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The Children's Film Foundation: Bumper Box Volume 5
R0 - United Kingdom - British Film Institute Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (29th April 2025). |
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The Film
 The Children's Film Foundation: Bumper Box Volume 5 The Children's Film Foundation was an English non-profit established in 1951 which produced feature films, serials, and short films specifically for a younger audience for Saturday matinees. Feature films were just under an hour in length, and would feature children in the leads in moral tales with capers, action, humor, and silliness that usually placed emphasis on how adults were usually blindsided by issues that kids saw more clearly. From issues like abuse, environmental concerns, family values, and much more, there was a lot of variety to be had with differing directors, actors, and other crew participating in the fairly low budget quickies that would give an equal amount of smiles and groans to different kids. The productions would feature works that could appeal to both boys and girls, with fun sequences like chases and silly humor to hit the funny bones of young ones, but the juvenile nature and predictable nature were also a detractor for others. These works were not made to be of high artistic standards with special quality, with many of the child actors having little to no training with acting and the adults sometimes acting like bumbling dumbfounded characters. Yet with limitations came some creativity in the cracks, with even some notable crew working on the productions, some that would later produce major award winning works in their future careers, and some established people that came to work on CFF productions later on. While the 1950s and 1960s saw a great number of works from CFF, things started to change in the 1970s and 1980s with television becoming the medium of choice for children to receive their visual entertainment on Saturday mornings. With lower budgets and fewer productions over the decades, their final production came in 1988. The foundation itself has remained, now named the Children's Media Foundation and helping with funding for media based educational productions and more. Their collection of works over the decades has been archived by the BFI National Archive, and in the new millennium they have been releasing a number of their features and shorts in a number of collections on DVD. This is the fifth release in the "Bumper Box" series, which has a total of nine feature films. One is a production that pre-dates the establishment of the CFF and the other eight are CFF productions which include the fountain and bells introductions. In addition there are some CFF shorts and other extras included in the set. as There is no specific theme for the "Bumper Box" collections, instead showcasing the eclectic mix of works that were aimed at the youth crowd over the decades. "The Secret Tunnel" (1947) Roger Henderson (played by Tony Wager, credited with his birth name Anthony Wager) is the son of an antique collector (played by Murray Matheson). Mystery strikes when a Rembrandt painting goes missing from the family vault. To investigate, Roger along with his friend John Wilson (played by Ivor Bowyer) find a secret tunnel, and there is much more to the robbery than they had expected… Technically, "The Secret Tunnel" is not a CFF production, but rather a CEF production – the Children’s Entertainment Film Unit, which was a precursor to the CFF. It may lack the opening shot of the fountain, the pigeons and the bells ringing to the CFF logo, but the production has many of the qualities that would be prevalent in future CFF productions. Children being the main characters, the bumbling bad guys, the adults and their questionable motives, and the sense of adventure and mystery on a small scale. Though it was produced in the post war environment, there are no particular clues to the story being set in a post war world, not reflecting the modern era, but still being “modern” for its day. The children do a fair job with their roles and the fun in finding a secret entrance or a secret room is a thrill to any child growing up (though it may be something of a nightmare to adults if they were to find the same thing in their home). "The Secret Tunnel" is a fun ride that has its twists and turns but plays things very innocently. Even though the nature of an elaborate burglary is serious, but here we see though the minds of the two boys and their wits being able to piece together the puzzle, and there are laughs to be had. It may not be the most memorable story but for a short children’s feature, it certainly gets its job done. "Circus Friends" (1956) Bert Marlow (played by John Horsley) and his travelling circus comes to town to delight the community with their show full of people and animals. Unfortunately this doesn’t bode well for local farmer Mr. Beasley (played by Meredith Edwards) who doesn’t want the troupe to cause a ruckus by his farmland. They work out a deal in which Marlow must pay Beasley for time and a portion of the ticket sales, as well as having to give up Pinto, the circus horse. This