Posterized: Dr. Seuss and "The Grinch"
Friday, November 9, 2018 at 9:56PM by Nathaniel R
The children's book author Dr. Seuss (also known as Theodore S. Geisel) is such an icon part of popular culture that he's even had his own postage stamp. But did you know he was also a screenwriter? In addition to the screenplay of the fantasy family film The 5000 Fingers of Dr T (1953) he wrote the script for the Oscar winning documentary Design for Death (1947) which was a documentary about Japanese and what led to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Far outside the wheelhouse that was! But mostly when it comes to the screen when we think of Dr Seuss we think of the once-perennial TV airings of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
The bulk of screen adaptations of Dr Seuss's work have been in the short film format which makes sense, given the short visual books he wrote. Of the many shorts based on his work the following were all nominated for Oscars: The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins (1943), And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street (1944), Gerald McBoing-Boing (1950 - OSCAR WIN), and Gerald McBoing! Boing! on Planet Moo (1956). One short based on his work, Daisy Head Mayzie (1995), was Emmy nominated.
But with the release of The Grinch (2018) today, let's look back on all the feature films (and the three most prominent TV specials) that are Dr Seuss related. How many have you seen and will you be seeing The Grinch? The posters are after the jump...
THE 5,000 FINGERS OF DR T (1953)
HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (1966)
THE CAT IN THE HAT (1971)
IN SEARCH OF DR SEUSS (1994)
HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (2000)
THE CAT IN THE HAT (2003)
HORTON HEARS A WHO (2008)
THE LORAX (2012)
THE GRINCH (2018)
How many have you seen and what was your favorite Dr. Seuss book as a child (or adult)?
Reader Comments (10)
I have seen the original Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I also saw the live action versions of those films with Cat in the Hat being one of the worst things I had ever seen in my life.
I have a copy of Cat in the Hat.
I've seen How the Grinch stole Christmas (the 1966 Cartoon and the live Action Version of 2000-I'm in the VERY small minority that actually liked the latter too) and Horton hears a Who, which I also find really lovely.
I dob't have any of the books, so I think it's time to get them.^^"
Off-topic (I've only seen the Jim Carrey Grinch of these, and can't honestly pretend I had much exposure to Dr. Seuss in my youth) however the European Film Awards have just released the nominations.
Boost in the foreign film category for
Cold War (5 Noms: Film, Director, Screenplay, Actor & Actress)
Border (4 Noms)
Dogman (4 Noms)
Girl (2 Noms)
Plus a surprise nod for Rupert Everett in Best Actor for The Happy Prince. I doubt it means anything after the film under performed on release but it may boost the profile a little.
As a parent, I have enjoyed getting reacquainted with the good doctor. Personal favorite book is Horton Hears a Who. I love the Grinch TV special, loathe the Ron Howard movie, and will probably take my kid to see the new animated film soon.
I’ll stick with the original. That Ron Howard/Jim Carrey film really ruined this beloved character. Next it’ll be remakes of the original Frosty The Snowman, a Peanuts Christmas and Frosty the Snowman to really ruin our holidays.
The first adaptation of one of his books was a 1942 Warner Bros. short cartoon of "Horton Hatches The Egg" directed by Bob Clampett. It's a bizarre hybrid of Dr. Seuss and the usual Warners craziness. It's not actually all that good... but I think it's better than any of the recent feature-length CGI crapfest adaptations.
The 1966 Grinch TV special directed by Chuck Jones remains the gold standard of Seuss adaptations.
I've seen (in order from best to worst):
1. Grinch '66
2. The Lorax
3. Grinch '00
My favorite book is "Oh, the Thinks You Could Think," but I'm very fond of "The Lorax," too. You wouldn't think wanting trees and clean air and water would be controversial, but there it is.
I've mostly seen the Seuss TV shorts from the mid-60s to the mid-70s and my fave is the Karloff "Grinch," but I have a nostalgic fondness for "Dr. Seuss on the Loose," too. Allen Sherman, c'mon.
My favorite title is "And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street." Just the phrasing. I remember walking around lower Manhattan a few years back and coming across Mulberry Street. I was thrilled.
" How The Grinch Stole Christmas" is a perfect 26 minute cartoon there was no need to stretch this to a feature.
Original was the best and it's been pretty unecesary so far to do longer renditions, but Hollywood just loves that cash grab.