The Cat in the Hat (TV special)
Encyclopedia
The Cat in the Hat is an animated
musical
television special
first aired on CBS on March 10, 1971, based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss' children's book of the same name
and produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
. With voices by Allen Sherman and prolific voiceover performer Daws Butler
, this half-hour special is a loose adaptation with added musical sequences.
" Also that the fish never joined in with what the cat is up to at the end, nor was his given name, if he had one, ever revealed. The vocabulary used in the special is also of a much higher level than the book, though still in Seuss's trademark rhyme.
After the Cat makes his entrance and fools around a bit, the Fish requests that he leave. He does so, but then comes back in, claiming that his "moss-covered three-handled family gradunza" has been stolen, and he accuses the Fish, who is given the name Karlos K. Krinkelbein in the special. The Cat sings a ballad about the loss of his treasured keepsake and then tries to describe it to the kids, even though they don't understand what he's talking about.
The Cat then leads the kids on a search through the house, using his method of "Calculatus Eliminatus
", which involves writing marks on every place they've already checked. This makes a mess of everything, and Mr. Krinkelbein demands that the Cat leave once again, but it only prompts the Cat to sing another song, this one about feeling pessimistic and having low self-esteem ("I'm a Punk, a Gratunkulous Shnunk!"). Then he proceeds to put the cynical fish to sleep by singing a lullaby. Once that's done, he brings out Thing One and Thing Two, singing to the kids that they can find "anything under the sun", all the while the Things play sports using Mr. Krinkelbein's fishbowl as the ball
/puck
. (According to them, every house they visit has a pessimist fish.) Mr. Krinkelbein then becomes angry and accuses the Cat of not being a real Cat ("Who ever heard of a six foot cat?!"), and his hat of not being a real hat. This cues arguably the wackiest song in the special, where the Cat sings out his name in several languages ("Cat. Hat./In French
, chat chapeau./In Spanish
, el gato en un sombrero."). The song becomes so catchy that everyone, even Krinkelbein, joins in and contributes alternative translations for languages like 'Eskimo' and Russian (the languages used throughout the song include English
, French
, Spanish
, German
, pseudo-Eskimo
, Russian
, and during the sped-up portion of the song, Irish Gaelic and Dutch
).
Just as they finish up the song, though, they hear the mother coming home. The Cat then proceeds to clean up the house, just like in the book, using a motorized vehicle. Just as he leaves, the mother returns, telling the kids that she just saw a Cat in a Hat "going down the street with a moss-covered three-handled family gradunza." This tends to suggest that the "gradunza" was a strange vehicle the Cat drove around the house as he cleaned it up; in any event, its exact nature remains a mystery to the viewer.
videocassette on the CBS/Fox Video
label's Playhouse Video imprint
. It was later released as part of the Dr. Seuss Sing-Along Classics release from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
with CBS Video
and Fox Kids
Video. It was later released on DVD
by Universal Studios Home Entertainment
.
, where Allan Sherman reprised his role as The Cat in the Hat. Here, The Cat in the Hat appeared in bridging sequences where he introduced animated adaptations of two other Dr. Seuss stories: The Sneetches
, The Zax
and Green Eggs and Ham
. In 1982's The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat
, the Cat in the Hat, now voiced by Mason Adams
(Sherman had died shortly after Dr. Seuss on the Loose finished production), meets the title character of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
and sets out to reform his new green adversary. In 1995, the Cat appeared again, this time with the voice of Henry Gibson
, to narrate Daisy-Head Mayzie, a special based on a posthumously published Dr. Seuss work. The Cat in the Hat appears as a guest in a 1996 video called Kids for Character
. The following year, a puppet
version of the Cat starred in The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss
, where he was voiced by Bruce Lanoil and Steve Whitmire. The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!
, an educational cartoon series based on the Random House. library series, premiered in September 2010. The Cat is voiced by Martin Short
.