is terrible news for young kids Nan (played by Carol White, credited with her given name Carole White) and Nicky (played by Alan Coleshill) as they are determined to get their loving horse returned. The idea of a traveling circus moving from town to town with a troupe of performers and animals might seem like a few generations away as they have mostly died down, with animal rights issues, safety hazards, and the extreme costs have basically torn down the tents forever. Circuses in “Dumbo”, “The Greatest Showman”, “Freaks” or “Nightmare Alley” might only be seen as a historical relic now, and that would apply for "Circus Friends". But in this feature, it is not about the performers much as it is about the children and their plans to get their horse back. Obviously, they do not see the adult issues of trade and disruption, as their only focus is on having fun while entertaining, as well as lovingly caring for their animals – in this case Pinto and their dog Judy. The show might lack the acrobatics and the sideshow attractions, but it has a number of physical gags played throughout. It may come as no surprise that this was written by Peter Rogers and directed by Gerald Thomas – the duo who would go onto much larger success with the “Carry On” films by upping the gags for an older audience. "Circus Friends" may be dated in its setting, but is still a fun slice of the past with energetic and worried kids versus bumbling and grumpy adults. "The Piper's Tune" During the Napoleonic Wars, a family of travelers arrive at the farmhouse of Mr. Martinez (played by Charles Rolfe), whose place is a safe haven for people looking to find a route to avoid the French army. But while they are resting, a young girl named Joan (played by Delene Scott) arrives at the farm completely out of breath after escaping from army officers that arrested her family. She warns them that the army knows about the Martinez farm and that they would be coming soon to inspect the place. This makes everyone’s travels more difficult than before… Most CFF productions were set in the present day, as costumes, sets, and props for a period whether in the past, the future, or in fantasy would be a costly endeavor, though there were a few productions that went out of the way in a different time period. In The Piper’s Tune, it is set in the 1800s, but there are no castles or giant armies to be found. Instead, using farmhouses, forests, and some period decoration and wardrobe transformed the locations into a different era for the audiences at a much lower cost. In most CFF productions, it is the adults who are always in question and it is no different here, as there are the military officers that represent the enemy, but also a traitor in the mix who is supposed to be helping the children. Directed by acclaimed female writer and director Muriel Box, there is much more tension to be felt with the theme of war in "The Piper’s Tune", as well as more peril due to the fact that the children are the focus and it is seen through their eyes. There are still comedic moments, such as the twin teen boys Paul and Peter (played by twin brothers Brian Wills and Graham Wills) and their tricks, as well as the banter between the various children. While some of the performances can feel a bit forced, the theme is strong as well as the direction. As to why the war is happening around the characters and how the innocent are caught in the middle of the storm, the sums it up very succinctly at the very end with a brilliant line by the character of Suzy (played by a very young Roberta Tovey). War can be complex, but the joy of life in exchange is simple as simple as it gets. "The Rescue Squad" (1963) Bill (played by Christopher Brett), Ann (played by Shirley Joy), Tom (played by Malcolm Knight), Charlie (played by Gareth Tandy), Carol (played by Linda Leigh), and Joe (played by Danny Grover, credited as Danny Grove) get into some trouble when their toy plane flies into the window of a tall locked tower. In order to retrieve it, they wander back into town to try to find items that could help them. Whether it is rope, a ladder, or a donkey, there must be some way to get it… While the stakes were high in the previous feature, the stakes are quite low here. There is no peril or distress, but just a group of kids wanting their toy back. Most of the story has no dialogue and instead relies on visual gags. The kids carrying the long rope gets caught in all sorts of places causing a mess. The extremely long ladder gets the kids stuck in an alley as well as getting laundry caught on it. Oh, and Joey for some reason goes off on his own and gets stuck in a large box and becomes a recurring segment. There are wacky situations all over, and it plays closer to a silent or early sound comedy like the Our Gang shorts for a Hollywood counterpart. Though Our Gang had its distinct characters, the kids in The Rescue Squad unfortunately are not particularly memorable. With a mix of boys and girls and of differing ages and heights, it’s almost a question of why such a varied group of kids would hang out together. Surely they would rather hang out with kids their own age? Logic is thrown out the window, or rather thrown into a window