Magnificent. That’s the voice of Judy Garland. Magnifique. That’s Gay Purr-ee, a charming animated musical featuring the great Garland in one of her final roles. She’s the singing and speaking voice of Mewsette, a French country cat who runs off to Paris during the Gay ’90s. From the UPA studios who brought us Mr. Magoo comes “Gay Purr-ee,” a stylish and sophisticated animated musical about a group of cats in Paris, France. Robert Goulet voices the object of Mewsette’s affection Jaune Tom, with comedic support from Red Buttons as Robespierre. The clever script was devised by animation master Chuck Jones and his wife, Dorothy. The terrific score is by Harold Arlen and E.Y, Harburg, reuniting Garland with the gents who created the songs for “The Wizard of Oz”. Gay Purr-ee is grand entertainment for audiences of all ages.

For thoughts on Gay Purr-ee, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/_oNSi9QIWEE?si=OQ061pyfvM19lpEv&t=53]

Video Quality

Warner Archive brings Gay Purr-ee to Blu-Ray sourced from a new 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative that looks stunning. There is a terrific amount of natural film grain present with a notable amount of detail and clarity to the picture. The textures of all the various background environments look naturally filmic and give the story a nice sense of depth. The animation quality exceeds the bar set by these classic animators in their prime, and it really looks gorgeous in high definition. Black levels hold up quite well with no instances of crush or noise to be found.

This feature is visually sumptuous with big, bright colors and no trace of damage after such a meticulous restoration. There is fleeting softness with certain shots which seems to stem back to the animation style, but these issues are short lived. This disc allows the original look of the film to radiate through in all of its glory instead of digitally smoothing over any original imperfections. Warner Archive continues to treat their animated output with respect.

Audio Quality

The audio quality of the Blu-Ray disc is in top form with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio (mono) track that does not sport any flaws or damage. Any previous exhibitions with age-related wear and tear are a thing of the past as this track provides impeccable clarity to the dialogue, sound effects and music throughout. The songs are one of the more pleasant aspects of the film, and they are presented with perfect fidelity. The sound effects are given impeccable depth and are layered well to give the track a fuller sound. This track is sure to please any fan of the film. This disc includes optional English (SDH) subtitles.

Special Features

Louvre Come Back To Me: A seven-minute Looney Tunes short is provided in which Pepe Le Pew spreads his foul oder around France and causes many unpleasant reactions, especially in the Louvre.

French Rarebit: A seven-minute Merrie Melodies short is provided in which two French chefs fight over who will be able to use Bugs Bunny in their recipes.

For Scent-imental Reasons: A seven-minute Merrie Melodies short is provided in which Pepe Le Pew once again makes things unpleasant for those around him, this time in a perfume shop.

Demo Recordings (Audio Only)

- Little Drops Of Rain (Harold Arien) (2:39)

- Roses Red, Violets Blue (Harold Arien & E.Y. Harburg) (1:41)

- The Horse Won’t Talk (Harold Arien) (3:43)

- The Money Cat (Harold Arien & E.Y. Harburg) (2:07)

- Paris Is A Lonely Tonw (Harold Arien) (2:46)

Original Theatrical Trailer: The nearly four-minute trailer is provided.

Final Thoughts

Gay Purr-ee is a fun throwback animated adventure that reminds you that studios outside of Disney were working in feature animation quite effectively, as well. The story takes some bizarre and even sinister turns, but it always stays suited for a family audience with its amusing humor and catchy songs. It is a pleasure to hear Judy Garland in one of her final roles, and the rest of the ensemble make a good impression. While it may not be a forgotten classic, it provides some serviceable entertainment. Warner Archive has delivered a terrific Blu-Ray featuring a peerless A/V presentation and a couple of cool supplements. If you are a fan of classic hand-drawn animation, you should check this out. Recommended

Gay Purr-ee can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers..

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.