Sunset Productions: Difference between revisions
FMAFan1990 (talk | contribs) |
FMAFan1990 (talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 10: | Line 10: | ||
The actual distribution was handled by Guild Films, which then bought out Sunset a few years later, as well as Motion Pictures for Television (which distributed ''[[The Adventures of Superman (TV series)|The Adventures of Superman]]'', as well as the [[Superman (1940s cartoons)|1940s ''Superman'' cartoons]] which were originally distributed by [[Paramount Pictures]] - interestingly enough, [[Superman]] is also now a WB property). Guild Films itself was sold to [[Seven Arts Productions]] in the 1960s. Then, in 1967, Seven Arts bought WB and became [[Warner Bros.-Seven Arts]]. |
The actual distribution was handled by Guild Films, which then bought out Sunset a few years later, as well as Motion Pictures for Television (which distributed ''[[The Adventures of Superman (TV series)|The Adventures of Superman]]'', as well as the [[Superman (1940s cartoons)|1940s ''Superman'' cartoons]] which were originally distributed by [[Paramount Pictures]] - interestingly enough, [[Superman]] is also now a WB property). Guild Films itself was sold to [[Seven Arts Productions]] in the 1960s. Then, in 1967, Seven Arts bought WB and became [[Warner Bros.-Seven Arts]]. |
||
Soon after the WB-SA merger was complete, the studio had the some of the Sunset Productions cartoon package [[film colorization|redrawn in color]], and a lot of quality was lost in the process (79 cartoons were redone this way). The same 79 cartoons were colorized again in the early 1990s (along with 25 other cartoons not redrawn in 1968), this time using a computer to add color to the cartoons, thus preserving the original quality, but still the cartoons were shown in a way they were not meant to be seen (the end result was very close to the color ''Merrie Melodies'' that had been released around the same time). WB would also regain the cartoons they had sold to a.a.p. when they merged with [[Turner Entertainment]], which by then owned the a.a.p. package. |
Soon after the WB-SA merger was complete, the studio had the some of the Sunset Productions cartoon package [[film colorization|redrawn in color]], and a lot of quality was lost in the process (79 cartoons were redone this way). The same 79 cartoons were colorized again in the early 1990s (along with 25 other cartoons not redrawn in 1968), this time using a computer to add color to the cartoons, thus preserving the original quality, but still the cartoons were shown in a way they were not meant to be seen (the end result was very close to the color ''Merrie Melodies'' that had been released around the same time). Some of the computer-colorized versions (of 1937-43 cartoons) mistakenly use the 1936-37 ''Looney Tunes'' theme instead of the "[[The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down]]" (possibly due to an oversight). WB would also regain the cartoons they had sold to a.a.p. when they merged with [[Turner Entertainment]], which by then owned the a.a.p. package. |
||
Today, when using the terms "pre-1948" and "post-1948" to describe the television packages of WB cartoons, the former is usually used exclusively to refer to those cartoons in the a.a.p. package, and not including the cartoons sold to Sunset Productions. |
Today, when using the terms "pre-1948" and "post-1948" to describe the television packages of WB cartoons, the former is usually used exclusively to refer to those cartoons in the a.a.p. package, and not including the cartoons sold to Sunset Productions. |
||
Revision as of 06:55, 25 October 2008
Sunset Productions was a television syndication company which existed in the 1950's.
Overview
Their best-known holdings were probably the black-and-white cartoons that they acquired from Warner Bros. for television distribution. This package consisted of the black-and-white Looney Tunes, plus Lady, Play Your Mandolin! - the first entry in the Merrie Melodies series. The remaining pre-1948 cartoons (which included all color releases from that period, plus the remaining Merrie Melodies) were sold to Associated Artists Productions (a.a.p.) in 1956.
At the time, WB did not want their name on television - so new opening and closing titles were made to remove any references to the studio. Any WB references in the cartoons themselves were also removed - such as in Porky in Wackyland, where the dodo zooms up with the WB shield to hit Porky Pig with a slingshot, then zooms back out.
A peculiar error is consistently seen on the copyright notices on Sunset Productions title cards, in which the copyright date is incorrectly rendered in Roman numerals as "MXM..." rather than the correct "MCM..." (ie. MXMXLI for 1941).
The actual distribution was handled by Guild Films, which then bought out Sunset a few years later, as well as Motion Pictures for Television (which distributed The Adventures of Superman, as well as the 1940s Superman cartoons which were originally distributed by Paramount Pictures - interestingly enough, Superman is also now a WB property). Guild Films itself was sold to Seven Arts Productions in the 1960s. Then, in 1967, Seven Arts bought WB and became Warner Bros.-Seven Arts.
Soon after the WB-SA merger was complete, the studio had the some of the Sunset Productions cartoon package redrawn in color, and a lot of quality was lost in the process (79 cartoons were redone this way). The same 79 cartoons were colorized again in the early 1990s (along with 25 other cartoons not redrawn in 1968), this time using a computer to add color to the cartoons, thus preserving the original quality, but still the cartoons were shown in a way they were not meant to be seen (the end result was very close to the color Merrie Melodies that had been released around the same time). Some of the computer-colorized versions (of 1937-43 cartoons) mistakenly use the 1936-37 Looney Tunes theme instead of the "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" (possibly due to an oversight). WB would also regain the cartoons they had sold to a.a.p. when they merged with Turner Entertainment, which by then owned the a.a.p. package.
Today, when using the terms "pre-1948" and "post-1948" to describe the television packages of WB cartoons, the former is usually used exclusively to refer to those cartoons in the a.a.p. package, and not including the cartoons sold to Sunset Productions.
List of cartoons sold to Sunset Productions
- Note: All cartoons are Looney Tunes except where noted. Titles in boldface are (or will be) available on DVD as part of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection.
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Has only computer-colorized version
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by Has redrawn and computer-colorized versions