Post by paramountcartoons on Feb 9, 2019 23:33:28 GMT
In the late 90s, my Grandma bought me a used public domain VHS from UAV featuring the 1946 Famous Studios Noveltoonad/Screen Song released by Paramount Pictures, "Old MacDonald Had A Farm", which had a Follow The Bouncing Ball sing-along to, you guessed it.
Anyways, it was my discovery that Paramount Pictures made cartoons before Charlotte's Web, as the opening of the tape, after the UAV logo, contained the Majestic Mountain logo. Unfortunately, the tape ate my VCR so my other Grandma (who is now gone) was nice enough to get me a new one
But here's why the that version of the tape is lost. I bought many copies of it hoping it would contain that logo at the beginning and end of the cartoon. Usually, public domain copies would have a "fake" Paramount card original prints, something like this:
When in reality, the original titles would look like this:
The earlier tapes have the former opening, the newest tapes have the Paramount logo blacked out on a blank screen (similar to the RKO/Buena Vistas on earlier VHS tapes of Disney features) with a "The End" on the closing logo, but somehow in the middle, 1989 to early 1991, apparently the opening and closing Paramount logos were left intact as presented in 1946 and the Paramount Champion reissue date (where many original prints of various 35mm Noveltoons come from).
I've found some listings on ebay here and there but they use the Muze-copyrighted template, so it's not necessarily going to be the real tape. Good luck trying to find the lost pressing on Amazon,but here's the link if you want to track it down:
But wait- someone claims a "Rare" copy of the tape! 5 'toons instead of 4 and the tape looks so familar! Could this be the one. I asked the seller if it had the logo-- I have to wait and see.
There are reasons for its scarcity:
UAV tapes were HORRIBLE quality and cheaply made
UAV tapes were HORRIBLE quality and cheaply made
NTA/Republic NEVER released Old MacDonald on home video
Paramount has never released the cartoon on DVD and beyond, and sublicensing deals are way too huge finical amounts for small companies at this point.
You would have to SEARCH through HUNDREDS of secondhand places to find it
Non-PD material is easier to find.
The only way you can see this cartoon is online or if Thunderbean offers all of its fundraising setsr so one can order the "Collector's Choice". It was apparently also given as an exclusive extra in a bonus disc for those who pre-ordered Thunderbean's "Technicolor Dreams and Black and White Nightmares" although it is NOT in the finished set.
