Stories From My Childhood, Vol. 4: Beauty & the Beast

Volume Four includes "Beauty and the Beast," featuring the voices of Amy Irving, Tim Curry and Robert Loggia (French track: Gerald Rinaldi; Spanish: Marco Uriel & Cecilia Gabriela); "The Nutcracker," narrated by Shirley MacLaine (French: Roland Giraud; Spanish: Julio Iglesias); "The Prince, the Swan & the Czar Saltan," with Jessica Lange and Timothy Dalton (French: Marie Trintignant & Eric Aubrahn; Spanish: Blanca Sanchez & Sergio Basanez); and "Golden Rooster," with Gregory Hines and Cathy Moriarty (French: Daniel Russo; Spanish: Carlos Rotzinger & Alma Muriel).

The collection also includes a pair of adaptations of Pushkin stories, each gorgeous to see and voiced by the likes of Jessica Lange, Timothy Dalton, Gregory Hines, and Cathy Moriarty. --Tom Keogh (Contemporary voicing is provided by Robert Loggia, Tim Curry, and Amy Irving.) A wonderfully fun and painterly version of "The Nutcracker," including Tchaikovsky's music, is narrated by Shirley MacLaine. Animation buffs will truly enjoy the complexity and lushness of the Soyuzmultfilm style, while kids will appreciate the terrific storytelling and exciting visuals. As with previous volumes, this one collects several of Soyuzmultfilm's most dazzling adaptations of European folklore, including a classic 1952 version of "Beauty and the Beast" that is far closer to the original story than Disney's. The DVD has alternate French and Spanish soundtracks with different vocal casts. Russia's Soyuzmultfilm Studios, one of the most remarkable animation factories of the 20th century, is celebrated in this fourth volume from the PBS series, co-executive produced by Mikhail Baryshnikov.