here. "The Rescue Squad" has some fun moments and includes a good number of sight gags, and the donkey's role seems to be an odd solution that defies expectations entirely. It is not the strongest work in the set, but it still has the innocent charm that the CFF productions were known for. "Daylight Robbery" (1964) Janet (played by Janet Hannington), Kirk (played by Kirk Martin), and Daryl (played by Darryl Read) are three kids that go to a department store in order to steal a battery. Goody-two-shoes and curious neighbor Trudy (played by Trudy Moors) sees them and warns their behavior would get them into trouble. As the kids have a change of conscience and try to return the battery, the shop closes up, leaving them trapped inside. While trying to find a way out, they encounter two men (played by John Trenaman and Douglas Robinson) who are planning an elaborate robbery. Kids in peril is a common theme in many suspense works by the CFF. In most cases, it is about the kids outsmarting the bad guys with their inept abilities. In "Daylight Robbery", the adults are more on the threatening side, and the kids are quite frightened to say the least. It is not always about panic and running, as there are moments of comedy to be seen, such as the telephone scene as well as the scene of the man trying to fix his flat tire. Compared to adult aimed suspense films, the threat comes off as a bit tame. But with the focus on the kids and how they are experiencing their distress, it is fairly well done, not going into depth of the adult robbers and their motives and plans. The department store itself is supposed to be quite massive, but the studio set is quite obvious with the not-so-convincing matte painting in the background trying to show the depth. There are some dangerous looking portions which take place high above on the top of the building, and these types of work with kids would not be possible in the current age of safety and child labor laws. (More is expressed about the dangerous stuntwork and sequences in one of the featurettes in this set.) "All at Sea" (1969) Steve (played by Gary Smith), Ian (played by Stephen Mallett), Vicky (played by Sara Nicholls), and Doug (played by Stephen Childs) are primary school students on a school trip, crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Tangier. The kids become a target for a group of smugglers who give Doug a parcel to deliver to Tangier, which is said to be for his pen pal there. The other kids are quickly suspicious and Ian uses his camera to snap pictures of the men. They run into Mr. Danvers (played by Norman Bird) who hears the kids' story and decides to help them, but his intentions might not be what the kids are expecting... The previous CFF productions in this set were in black and white, but this one is presented in color. Color televisions and color broadcast were commonplace in British households by 1969, and cinemas could not entice crowds with old fashioned black and white any longer. In addition to having color, "All at Sea" also took the production overseas to Portugal, Spain, and Morocco for the shoot. These were not shot on backlots pretending to be Tangier, but actually shooting there on location. The vistas of the sea and the helicopter shots are unique for a CFF production, but the ideas presented with kids in peril and untrustworthy adults was a recurring formula that worked. As always, the banter between the kids have some stilted moments, but there are great Hitchcockian elements with the main characters not being able to trust anyone including authority within an enclosed environment. The twist with the character of Danvers is also well done, as he comes off as being very trustworthy and without a hint of evil. But actions speak louder than words and once his intentions are revealed to the audience before the kids know, there is great effect with the tension while still preserving the lighthearted tone of the CFF for its audience. "The Hostages" (1975) Joe Blake (played by Ray Barrett) and Terry Sladden (played by Robin Askwith) are two of four convicts that had just escaped from prison. Joe injured his leg in the escape and cannot move quickly, so they look for a safe haven to hide. They spot the farm house of the Williams family, in which they notice the parents (played by Tony Wright and Ellen McIntosh) and their eldest daughter Helen (played by Luci Gorell Barnes) drive off to the city to go shopping, leaving their younger children Peter (played by Stephen Garlick), Kate (played by Jayne Collins) and Tim (played by Peter Marshall") are left home alone to take care of the farm animals. Joe and Terry cut off their phone line and with the threat of their shotguns, take the children hostage as they decide how to replenish themselves and make their getaway. But even with the terror of home invasion, the kids try to use their wits to make sure they are kept safe from harm until their parents get home. For a CFF feature, this is one that is quite intense with the theme of home invasion. Of the two convicts, the younger Terry is the wild one, quickly breaking property and threatening the kids physically with his unexpected behavior. On the other hand, the injured Terry