More Treasures head to Europe

[Big Disney Fan]

I think the reason why these cartoons do not appear on the German treasures are simply that BV Germany sees itself as a distributing company for kids only. They only think about the age group 0-10, and everyone else older than this is not their "main target". Since small kids wouldn't not understand the content of these propaganda cartoons and don't know yet about that part of German history they decided not to put them on the DVDs.
It has not so much to do with them being banned, more with BV's image.

And I think that makes much sense. In order to get the "particularly controversial" shorts in Germany they'd probably have to release the Front Lines set or something similar and make sure the proper context were brough across...

Well, according to Duckfilm.de, an equally controvesial cartoon, this one from Warner Bros., entitled "The Ducktators", was released on DVD in Germany in 2004, on a DVD entitled: CARTOONS ZIEHEN IN DEN KRIEG. It also features "The Spirit of '43", which is about paying taxes to help the war effort in favor of the Allies vs. simply spending for your own sake, thereby helping the war effort in favor of the Axis.

[Lars Vermundsberget]

Getting back to the topic, slightly...

I saw a documentary recently which reminded me that it's illegal to display or sell a Swastika in Germany (understandably). How does this impact on films - say like The Sound Of Music - and could that be the underlying reason why BV Germany would have to remove the WW2 shorts from Chronological Donald Vol 2?

Yes, painting the Swastika on a wall or using it on your "uniform" is very much illegal. But movies are "documents" - that couldn't possibly be the same - I strongly believe and hope. You know, there'd have to be a lot of cutting in just about any movie about WWII then...

[Big Disney Fan]

Let's not forget that anti-Nazi practices in German releases of Disney films had been in effect for quite a while. Take Bedknobs and Broomsticks, for instance. Early on, many, if not all, of the scenes involving Nazis in that film had been deleted when the film was first released in Germany in 1972. However, the film had been shown intact when released on German DVD.

[Lars Vermundsberget]

I don't doubt that it has been done to a certain degree in order to prevent controversy. If it were legally required, though, that would be both impractical and disturbing.

[Dottie]

Getting back to the topic, slightly...

I saw a documentary recently which reminded me that it's illegal to display or sell a Swastika in Germany (understandably). How does this impact on films - say like The Sound Of Music - and could that be the underlying reason why BV Germany would have to remove the WW2 shorts from Chronological Donald Vol 2?

Yes, painting the Swastika on a wall or using it on your "uniform" is very much illegal. But movies are "documents" - that couldn't possibly be the same - I strongly believe and hope. You know, there'd have to be a lot of cutting in just about any movie about WWII then...

You're exactly right there. You may not display a swastika in public in Germany, but as you said a movie or a book etc. is a document, so you're allowed to show the swastika in this context. There are many movies made about the Nazi-regime in Germany, so when in the right context it's no problem.
And just recently there was a court decision that also said that you may sell, wear, carry... things with a crossed out swastika that definitely shows you're against it. A salesman had produced buttons saying "Against Nazis" with a crossed out swastika on them and he was sued, but declared innocent, since the button and other accessories produced by him clearly showed the dislike towards Nazi-ideology.

And the DVD "Cartoons ziehen in den Krieg" was not released by BV, but another company, and is more a documentary than a DVD with a lot of these cartoons. Plus, "Ducktators" was cut.

[Billy Moon]

Take Bedknobs and Broomsticks, for instance. Early on, many, if not all, of the scenes involving Nazis in that film had been deleted when the film was first released in Germany in 1972. However, the film had been shown intact when released on German DVD.

Actually, it looks like the German DVD release is edited. Amazon.de claims it's only 89 minutes long, which means it's even shorter than the original cut, which was 117 minutes long.

[Heil Donald Duck]

Since i am from Iceland i need to known wenn the UK version is out.

[Big Disney Fan]

Well, it looks like Donald 2 (but not Pluto 1) has finally made it to Germany (here's the evidence: http://www.duckfilm.de/videodvd/kostbar5.htm), as of October 25. And sure enough, not only have "Der Feuhrer's Face" and "Commando Duck" been deleted, but so has "Donald's Crime", the cartoon where Donald robs from his nephews' piggy bank to go on a date with Daisy... and eventually gets overcome with guilt for doing so.

[marlan]

Take Bedknobs and Broomsticks, for instance. Early on, many, if not all, of the scenes involving Nazis in that film had been deleted when the film was first released in Germany in 1972. However, the film had been shown intact when released on German DVD.

Actually, it looks like the German DVD release is edited. Amazon.de claims it's only 89 minutes long, which means it's even shorter than the original cut, which was 117 minutes long.

The original cut of Bedknobs and Broomsticks was actually some 144 minutes. One scene is now lost, and the restored cut is 139 minutes. I own the R1 DVD of it — luckily, as B & B was recently (2007) released in Scandinavia on DVD and it has the extra-short German version of 89 minutes! Very peculiar.

Also 117 minutes and 98 minutes versions do exist but they are cut.

[Anders M Olsson]

The original cut of Bedknobs and Broomsticks was actually some 144 minutes. One scene is now lost, and the restored cut is 139 minutes. I own the R1 DVD of it — luckily, as B & B was recently (2007) released in Scandinavia on DVD and it has the extra-short German version of 89 minutes! Very peculiar.

Also 117 minutes and 98 minutes versions do exist but they are cut.

Actually, the Scandinavian version runs for 112 minutes even though the cover says 89 minutes. I assume it's the same cut as the 117 minute version, only with PAL-speedup.

[Billy Moon]

The original cut of Bedknobs and Broomsticks was actually some 144 minutes.

By "original" I meant "theatrical" cut. Sorry.

[Scamander]

Two more treasures coming to Europe. I've found nothing at amazon.co.uk, but at amazon.de and .fr
'Oswald the lucky Rabbit' and 'The Chronological Donald: Vol. 3' will be released at Germany on April, 2nd while in France was no release date announced yet.

[Big Disney Fan]

Two more treasures coming to Europe. I've found nothing at amazon.co.uk, but at amazon.de and .fr
'Oswald the lucky Rabbit' and 'The Chronological Donald: Vol. 3' will be released at Germany on April, 2nd while in France was no release date announced yet.

Actually, they're coming to France in June sometime.

Now if only they'd release Pluto 2 and Symphonies 2...

[trondmm]

Two more treasures coming to Europe. I've found nothing at amazon.co.uk, but at amazon.de and .fr
'Oswald the lucky Rabbit' and 'The Chronological Donald: Vol. 3' will be released at Germany on April, 2nd while in France was no release date announced yet.

According to platekompaniet.no, they're coming to Norway on June 3rd.