The Cat in the Hat (1971) (TV)

Director:

Hawley Pratt

Writer:

Dr. Seuss (teleplay)

Release Date:

10 March 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Short | Family

Plot:

Two children left home alone for a short while one afternoon are visited by a very interesting yet troublesome cat wearing a tall striped hat...

Plot Keywords:

Cat | Dr Seuss | Character Name In Title

Cast

Allan Sherman	...	The Cat in the Hat (voice)
Daws Butler	...	Mr. Krinklebein the Fish (voice) (as Dawes Butler)
Pamelyn Ferdin	...	Sally (voice)
Tony Frazier	...	Boy (voice)
Gloria Camacho	...	Mother (voice)
Thurl Ravenscroft	...	Thing 1 (voice)
Lewis Morford	...	Thing 2 (voice)

Runtime:

USA:30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-G | Australia:G

Company:

DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (DFE)

Quotes:

Cat in the Hat: I am indeed a cat, and THIS, indeed, is a HAT.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kids for Character (1996) (V)

Soundtrack:

Calculatus Eliminatus

I do love this book, it's the greatest of all/I love it winter, spring, summer and fall

On this, what would have been Dr. Seuss's 103rd birthday, I wanted to talk about the TV adaptation of one of his greatest books. It seems that "The Cat in the Hat" was actually a political allegory, as the hedonistic feline gets the kids to go all wild in the midst of the regimented suburban world of 1950s America.

But even beyond that, it's still a masterpiece. Dr. Seuss always had wonderful ideas, and this one was no exception. I notice that it was directed by Hawley Pratt, formerly a Looney Tunes animator. He obviously had a good eye for many things. A true classic. I heard that the 2003 live action version was little more than a 90-minute commercial padded with jokes inappropriate for children.