is older and wiser, not particularly wanting to hurt the children. But he knows that he cannot keep his guard down as the kids are not the usual crying frightened brats. The oldest son Peter must make sure his younger siblings are safe, such as telling the convicts that they have to be working outside and tending to the farm animals so neighbors would not suspect something is wrong if all the animals start crying hysterically. In addition, he helps with bringing a doctor to the home to help Joe's leg. There are some tense moments with gunshots going off and the menacing character of Terry watching the young kids, and is certainly for an older audience than the typical CFF feature. Again, kids and their smart actions are at the central focus, from Helen's concern and getting the parents to return home early, and Kate slipping Joe the sleeping pills in his drink. Directed by David Eady who directed a number of CFF productions including "Anoop the Elephant" (1972), "Hide and Seek" (1972) and "Where's Johnny?" (1974) (which has not had an official DVD release yet), this is certainly one of the most memorable of the set and the entire CFF library. "Robin Hood Junior" (1975) Robin (played by Keith Chegwin) is the leader of a band of thieves. With his quick wits and skills with the bow and arrow, he is one that his followers look up to and is a hero to others for standing up against the royal regime. There is trouble at the castle, in which Lady Marion (played by Mandy Tulloch) is told by her uncle Baron de Malherbe (played by Maurice Kaufmann) that her father had died in battle and the country now belongs to him. She escapes the castle grounds and encounters Robin in the forest. Though they may come from the opposite sides of the law and from different classes, they find common ground in working together to fight back against the new power. The title is somewhat confusing as "Robin Hood Junior" seems to state that this would be a story about the mythical English figure of Robin Hood's son. But the boy is never referred to as "Hood", though he wields a bow and arrow, wears green garb, and lives in the forest with his merry men. In addition, why are all the other child characters named the same as their "Robin Hood" counterparts? His merry men (merry boys?) such as Will (played by Keith Jayne) and John (played by Nicholas Dunn), Lady Marian the love interest for example. So are they all kids of their "Robin Hood" counterparts? Apparently no. Calling it "Young Robin Hood" may have made things clearer, but it doesn't lessen the impact the production has with its action and adventure setting, even if the story basically follows the standard structure of the classic Robin Hood tale. Mostly led by children, though there are adults in the mix with Baron and his soldiers, but as the usual sense with CFF productions, it is always the kids that have the tactical advantage. Robin and his boys are strong in numbers and in planning through stealth as well as through skills, and it is a more action oriented piece from the CFF. There are some dangerous looking swordplay and some scenes which Robin is high atop the trees of the forest, most likely without a safety harness for the actor. The story also follows issues of racism and class separation, with the notion of Robin and his crew are Saxons and Marian is a Norman, with distrust from many others at first glance. This is a fun and exciting production from the CFF, though obviously not entirely original due to the tale being told in numerous adaptations over generations. But the theme of using kids to retell and reboot intellectual property seems to be fairly new here, with the trend becoming quite big in the 1980s and 1990s with television shows that had child versions like “Muppet Babies”, “Flintstone Kids” or “Young Indiana Jones”. In comparison the trend in the 2010s and 2020s are a reboot of older franchises by using the same actors – being 30 to 40 years older for a slice of nostalgia. That won't be applied to "Robin Hood Junior", as Chegwin, who became a successful television personality in his adult years passed away at the age of 60 in 2017 from lung disease. "The Boy Who Never Was" (1980) Salu (played by Gordon Hagan) is the son of Okara (played by Jules Walter), an ambassador from the fictional country of Busundi. He arrives in England to attend an event with his father, but at the airport he is instead picked up by Ngalo (played by Eddie Tagoe) and Awudu (played by Robert La Bassière), two diplomats who say Salu's father is busy with work. Unfortunately these men are not diplomats, but are terrorists that plan to switch Salu with a double (also played by Gordon Hagan) who would deliver a bomb to the diplomatic event. As stated before, some stakes are low, some stakes are high in the world of the CFF. A A political assassination attempt is not a common plot point for their productions. As always it is told through the eyes of children, with Salu having to escape from the men and find a way to seek help. But as expected, he has no one to trust and no way of contacting anyone. When he is taken to a hospital, no one believes his story, including a police inspector (played by Derek Benfield) working