Saludos Amigos - R4 is NOT Uncut, but then again... UPDATED

[MickeyMouseboy]

cool loomis. what movies you dont have that you want?

[Anders M Olsson]

Still noone who can verify that the Australian edition of Saludos Amigos is uncensored?

[Loomis]

Still noone who can verify that the Australian edition of Saludos Amigos is uncensored?

Ok, I just spoke to one of my fellow writers over at DVDBits and he can confirm that Saludos Amigos contains scenes of Goofy smoking.

Hopefully, this is good news for the future of Make Mine Music (if ever released) in Australia...

[Tony]

Thanks Loomis.... I was going to tell you tomorrow anyway, once the Christmas presents were open....

[Anders M Olsson]

Ok, I just spoke to one of my fellow writers over at DVDBits and he can confirm that Saludos Amigos contains scenes of Goofy smoking.

Hopefully, this is good news for the future of Make Mine Music (if ever released) in Australia...

This is getting really strange. I now have the Australian edition of Saludos Amigos right in front of me. It is censored in exactly the same way as the UK and US editions. No question about it. There's no Goofy smoke scene.

The only difference I've found compared to the UK edition is that the Australian version comes without trailers for other DVDs.

[Tony]

I have just watched the Australian DVD release myself and Goofy is definitely NOT smoking.

I am also totally against censorship, but the scene in question probably lasts all of 10 seconds on screen and I don't know WHY people have put so much effort into discussing this scene. It certainly isn't like the "Make Mine Music" fiasco with a whole 8 minute cartoon deleted !

The Goofy cartoon is very clever and I think people should appreciate it as it currently is... I know my enjoyment of the cartoon wouldn't have been any better if I had seen Goofy smoking. Yes, Disney are stupid for censoring this, but enjoy the DVD and don't let this very minor deletion stop you from buying or watching this time capsule gem from the 1940's...

[Anders M Olsson]

I am also totally against censorship, but the scene in question probably lasts all of 10 seconds on screen and I don't know WHY people have put so much effort into discussing this scene. It certainly isn't like the "Make Mine Music" fiasco with a whole 8 minute cartoon deleted !

The scene itself is not such a big deal. But because of all the contradictory and misleading information, I think it's important that we get things straightened out.

Also, the matter is interesting for more general reasons. Disney's behaviour shows that they are still not very serious about getting rid of censorship. That may not bode well for future releases where the modified or cut scenes are more important to the plot than in Saludos Amigos.

[Loomis]

I have not seen it personally, so sorry about the misinformation.

At any rate, I'm not surprised it is edited, but I still disgusted that Disney would see fit to alter films they call "classics" (whether that is the case or not).

These films are historical documents, and the fact that it is "one small scene" is irrelevant. If it is only "one small scene" why bother changing it?

I for one will not purchase any of these edited titles until the problem is fixed. That may mean I don't get them, but so be it. Unfortunately, I am stuck with Fantasia in an edited form, but I didn't know at the time. And I guess that is the problem. Disney has so successfully blinded the general public to the fact that they edit films "for their own good" that we may never see them unedited...

Ignorance is bliss...

[Joe Carioca]

It seems we are only going to get the uncensored "Saludos Amigos" when it is released that way in the United States... I really hope that the special combo "Saludos Amigos/Three Caballeros" isn't far away...

[Loomis]

I have just watched the Australian DVD release myself and Goofy is definitely NOT smoking.

I am also totally against censorship, but the scene in question probably lasts all of 10 seconds on screen and I don't know WHY people have put so much effort into discussing this scene. It certainly isn't like the "Make Mine Music" fiasco with a whole 8 minute cartoon deleted !

The Goofy cartoon is very clever and I think people should appreciate it as it currently is... I know my enjoyment of the cartoon wouldn't have been any better if I had seen Goofy smoking. Yes, Disney are stupid for censoring this, but enjoy the DVD and don't let this very minor deletion stop you from buying or watching this time capsule gem from the 1940's...

I just posted this over in the main forum, but I thought I'd post it here as well to be consistent.

Ok, if it is the scene where Goofy is sitting on top of the hill on his horse, with his hand kind of hanging open....then I can confirm that Tony is indeed correct (not that I even doubted you) - it IS edited.

The cigarette is definitely not there.

I mean it IS a minor thing, sure, and it won't spoil the overall effect of the film for most - but if it IS only a minor thing, then why bother taking it out in the first place?

It is a shame. I was lucky - I got this as a freebie, but I still just don't understand the rationale for these edits. Will seeing the characters with cigarettes send the children rioting in the streets? "Mummy, the man who looks like a dog is smoking - can I get a pack of Marlboros for my birthday?"

[Tony]

I totally agree with you Loomis... WHY should they delete it, if the scene is so short... However there is nothing we can do, but simply not buy the DVD... Of course it is up to the individual buyer to make up his/her own mind as to whether they don't want to buy this DVD out of protest if they have a real issue with this, but I myself could live with the deletion in order to enjoy the rest of this movie.

I do however stop at the total removal of the Martins and the Coys short from Make Mine Music. I re-call seeing this short in my childhood and I refuse to buy this DVD until this short is placed back in.

By the way regarding the smoking... We watched Pinocchio yesterday and I had forgotten how blatant the smoking is in the Pleasure Island scene with Lampwick (Pinocchio's pal) smoking liking a chimney !... Do Disney think it is okay for children to smoke but not Goofy ??... hee hee.. I realise the Pleasure Island scene is about "bad boys", but hey, showing a child smoking or Goofy smoking is just as bad.

I have not received an email from you regarding your pending arrival on the Gold Coast. I just wanted to check if you had sent or not ?