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
musical
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
television special
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
first aired on CBS on March 10, 1971, based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss' children's book of the same name
The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat is a children's book by Dr. Seuss and perhaps the most famous, featuring a tall, anthropomorphic, mischievous cat, wearing a tall, red and white-striped hat and a red bow tie. He also carries a pale blue umbrella...
and produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
DePatie-Freleng Enterprises was a Hollywood-based animation production company, active from 1963 to 1981. They produced theatrical cartoons, animated series, commercials, title sequences and television specials. Notable among these is The Pink Panther film titles and cartoon shorts and the Dr....
. With voices by Allen Sherman and prolific voiceover performer Daws Butler
Daws Butler
Charles Dawson "Daws" Butler was a voice actor originally from Toledo, Ohio. He worked mostly for Hanna-Barbera and originated the voices of many famous animated cartoon characters, including Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss, and Huckleberry Hound.Daws Butler trained many working actors...
, this half-hour special is a loose adaptation with added musical sequences.
Plot
The plot of the special differs significantly from the original book. The sequence in the book where the cat balances all sorts of objects on a ball, then crashes, is left out. Also differing is the role of Thing 1 and Thing 2; in the original book, they were simply things the cat brought along to demonstrate fun, but in this special, they are commissioned to help find the cat's "moss-covered three-handled family gradunza.MacGuffin
A MacGuffin is "a plot element that catches the viewers' attention or drives the plot of a work of fiction". The defining aspect of a MacGuffin is that the major players in the story are willing to do and sacrifice almost anything to obtain it, regardless of what the MacGuffin actually is...
" Also that the fish never joined in with what the cat is up to at the end, nor was his given name, if he had one, ever revealed. The vocabulary used in the special is also of a much higher level than the book, though still in Seuss's trademark rhyme.
After the Cat makes his entrance and fools around a bit, the Fish requests that he leave. He does so, but then comes back in, claiming that his "moss-covered three-handled family gradunza" has been stolen, and he accuses the Fish, who is given the name Karlos K. Krinkelbein in the special. The Cat sings a ballad about the loss of his treasured keepsake and then tries to describe it to the kids, even though they don't understand what he's talking about.
The Cat then leads the kids on a search through the house, using his method of "Calculatus Eliminatus
Process of elimination
Process of elimination is a method to identify an entity of interest among several ones by excluding all other entities.-In education testing:...
", which involves writing marks on every place they've already checked. This makes a mess of everything, and Mr. Krinkelbein demands that the Cat leave once again, but it only prompts the Cat to sing another song, this one about feeling pessimistic and having low self-esteem ("I'm a Punk, a Gratunkulous Shnunk!"). Then he proceeds to put the cynical fish to sleep by singing a lullaby. Once that's done, he brings out Thing One and Thing Two, singing to the kids that they can find "anything under the sun", all the while the Things play sports using Mr. Krinkelbein's fishbowl as the ball
Ball
A ball is a round, usually spherical but sometimes ovoid, object with various uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used for simpler activities, such as catch, marbles and juggling...
/puck
Puck
-Fictional characters:* Puck , a folklore character* Puck , a Shakespeare character** Puck, a Faeries character** Puck, a Gargoyles character** Puck, a Puck of Pook's Hill character...
. (According to them, every house they visit has a pessimist fish.) Mr. Krinkelbein then becomes angry and accuses the Cat of not being a real Cat ("Who ever heard of a six foot cat?!"), and his hat of not being a real hat. This cues arguably the wackiest song in the special, where the Cat sings out his name in several languages ("Cat. Hat./In French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, chat chapeau./In Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, el gato en un sombrero."). The song becomes so catchy that everyone, even Krinkelbein, joins in and contributes alternative translations for languages like 'Eskimo' and Russian (the languages used throughout the song include English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, pseudo-Eskimo
Eskimo
Eskimos or Inuit–Yupik peoples are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia , across Alaska , Canada, and Greenland....
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, and during the sped-up portion of the song, Irish Gaelic and Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
).
Just as they finish up the song, though, they hear the mother coming home. The Cat then proceeds to clean up the house, just like in the book, using a motorized vehicle. Just as he leaves, the mother returns, telling the kids that she just saw a Cat in a Hat "going down the street with a moss-covered three-handled family gradunza." This tends to suggest that the "gradunza" was a strange vehicle the Cat drove around the house as he cleaned it up; in any event, its exact nature remains a mystery to the viewer.