to find out who the boy really is. The only leads that could seemingly help Salu are the two young boys Charlie (played by Paul Alantis) and Nobby (played by Christian Bulloch) who were riding their bikes and were involved in an accident with the car Salu was in earlier. But kids will be kids, and not wanting to get in trouble with the law, lie to the inspector by saying they had never seen Salu before. But like all other CFF productions, it is about the kids finding common ground and working together. “The Boy Who Never Was” is a fantastic story with Hagan having to play two roles and the tension being high on an international scale. It’s easily a highlight of the CFF catalog and children’s films in general. Like many CFF productions, many of the child actors did not go on to have much of a career outside of a few credits as kids here and there, while the adults were more prominent figures appearing in both television and film. A mystery is with the actress that played the nurse tending to Salu, credited with one name as Cinnamon and seemingly having no other filmed roles. The fifth "Bumper Box" following other Children's Film Foundation collections from the BFI shows that there are many more treasures from the library that have not been issued on a physical format as of yet. Sure there are some clunkers, but it Volume 5 shows a good range of works from the CFF, and for seasoned collectors or for newcomers, it is a pleasant experience of nostalgia even if you hadn't grown up with these films. Note this is a region 0 PAL DVD set
Video
The BFI presents "The Secret Tunnel", "Circus Friends", "The Piper's Tune", "The Rescue Squad", "All at Sea", "The Hostages", "Robin Hood Junior", and "The Boy Who Never Was" in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio (non-anamorphic) in the PAL format, while "Daylight Robbery" is in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio in the PAL format. There are no details of the sources of each feature, though it is stated that they are taken from best available film and video elements held by the BFI National Archive. As there is a span of just over three decades between the oldest and newest short, there are bound to be differences between the quality of the transfers. They have not gone through any major restoration process and have noticeable defects, whether it is damage marks or slightly blurry colors. All of the productions here were shot on film and have been mastered from surviving film elements, with the exception of one which was transferred from an analog video source. "The Secret Tunnel" being the oldest feature in the set has one of the weaker transfers, with the black and white not having a lot of depth and some detail being lost. "The Piper's Tune" and "The Rescue Squad" fair better, with nicer contrast and depth with the black and white image, but it can be a bit soft at times. There are damage marks visible at times, though not particularly distracting. For the color productions, "All at Sea" has good colors that are bright and bold, showcasing the overseas locations well. "Robin Hood Junior" also does a great job with the colors and has good depth. "The Boy Who Never Was" is the most recent production, and is also fairly strong with its look. All three have some minor damage marks to be found, but again nothing too distracting. "The Hostages" is the unfortunate feature in this set which was mastered from an analogue video source, as a surviving film element appears to be lost. The transfer from film to video, which was most likely done in the 1970s for the production's television broadcast has some scratches and hairs that are visible in the transfer, coupled with some analogue tape errors on top. Colors are drab and lacking, as well as the image detail being lost in the process. It is still watchable and is at least consistent in color balance and image quality, but there is only so much that can be done from the source material. Maybe someday a better element will turn up, but for the time being, it is what it is. The following are the runtimes for each film: * "The Secret Tunnel" (1947) (47:53) * "Circus Friends" (1956) (60:15) * "The Piper's Tune" (1962) (60:19) * "The Rescue Squad" (1963) (50:48) * "Daylight Robbery" (1964) (54:46) * "All at Sea" (1969) (57:43) * "The Hostages" (1975) (56:30) * "Robin Hood Junior" (1975) (58:15) * "The Boy Who Never Was" (1980) (55:40) 
Audio
English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono All films have a standard mono track, mastered from the existing elements. Like the image, they have not gone through an extensive restoration but a basic one. So there are some examples of hiss, pops, and distortion to be heard at times with the oldest being the roughest and the newer productions being clearer. This varies from film to film and also depends on sequences. Dialogue can be hard to hear at times, though it is never too terrible. There are no subtitles for any of the films or extras. This is not a new issue as most if not all CFF DVDs from the BFI have been released without subtitles for captioning the dialogue. Sure, it would have been nice to have, though the cost and time for transcribing were probably unfeasible.
