Bob Clampett's: Beany and Cecil - The Special Edition - Region 1 DVD

The animated Beany was based on Clampett's puppet series "Time for Beany," which began in 1949. The episodes and clips here suggest this program has aged less gracefully. Although it was both a critical and popular success in its day, black-and-white footage of hand puppets is unlikely to hold modern viewers' attention. Much of the disc (over three-and-a-half hours) is devoted to Clampett's long and distinguished film career, including intriguing tests for an animated version of Edgar Rice Burroughs's Mars novels and several never-realized programs, plus home movies, still photos, and an oral history. The material is interesting but viewers would probably prefer more cartoons. --Charles Solomon