Charlotte's Web

The legendary animation team of Hanna-Barbera was capable of producing more than Saturday morning schlock cartoons, as this 1973 children's favorite ably demonstrates. Patterned after--though never equaling--the Disney features, Charlotte's Web, based on E. B. White's beloved barnyard story about a pig named Wilbur who is saved from the butcher shop by a clever and philosophic spider named Charlotte, is well stocked with musical numbers by Disney alumni tunesters Richard and Robert Sherman, nicely adapted by Earl Hamner Jr., and features a voice cast that would be right at home in a Hollywood Squares reunion, including Debbie Reynolds, Paul Lynde, and Henry Gibson. On the downside, the DVD transfer is on the eau de pig side, if you get my drift, with dirt and scratches that lend Wilbur an almost freckled appearance at times. On top of that, libraries will have to choose full screen or widescreen versions or both, since they are being sold separately. Still, given the wonderful story, perennial popularity, and general dearth of good children's programming on DVD, consider this flawed release a strong optional purchase. (R. Pitman)