Home Video releases
The special was originally released as a VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
videocassette on the CBS/Fox Video
CBS/Fox Video
CBS/Fox Video was a home video company formed and established in 1982, as a merger between 20th Century Fox Video, formerly Magnetic Video Corporation, and CBS Video Enterprises....
label's Playhouse Video imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
. It was later released as part of the Dr. Seuss Sing-Along Classics release from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....
with CBS Video
CBS/Fox Video
CBS/Fox Video was a home video company formed and established in 1982, as a merger between 20th Century Fox Video, formerly Magnetic Video Corporation, and CBS Video Enterprises....
and Fox Kids
Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
Video. It was later released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the home video division of Universal Pictures...
.
The Cat in other TV specials
Although the original book's sequel did not receive an animated adaptation, the character went on to appear in several more Dr. Seuss specials. In 1973, there came Dr. Seuss on the LooseDr. Seuss on the Loose
Dr. Seuss on the Loose is an animated musical television special, cartoon first airing on CBS on October 15, 1973, and hosted by The Cat in the Hat. who appears in bridging sequences where he introduced animated adaptations of Dr...
, where Allan Sherman reprised his role as The Cat in the Hat. Here, The Cat in the Hat appeared in bridging sequences where he introduced animated adaptations of two other Dr. Seuss stories: The Sneetches
The Sneetches and Other Stories
The Sneetches and Other Stories is a collection of stories by Dr. Seuss . It is composed of four separate stories, unrelated except in the fact that most of the stories have important morals...
, The Zax
The Sneetches and Other Stories
The Sneetches and Other Stories is a collection of stories by Dr. Seuss . It is composed of four separate stories, unrelated except in the fact that most of the stories have important morals...
and Green Eggs and Ham
Green Eggs and Ham
Green Eggs and Ham is a best-selling and critically acclaimed book by Dr. Seuss, first published on August 12, 1960. As of 2001, according to Publishers Weekly, it was the fourth-best-selling English-language children's book of all time....
. In 1982's The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat
The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat
The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat is an animated musical television special and crossover starring two of Dr. Seuss' famous characters, The Grinch and The Cat in the Hat. It premiered on May 20, 1982 on ABC and won two Emmys.-Plot:...
, the Cat in the Hat, now voiced by Mason Adams
Mason Adams
Mason Adams was an American character actor and voice-over artist.-Early life:Adams was born in Brooklyn, New York. He earned an MA degree from the University of Michigan in Theatre Arts and Speech and also attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, studying theater arts...
(Sherman had died shortly after Dr. Seuss on the Loose finished production), meets the title character of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a children's story by Dr. Seuss written in rhymed verse with illustrations by the author. It was published as a book by Random House in 1957, and at approximately the same time in an issue of Redbook...
and sets out to reform his new green adversary. In 1995, the Cat appeared again, this time with the voice of Henry Gibson
Henry Gibson
Henry Gibson was an American actor and songwriter, best known as a cast member of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and for his recurring role as Judge Clark Brown on Boston Legal.-Early life:...
, to narrate Daisy-Head Mayzie, a special based on a posthumously published Dr. Seuss work. The Cat in the Hat appears as a guest in a 1996 video called Kids for Character
Kids for Character
Kids for Character was a program that was released on VHS in 1996. It was a charity special about moral character that featured many different children's characters. It was produced by The Character Counts! Coalition and was distributed by Lyrick Studios...
. The following year, a puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
version of the Cat starred in The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss
The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss
The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss is an American live-action/puppet television series based on characters created by Dr. Seuss, produced by Jim Henson Productions. It aired for two seasons on the Nick Jr. Block on Nickelodeon...
, where he was voiced by Bruce Lanoil and Steve Whitmire. The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!
The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!
The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! is an American/Canadian/British animated television series that premiered August 7, 2010 on Treehouse TV in Canada, on September 6, 2010 on PBS Kids in the US and also in the UK on CITV and Cartoonito...
