Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har: The Complete Series (Blu-ray Review)

Reviewed by: Tim Salmons
Review Date: Apr 20, 2026
Format: Blu-ray Disc

Director

William Hanna, Joseph Barbera

Release Date(s)

1962-1963 (December 16, 2025)

Studio(s)

Hanna-Barbera Productions (Warner Archive Collection)

Film/Program Grade: B-
Video Grade: A-
Audio Grade: B-
Extras Grade: F

Review

Segments from what was produced collectively as The New Hanna-Barbera Cartoon Series originally aired in syndication from September of 1962 to August of 1963, comprised of 52 segments for the characters Wally Gator, Touché Turtle and Dum Dum, and Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har. These cartoons were eventually shown in different markets and in various forms throughout the 1980s and beyond. Though all of the segments with Wally Gator and Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har were released on DVD, Touché Turtle and Dum Dum remained absent from home video, outside of a VHS release featuring a couple of random episodes, but much later was finally released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.

Since all three cartoons began airing with new remasters as part of the MeTV Toons programming line-up, it was only a matter of time before Warner Archive would give Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har the same kind of treatment as Touché Turtle and Dum Dum and Wally Gator. Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har: The Complete Series is not an entirely accurate title since the other cartoons aren’t included with it. In truth, it would be a little more logical and less confusing for consumers to call it The Complete “Collection” since Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har never had their own show. Nevertheless, seeing these cartoons on Blu-ray for the first time with newly-minted transfers is a dream come true for Hanna-Barbera fans. Each cartoon is a little over five minutes long, with a combined total of well over four hours of content.

For the uninitiated, Lippy the Lion is ever the optimist and Hardy Har Har is ever the pessimist, and the two closely-knit vagabonds wander into one wild and dangerous situation after another. Lippy the Lion is portrayed by Daws Butler, who also voices some of Hanna-Barbera’s most famous characters, including Yogi Bear, Wally Gator, Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, and Snagglepuss. Hardy Har Har is portrayed by Mel Blanc, whom besides being known the world over as Bugs Bunny, also voiced Barney Rubble and Secret Squirrel for Hanna-Barbera, among many other things. Others throughout the show include Don Messick, Doug Young, Jean Vander Pyl, and Julie Bennett. Like Touché Turtle and Wally Gator, they’re simple but enjoyable cartoons. Even if they’re not top tier Hanna-Barbera, they’re still worthy of a Blu-ray release.

Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har was produced using traditional cel animation on 16mm film, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The Warner Archive Collection brings all 52 segments of the show to Blu-ray for the first time, restored in 4K using a combination of the original camera negatives and release prints, and presented on two dual-layered BD-50 discs. Unfortunately, some of the original camera negatives no longer survive, but the majority of the show appears to be from the OCN. It’s not quite as sharp as 35mm-sourced material, with heavy grain and bitrates that sit mostly in the upper range of 30 and 40Mbps. Outside of the obviously print-sourced cartoons, which are few, the color palette is bursting with greens, reds, and blues of all sorts, with deep blacks and excellent contrast. There’s some telecine wobble and very mild color breathing in specific segments, but with over two hours of programming encoded to each disc, and given the limits of the source material, these cartoons look great.

Audio is included in English 2.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. It can sometimes be uneven in terms of quality, but volume is never an issues. Some episodes are more limited than others when it comes to treble, and there’s some minor hiss and crackle. However, dialogue discernment is never an issue.

The Warner Archive Collection’s 2-Disc Blu-ray release of Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har: The Complete Series is housed in a blue Amaray case with artwork taken from the 2019 Hanna-Barbera Classic Collection DVD release. There are no extras, but the following segments are included:

DISC ONE (SEGMENTS 1-26)

See-Saw (5:09)
Water-Melon Felon (5:09)
Scare to Spare (5:10)
Gulp and Saucer (5:09)
Map Happy (5:09)
Smile the Wild (5:09)
Charge of the Fright Brigade (5:10)
Film Flam (5:10)
Gunflighter (5:09)
Hick Hikers (5:09)
A Thousand and One Frights (5:09)
Double Trouble (5:08)
Laugh a Loaf (5:09)
Genie Is a Meanie (5:08)
Banks for Everything (5:09)
Fiddle-Faddled (5:09)
Kidnap-Trap (5:09)
Witch Crafty (5:08)
Gas Again (5:09)
Horse and Waggin (5:09)
Baby Bottled (5:11)
Hard Luck Hardy (5:10)
Show Use (5:09)
Injun Trouble (5:10)
Mouse in the House (5:09)
Crazy Cat Capers (5:09)

DISC TWO (SEGMENTS 27-52)

Phoney Pony (5:10)
Egg Experts (5:09)
Rabbit Romeo (5:11)
Bird in the Hand (5:09)
Legion Heirs (5:09)
Hoots and Saddles (5:09)
Monster Mix-Up (5:10)
Bye-Bye Fly-Guy (5:09)
Wooden Nickels (5:09)
Two for the Road (5:09)
King’s X (5:10)
Amusement Park Lark (5:09)
T for Two (5:11)
Tiny Troubles (5:10)
Flood for a Thought (5:11)
Hocus Focus (5:11)
Sham-Rocked (5:12)
Old Fuddy Duds (5:11)
Chow You Feeling (5:10)
Easy Doesn’t It! (5:09)
Drop Me a Lion (5:09)
Map Sap (5:09)
Shark Shock (5:09)
No Spooking Allowed (5:09)
Me-My-Mine (5:09)
Together Mess (5:09)

While some of the Hanna-Barbera comics could have been included as extras, Warner Archive’s release of Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har: The Complete Series is a more than welcome release. For Hanna-Barbera fans, this is a highly recommended purchase.

- Tim Salmons

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