse, Meet John Doughboy, One More Time, Page Miss Glory, Rookie Revue, Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!, To Duck or Not To Duck, We're in the Money, and You Don't Know What You're Doin'!
 * Crowing Pains is the only creditless Blue Ribbon to have its original titles restored on this set.
 * Norman Normal is the first cartoon from the Warner Bros.-Seven Arts era to be restored for DVD release.
 * There are 27 one-shots on this set - more than any other volume.

Volume 7
Volume 7 (released November 17, 2012) contains 60 selections ranging from 1930 to 1965 (45 in color and 15 in black and white). This volume contains such popular shorts as
 * Rhapsody in Rivets
 * Birdy and the Beast
 * Lovelorn Leghorn
 * Catty Cornered

Disc-by-disc breakdown

 * Disc one features Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.
 * Disc two, which is all black-and-white, splits its focus between the early days of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies (featuring many shorts with Bosko and Buddy) and the later-day Porky Pig and Daffy Duck cartoons.
 * Disc three contains ten Sylvester and Tweety cartoons, with the remaining five cartoons directed by the man who paired the two characters together, Friz Freleng.
 * Disc four is an all-star disc comprising cartoons from various characters.

Statistics

 * Among restored cartoons: 32 of the color cartoons were in WB's television packages, 16 cartoons are in the a.a.p. package., and 12 cartoons are in the Sunset Productions package
 * Bugs Bunny and Sylvester, with 12 cartoons each, are the most-represented characters on the set.
 * With 15 cartoons, Sylvester is once again the most-represented character on the set, followed by Bugs Bunny, with 12.
 * Friz Freleng is by far the most-represented director on this set, having directed 31 of the 60 cartoons, with his closest competition, Robert McKimson, trailing behind him with only 6.
 * Three character debuts are on this set: Lady, Play Your Mandolin! (Foxy), Little Boy Boo (Egghead Jr.), and The Squawkin' Hawk (Henery Hawk).
 * Ten cartoons from the public domain are restored for this release: Hold Anything, Bosko Shipwrecked, Lady, Play Your Mandolin!, The Shanty Where Santy Claus Lives, Box Car Blues, Pagan Moon, Big Man from the North, Daffy's Southern Exposure, Get Rich Quick Porky, and The Impatient Patient.

Volume 8
Volume 8 (released November 17, 2012) contains 60 selections ranging from 1936 to 1965 (all but 1 in color). This volume contains such popular shorts as
 * Fresh Hare
 * Curtain Razor
 * Nelly's Folly

Disc-by-disc breakdown

 * Disc one features Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.
 * Disc two focuses mainly on show business and Hollywood caricatures and parodies.
 * Disc three contains only Foghorn Leghorn cartoons.
 * Disc four focuses on mice, including more well-known characters like Sniffles and Speedy Gonzales.

Statistics

 * Among restored cartoons: 41 cartoons were in WB's television packages, 17 cartoons were in the a.a.p. package, and 2 cartoons were in the Sunset Productions package.
 * With 15 cartoons, Foghorn Leghorn is the most-represented character on the set, followed by Daffy Duck, with 11.
 * Robert McKimson is the most-represented director, having directed 25 cartoons on the set, with his closest competition, Friz Freleng, trailing behind him with 17 cartoons.
 * One character debut is on this set: Lovelorn Leghorn (Miss Prissy).
 * Two cartoons from the public domain have been restored for this release: Fresh Hare, and The Haunted Mouse.

Volume 9
Volume 9 (released October 26, 2013) now includes 60 regular selections ranging from 1932 to 1969 (52 in color and 8 in black and white), including such popular shorts as
 * Porky's Duck Hunt (debut of Daffy Duck)
 * A Wild Hare (debut of Bugs Bunny)
 * Cinderella Meets Fella
 * From A to Z-Z-Z-Z

Disc-by-disc breakdown

 * Disc one features Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.
 * Disc two is dedicated to director Tex Avery.
 * Disc three has eight Pepé Le Pew cartoons, with the remaining six cartoons directed by Pepé Le Pew creator Chuck Jones.
 * Disc four focuses on cartoons related to sports.

Statistics

 * Among restored cartoons in the main program: A total of 29 cartoons are in the WB's television packages. 24 cartoons are in the a.a.p. package, while the seven remaining cartoons are in the Sunset Productions package.
 * With 11 cartoons, Daffy Duck wins the title of most-represented character, followed closely by Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig, both with 10 cartoons.
 * With 17 cartoons each, Tex Avery and Chuck Jones tie for the most-represented directors on this set.
 * Four character debuts are on this set: A Wild Hare (Bugs), Porky's Duck Hunt (Daffy), Egghead Rides Again (Egghead), and From A to Z-Z-Z-Z (Ralph Phillips).
 * Five cartoons from the public domain have been restored for this release: Battling Bosko, Sport Chumpions, Freddy the Freshman, Porky's Garden, and Hamateur Night.

Volume 10
Volume 10 (released October 21, 2014) concludes the Golden Collection series. It contains now 80 regular selections (all but one in color) ranging from 1933 to 1966, and 15 of which are bonus features. This volume contains such popular shorts as
 * What Makes Daffy Duck?
 * Hyde and Go Tweet
 * Honey's Money
 * Hare-Way to the Stars

Disc-by-disc breakdown

 * Disc one is an super-sized all-star disc comprising cartoons from various characters.
 * Disc two is a space and technology-themed disc, primarily featuring shorts released during the Space Race.
 * Disc three contains mostly Hippety Hopper cartoons, with the remaining cartoons either directed by Hippety Hopper creator Robert McKimson or starring Sylvester.
 * Disc four features cartoons starring obscure and lesser known dogs such as Charlie and Spike and Chester.

Statistics

 * Among restored cartoons in the main program: a whopping 62 of the color cartoons were in WB's television packages. Of the remaining 18 cartoons, 17 are in the a.a.p. package while the one remaining cartoon is in the Sunset Productions package.
 * Sylvester is the most-represented character, with 20 cartoons, followed closely by Bugs Bunny, with 19.
 * Chuck Jones regains his title as most-represented director, with 28 cartoons, followed closely by Friz Freleng and Robert McKimson, with 20 cartoons each.
 * Six character debuts are on this set: Hop, Look and Listen (Hippety Hopper), Pop 'Im Pop! (Sylvester Jr.), Life with Feathers (Sylvester), Little Orphan Airedale (Charlie), Tree For Two (Spike and Chester), and The Goofy Gophers (Goofy Gophers),.
 * One cartoon from the public domain, Prest-O Change-O, is restored for this release.
 * Five cartoons have been released after initially being included on an earlier Golden Collection:
 * Volume 1: Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century, Haredevil Hare
 * Volume 6: Martian Through Georgia, Jumpin' Jupiter, and Rocket-bye Baby