, an educational cartoon series based on the Random House. library series, premiered in September 2010. The Cat is voiced by Martin Short
Martin Short
Martin Hayter Short, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, writer, singer and producer. He is best-known for his comedy work, particularly on the TV programs SCTV and Saturday Night Live...
.
Cast
- Allen Sherman as the voice of The Cat in the HatThe Cat in the HatThe Cat in the Hat is a children's book by Dr. Seuss and perhaps the most famous, featuring a tall, anthropomorphic, mischievous cat, wearing a tall, red and white-striped hat and a red bow tie. He also carries a pale blue umbrella...
- Daws ButlerDaws ButlerCharles Dawson "Daws" Butler was a voice actor originally from Toledo, Ohio. He worked mostly for Hanna-Barbera and originated the voices of many famous animated cartoon characters, including Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss, and Huckleberry Hound.Daws Butler trained many working actors...
as the voice of Karlos K. Krinklebine - Tony Frazier as the voice of Conrad
- Pamelyn FerdinPamelyn FerdinPamelyn Ferdin is a former American television and film child actor, active both in live action and as a voice actress in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s and has since appeared in several voice acting roles as late as 2009...
as the voice of Sally - Thurl RavenscroftThurl RavenscroftThurl Arthur Ravenscroft was an American voice actor and singer best known as the deep voice behind Tony the Tiger's "They're grrreat!" in Frosted Flakes television commercials for more than five decades. Ravenscroft was also known, however uncredited, as the vocalist for the song "You're a Mean...
as the voice of Thing One - Lewis Morford as the voice of Thing Two
Crew
- Music: Dean ElliottDean Elliott-Career:Educated at the University of Wisconsin, Elliot's first composing work was for Four Star Revue an early comedy program which debuted in 1950. From here, he went on to compose for various cartoon series, most prominently Mr...
, Lyrics: Dr. SeussDr. SeussTheodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone.... - Production Design: Maurice Noble
- Director: Hawley PrattHawley PrattHawley Pratt was an American film director, animator, and illustrator. He is best known for his work during the heyday of Warner Bros. Cartoons and as the right-hand man of director Friz Freleng as a layout artist and later as a director...
- Producers: David H. DePatie
- Executive Producers: Friz FrelengFriz FrelengIsadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....
- Animation: Hal Ambro, Warren Batchelder, Manny Gould, George Nicholas, Manny Perez, Phil Roman, Robert Taylor, Don Williams
- Layout: Robert Givens, Dick Ung
- Background: Richard H. Thomas
- Camera: John Burton Jr., Ray Lee
- Film Editing: Lee GuntherLee GuntherLee Gunther was a film editor on more than 85 animated shorts in all.-Career:...
, Roger Donley - Production Supervision: Jim Foss
- Production Coordinator: Harry Love
- Music Conductor: Eric Rogers
- Music Recording Engineer: Eric A. Thomlinson
- Storyboard: Chuck JonesChuck JonesCharles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
- Teleplay: Dr. Seuss
- A Cat in the Hat Presentation produced for the CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Television Network by DePatie-Freleng Films
Production
- This was the first Dr. Seuss television special produced by DePatie-Freleng Productions.
- Chuck Jones and his staff were included in the production of this cartoon. After The Cat In The Hat, Chuck Jones did not work on any other Dr. Seuss projects. Other staff members that have worked with Jones such as Dean ElliottDean Elliott-Career:Educated at the University of Wisconsin, Elliot's first composing work was for Four Star Revue an early comedy program which debuted in 1950. From here, he went on to compose for various cartoon series, most prominently Mr...
and Maurice NobleMaurice NobleMaurice Noble was an American animation background artist and layout designer whose contributions to the industry spanned more than 60 years. He was a long-time associate of animation director Chuck Jones, most notably at Warner Bros. in the 1950s...
eventually stopped working on Dr. Seuss cartoons also. - David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng were credited together as executive producers. For the next three Dr. Seuss cartoons, Friz Freleng and Theodore Geisel were credited as producers, although separately. Chuck Jones did not return for the production of other Dr. Seuss cartoons.