Rare Disneyana, out of the vault

Walt Disney Treasures

Disney ($40 each)

THE latest “wave” of Disney “Treasures” aimed at the serious collector features: “The Chronological Donald, Volume Two (1942-1946)”; “Disney Rarities: Celebrated Shorts (1920s-1960s)”; “Elfego Baca and the Swamp Fox: Legendary Heroes”; and “The Adventures of Spin & Marty: The Mickey Mouse Club.”

The Chronological Donald

The hot-tempered duck was Disney’s No. 1 star -- outranking even Mickey Mouse -- during the 1940s. And this two-disc collection demonstrates why fans of all ages loved Donald: He was funny, he had that great exasperated voice (supplied by Clarence Nash), and he wasn’t afraid to let his temper get the best of him.

Among the shorts on the two-disc set are the Oscar-nominated “Donald’s Crime,” “The Plastics Inventory,” “Bellboy Donald” and “Cured Duck.”

As with all the Disney animated characters, Donald also starred in several War War II-related shorts; film historian and host Leonard Maltin is on hand to put these cartoons, many of which are politically incorrect today, in their historical context.

These war-themed shorts are included in the special features under “From the Vault.” The most popular of these shorts -- and the one that took home the Oscar -- is the clever “Der Fuehrer’s Face.”

Extras: An installment of the old “Disneyland” TV series titled “A Day in the Life of Donald”; a conversation between Maltin and Tony Anselmo, an animator who now supplies the voice of Donald; an animation art gallery; and a timeline of the war years at the Disney studio.

Disney Rarities

This two-disc set is a cornucopia of fascinating Disney cartoons, including several examples of live action-animated silent series from the 1920s, “The Alice Comedies”; the sweet, delightful 1938 Oscar winner “Ferdinand the Bull”; the 1953 Academy Award winner “Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom,” which was the first animated short produced in CinemaScope; as well as “Morris the Midget Moose,” “Ben and Me,” “Paul Bunyan” and “The Pelican and the Snipe.” There’s even a 1943 version of “Chicken Little,” which is far darker than the current Disney feature film version.

Extras: An introduction by Maltin; his interview with Virginia Davis, who played the original Alice more than 80 years ago; “A Feather in His Collar,” a rarely seen Pluto short made to support the Community Chest; a timeline of Walt Disney’s career in the 1920s; and commentary with “Mary Poppins” composer Richard Sherman on the short “A Symposium on Popular Songs.”

Legendary Heroes

With the phenomenal success of the “Davy Crockett” episodes on his TV series in 1955, Disney set out to bring other historical figures to the small screen. In 1958 the studio introduced “Elfego Baca,” a spirited western starring newcomer Robert Loggia as the legendary gunfighter who changed his ways, becoming a sheriff and ultimately a lawyer.

The set includes three episodes from the series and an interview with Loggia.

“Swamp Fox” made its debut the following year. Leslie Nielsen was perfectly cast as Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion, who matched wits and brawn with the Tories. The catchy title tune was a plus.

This disc includes three of the eight episodes of the series and the mini-documentary “Tales of Courage and Adventure,” which explores Disney’s passion for historical figures.

The Adventures of Spin & Marty

This two-disc set is a real treat for baby boomers who were fans of “The Mickey Mouse Club” while growing up. The classic series featured several serials during its four-year run afternoons on ABC, but none was as popular as “Spin & Marty,” which premiered shortly after “The Mickey Mouse Club” went on the air in fall 1955.

Set on the Triple R, a mythical summer dude ranch for boys, “The Adventures of Spin & Marty” revolved around Spin Evans (Tim Considine), the most popular -- and the cockiest -- kid at the ranch, and Martin Markham (David Stollery), a spoiled rich kid who doesn’t know why he can’t have a private room. Though the two start out as antagonists, it isn’t long before they become fast friends.

The set features all 25 episodes of the first season of “Spin & Marty”; the complete episode of “The Mickey Mouse Club” that introduced and previews the series; Considine’s original screen test (he actually tested to play Marty); a sweet, nostalgic interview with Considine and Stollery, who are still good friends, as they return to the site of the Triple R; and Maltin’s interview with veteran actor Harry Carey Jr., who played ranch foreman Bill Burnett.