Casper the Friendly Ghost: The Complete Collection 1945-1963

This three-disc set scares up all 55 theatrical animated shorts exhibited between 1945 and 1959, as well as 26 pieces from The New Casper Cartoon Show aired in 1963. Casper was a uniquely gentle character, a ghost who only wanted to make friends instead of scare people. In one cartoon after another, Casper is shunned as a spectral outcast, until his (to some) fearsome appearance winds up saving the day and he's accepted for who he is. The first three Casper cartoons are included as stand-apart bonus features, probably because of unsettling scenes of attempted suicide (really!) and death. In “A-Haunting We Will Go,” for example, a fox friend of Casper's is shot and killed but is revived in spirit form for the happy ending. Some entries break with formula, including “Ghost of the Town,” with Ed Sullivan; “Which Is Witch?” featuring the screen debut of Wendy the Good Witch; and “Boo Moon,” which was originally produced in 3D. Casper is not just for boomers only; these cartoons endear and endure because the lonely Casper's search for friendship and his wish to be accepted will resonate with any child. DVD extras include audio commentaries, interviews, and a booklet charting Casper's many lives. Recommended. (D. Liebenson)