Tom and Jerry Gene Deitch Collection (DVD)

This is an amazing collection of two beloved characters drawn by animators from Prague who had NEVER seen T and J cartoons. The animation is definitely not in the same style as Hanna Barberra used when at MGM. American audiences didn’t accept nor appreciate the differences and put Gene Deitch to the rack. There are 13 vastly different Tom and Jerry cartoons done in beautiful colors that remind me of seeing Blu-ray looney tunes for the first time. I’m glad I spent the time to investigate the facts behind these cartoons. Included are two documentaries that shed light as the why, what, where, and how. Spend the coin and make up your own mind. Thanks Gene! You did well.

I can totally understand why some people hate this short series by Gene Deitch. My guess is they are older folks who were around to see the (more than/less than) twenty year run by Hanna-Barbera. The switch in style and content probably felt counter to everything they had come to like and expect from a Tom & Jerry cartoon.But I was born in 1973 and by the time I was an avid cartoon watcher, all the major eras of production were being shown at once on weekday and Saturday mornings. I never got used to one era because my earliest experiences were watching the Hanna-Barbera, Gene Deitch, Chuck Jones, second Hanna-Barbera era, and Filmation era (creeping in unnoticed by me from 1980-82) versions all mixed in together in no order, so I was never able to become set in my ways to feel insulted by future changes (except for the Tom and Jerry Kids in 1990, but I was too old by then to really care [I did think it was lame though, just not rage-worthy]).Which brings us to the Gene Deitch collection. They were made before I was born. I remember as a child noticing the distinct differences in appearance, movement, sound and content. While I am no connoisseur of art I noticed that these were very stylistically different than the others in a very intentional and playful way. Some of them ranked as my all time favorite Tom and Jerry cartoons between the ages of 6-10 yrs old. They were so "out there" in thematic content - not just the usual chase and smash at the same old house and yard. Granted, the animation was much more hectic and choppy, but it added a certain energy to the feel of it.I had no idea this DVD even existed, and it was a few weeks before writing this review that I was out walking the dog at the age of 42, when for no apparent reason I suddenly thought "I wonder if I could find out who did those handful of cool Tom and Jerry cartoons - maybe they're posted on YouTube." I got on my phone looked up Tom and Jerry on Wikipedia, and went through the history of production eras. Lo and behold I found Gene Deitch, saw a DVD had been made and new Amazon would have it.My point is that while some folks hate this series, I love it, and without having even thought about Tom and Jerry for over 20 years, one day I suddenly - out of the blue, remembered my appreciation for the few far out groovy versions from childhood, and immediately/impulsively searched for these very episodes contained on this DVD. It is with the most direct and intentional effort that I specifically sought out - before I even knew his name - the Gene Deitch collection of cartoons. These are amongst my very favorite.It is rather odd to see such vehement denunciation of these episodes though, especially considering that there were only 13 of them in this short-lived era; after 18 years and over 100 classic episodes you would think those folks would have a better sense of proportion and perspective.

Mention Tom and Jerry, and the Hanna-Barbera and Chuck Jones eras come to mind. But you can't think of these and not accept the Gene Deitch era.Deitch was hired after MGM closed its animation studio and Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera set up their own shop. But MGM balked when Deitch asked for the same budget as Hanna and Barbera, so he honored his contract (1958 to 1962) by producing only 13 shorts. They were nowhere near the level of level of H-B and Jones, but they were entertaining in their own way.My recommendation: Buy the Deitch collection. You'll be glad you did!

I was very pleased with the timing of delivery and the quality of the product that was shipped. I throughly enjoyed watching these old Tom & Jerry Cartoons, and laugh at the silliness of these characters. Brought back childhood memories and joy.

As a T&J classic cartoon completist, I love this set. Sure, Gene Deitch may not have done the best job with these shorts, but I think he deserves some slack. After all, as others have said, he had never seen HB's T&J and had to improvise on his own with the cat-and-mouse duo. Although not exactly my favorite, they're still pretty decent.On that basis, I'm grading the 5 stars to the DVD release itself. The shorts look great, having been remastered (as opposed to the awful TV prints released in the UK in 2005 that have also aired on Cartoon Network) and are presented in their original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 unlike the Chuck Jones set which was cropped to widescreen (1.78:1).Well done, WB. Too bad the Hanna-Barbera Golden Collection sets had to be cancelled.

Exactly as advertised. You are getting the complete 1961-62 Gene Deitch run of Tom & Jerry shorts.. that kooky period that felt like a bizaro alternate universe version of our favorite cat and mouse team as interpreted by a Czech animation team that had never seen an actual Tom & Jerry cartoon before and were working on miniscule budget. Some Tom & Jerry fans HATE this era... to which I ask, WHY are you commenting on or reviewing this product?There is a 20-minute interview with Deitch on the disc (he fully recognizes his work is not beloved by all, and seems to take it in good stride) and a 20-minute retrospective on the history of Tom & Jerry. Recommended for animation historians, Tom & Jerry completists, or Gen-Xers like me who grew up actually enjoying these toons on television!

The Gene Deitch Collection is essentially outsourced Tom & Jerry. Produced in the early 1960s behind the Iron Curtain in Prague (Czechoslovakia) of all places, the collection consists of 13 color shorts. Chicago-born Deitch (who just passed away in April 2020), best known for his production of the Tom Terrific cartoons seen on the Captain Kangaroo show, explains the background of this curious operation in an bonus segment that is part of the package. Suffice it to say that this series, drawn in a low-budget, abstracted style reminiscent of the Rocky and Bullwinkle and Pink Panther titles, is simply not very funny. The set is a curiosity at best. Stick with the Hanna-Barbera originals (1940-58), which are superior in every way.