The Bootleg Files: Tin Pan Alley Cats

Posted on May 7, 2021 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 765: “Tin Pan Alley Cats” (1943 Warner Bros. animated short).

LAST SEEN: On DailyMotion.com.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Withheld from release due to politically incorrect humor.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

In today’s woke environment, the possibility of giving a second chance to the long-banned racially insensitive Warner Bros. cartoons collectively known as the “Censored Eleven” is nil. At least one of these cartoons, the 1943 “Tin Pan Alley Cats,” is certainly deserving to be kept out of circulation – but not so much for its broadly demeaning caricatures as for the laziness and sloppiness that went into its creation.
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The Bootleg Files: The Crunch Bird

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 758: “The Crunch Bird” (1971 Academy Award-winning animated short).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: It was part of a Goodtimes Home Video VHS release at one point.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It seems to have fallen through the proverbial cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Only in an anthology of Oscar-winning shorts.

Here is a great question for Oscar trivia buffs: which Academy Award-winning production had the shortest running time? If you are reading this column, the answer is a bit obvious: it is “The Crunch Bird,” the 1971 winner of the Best Animated Short Subject Oscar, which only ran a mere two minutes.
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The Bootleg Files: Circus Capers

Posted on January 22, 2021 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 755: “Circus Capers” (1930 animated short).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On public domain labels.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A copyright infringement lawsuit, coupled by a lapsed copyright on the film.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Hopefully not.

Everyone’s heard of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, but did you ever hear about Milton and Rita Mouse? If not, that’s because Walt Disney heard about them first and put a stop to them before they caught on with the public.
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The Bootleg Files: The New Scooby-Doo Movies – Wednesday is Missing

Posted on January 8, 2021 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 754: “The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries – Wednesday is Missing” (1972 episode of the animated television series).

LAST SEEN: On DailyMotion.com.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A rights clearance issue is preventing its release.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely at this time.

In September 1969, Hanna-Barbera premiered its animated series “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” on CBS. The show placed four teenagers and a talking oversized dog in wacky mysteries that involved a supposedly supernatural element. The series was immediately popular and attracted a large following among the Saturday morning cartoon-absorbing kiddie audience.
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The Bootleg Files: Inside Magoo

Posted on August 28, 2020 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 738: “Inside Magoo” (1960 public service film for the American Cancer Society featuring Mister Magoo).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: Not to my knowledge.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: The status of the copyright is uncertain.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Either in a Mister Magoo anthology or in a collection of classic public service films.

Public service films run the risk of either being too solemn and preachy or trying too hard to sell their message in an emotional manner. Health-related public service films are particularly problematic, as the sponsoring organizations don’t want to scare the audience but also don’t want to trivialize diseases with inappropriate humor.
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Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Unlikeliest Stars

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Phil Hall

Created for a one-shot novelty tune, Alvin and the Chipmunks morphed into a show business sensation that spanned top-selling records, a classic TV show and a string of movies. On this episode of “The Online Movie Show,” we trace the rise of these unlikely pop culture icons with Mark Arnold, author of “Aaaaalllviiinnn!: The Story of Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., Liberty Records, Format Films and The Alvin Show,” published by BearManor Media.

The episode can be heard here.