Extras
The three disc set has three films per disc plus the following extras: DISC ONE "Bouncer Breaks Up!" 1953 CFF short (8:27) John (played by Bunny May) and Mary (played by Mavis Sage) go through their attic and find a picture book with a cartoon rabbit named Bouncer, who comes to life and runs amuck in their home, much to the chagrin of their mother who finds the mess. This short is a hybrid of live action and animation, using fairly simple techniques to achieve the process. One can see the outlines of the animated portions quite easily as this was not anywhere the technological advancements that Disney had already done for some time. It is also interesting to see that the live action segments are in black and white while the animated Bouncer is in color. The source is quite rough with the black and white image having a slightly greenish tint, plus a lot of print damage and some muffled and crackly audio. in non-anamorphic 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "A Good Pull-Up!" 1953 CFF short (16:30) The very clumsy Dickie Duffle (played by Peter Butterworth) gets into some trouble at a restaurant and must work to pay off the damages. But this proves to be a terrible choice, as Duffle makes it even more chaotic than before. This short (featuring Butterworth reprising his role which he played for six shorts) is not particularly child centered, but is one that is aimed for a young audience as it relies mostly on visual gags. From water spraying everywhere to shattered plates and wasted food, it’s closer to silent comedies than the features of the era. It is a fun short, but not particularly memorable. in non-anamorphic 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles DISC TWO "The Magnificent Six and ½: Ghosts and Ghoulies" 1976 CFF short (19:46) As part of a gang initiation, a group of kids must go through a supposedly haunted house. This was the first short in the series “The Magnificent Six and ½”, and featured seven children in wacky whimsical adventures. (The seventh being the ½ as she was smaller than everyone else.) The short here is not at all scary, but closer to a "Scooby Doo" mystery than horror, with the kids running around the house being scared of a so-called ghost (which is eventually revealed not to be a ghost at all). The transfer here with the image and audio is fairly good, with some minor damage marks to be found and the sound being fairly adequate. in non-anamorphic 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "The Chiffy Kids: Decorators Limited" 1976 CFF short (16:18) The Chiffy Kids are Rocky (played by Luke Batchelor, Susie (played by Lesley Saunders, Slim (played by Philip Sadler), Fiddler (played by Wayne Kebell) and Magpie (played by Tracy Strand), who played the characters in a series of twelve shorts. In their third episode, the gang decide to decorate their bus in psychedelic colors and realize they have a knack for painting and redecorating. They encounter Fannie (played by Barbara Cochran) and Connie (played by Susan Richards>), two elderly ladies that are looking to have redecorating for their flat and the kids offer to do the work. Unfortunately, the order gets mixed up and they decorate, or rather destroy a differing place… It is probably a child’s dream to go into a house and paint and redecorate to their liking. But here, there are some funny consequences, especially when the neighbors (played by Peggy Mount and Ronnie Brody) return home. The image and sound are great here, with good picture quality with only minor damage and a fairly good audio track, in non-anamorphic 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles DISC THREE "Danger at the CFF" 2024 featurette (15:39) This new featurette is hosted by child actor Edward Molony, looking at the differences in safety standards for kids in the old CFF productions compared to the modern day. Numerous clips from films in this set as well as other CFF productions are shown that would be definitely against child safety laws. From minor things like kids on a boat without life jackets to more dangerous situations such as unsafe sets, it also has comments from his older brother and fellow actor Alexander Molony and director Harley Cokeliss. in anamorphic 1.78:1 / 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Our Magazine No 11" 1955 CFF short (9:22) A vintage newsreel that is geared for children is shown here, with images from Bavaria, cycling safety precautions, a toy museum visit, and more. in non-anamorphic 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Booklet A 32 page booklet is included with the first pressing. First is an introduction by the BFI’s Vic Pratt on the set. He also provides notes to the nine main features in the set as well as the shorts. There is also a short written statement by actor Robin Askwith for “The Hostages”, in which he recollects about working on CFF productions. There are also written notes by Jason Gurr, director of the new featurette. Trevona Thomson provides a quiz for the nine features in the set, along with answers on the following page. Finally, there are transfer information, acknowledgements, and stills. The opening five minutes of "Circus Friends" from CMF, which will not allow embedding for this clip. The opening two minutes of "The Piper's Tune" The opening five minutes of "The Rescue Squad" The opening five minutes of "Robin Hood Junior" "The Magnificent 6 and ½: Ghosts and Ghoulies" The opening five minutes of "The Chiffy Kids: Decorators Limited" from CMF, which will not allow embedding for this clip.
Overall
"Children's Film Foundation: Bumper Box Volume 5" is another great selection of nine features from the BFI. Some are fantastic, but not all are winners, but they each have fantastic nostalgic appeal and quality that is missing from kid-aimed productions of the present day. The transfers are hit or miss as they have not gone through a major restoration, but have good presentations, with some good extras with the additional shorts and the new featurette. Recommended. Note the ratings below are an average for all nine features included. Amazon UK link
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