Mr. Piper (Lost Cartoon Classics) (DVD)

Join lovable, portly Mr. Piper as he tells moralistic fairy tales suitable for all ages in this charming children's program that originally aired on Canadian television. In each short episode, a live-action Mr. Piper (played by Alan Crofoot) introduces a different fairy tale - some well-known, some seemingly crafted for the show. These fables are then brought to life using extremely limited animation (the characters' mouths usually don't even move!) Despite its low budget, Mr. Piper enchanted Canadian children for years in reruns throughout the '60s, '70s, and '80s, long after the episodes were initially produced. "Mr. Piper" himself, Alan Crofoot, was actually a Canadian opera tenor who'd performed on Broadway and London's West End. Tragically, he took his own life by jumping from his fifth floor hotel room window at the age of 49 following a battle with depression, perhaps not realizing that he would be remembered by generations of children who grew up watching him as Mr. Piper.

Includes the episodes The Wild Swans, Ahmed the Merchant, The Tin Soldier, The Three Brothers, Ali Baba, The Magic Horn, Brave Molly, Hasty and the Princess, The Kindhearted Girl, The Three Sisters and The Proud Princess.

BONUS: The Adventures of Junior Raindrop (1948): This delightful animated short follows an anthropomorphic raindrop as he learns to be responsible and not a "hoodlum raindrop" that causes floods. Produced by the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Division.

• kids & family