The Cat in the Hat

I remembered that this special would air on CBS around the end of December throughout the 1980's. Along with "Happy New Year" Charlie Brown, and that one Bugs Bunny New Year special, This special was great. The special was based on the great Dr.Seuss Book (which i owned as a child) that touched the hearts of millions of children possibly in the world. It was funny, and the fish brings back good memories. I wish CBS would air this timeless classic again, but that probably won't happen. But if you see it at a video rental store, rent it to bring back some childhood memories.

I have seen The Cat in the Hat since the 70s and I think it's the best written cartoon on TV between the runs of Rocky and Bullwinkle and The Simpsons. The line I remember the most was the song that went "Hey! I'm a punk. A gratunculous shlunk." I also remember that the cat was messing up the house looking for his moss covered, three handled, three family gradunza. That would definitely be a Dr. Seuss line.

Allan Sherman, in one of his last TV roles before his death in 1974 was sensational as the voice of the cat. I would also like to add that Gloria Camacho was the voice of the kid's mother.

Dr. Seuss and his stories are not very familiar here in Holland and although the Jim Carrey version of 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' was a pretty big hit it hasn't changed that very much. Still, I saw this animated version of 'The Cat in the Hat' and let me start by saying that it is so much better and funnier than the Mike Myers version.

When the mother (voice by Gloria Camacho) of a girl (voice by Pamelyn Ferdin) and a boy (voice by Tony Frazier) leaves on a rainy evening the kids are very bored. A cat in a hat (voice by Allan Sherman) enters the house to cheer them up. The fish (voice by Daws Butler) is not very fond of that because they are making a huge mess. Everything must be clean before mother comes home.

The first half with the arrival of the cat is not that great. It has some nice songs though. The second half, especially the part where the cat explains how he is called in other countries, is great and very funny. I understand why stories like this are very popular. Kids just have to like it and for adults it must be a nice memory from their childhood.

Ok, so it's way different than the book. If you ask me, the cartoon is way better than the book. The Cat in the Hat comes to the two kids on a rainy day when their mother leaves them all alone. The Cat shows them how to have fun as they all search for his moss-covered three handled family grudunza. Mr. Krinklebein, the fish, constantly tries to get the Cat to go away. Thing I and Thing II make appearances. I have been watching this cartoon since I was two years old!!

Dr. Seuss books just don't lend themselves well to live action movies. The live action version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas was awful, mostly because the padded scenes LOOKED like padding. There isn't enough of a story in Seuss's books to make a feature-length movie, and really not even enough to make a 25-minute TV show.

But add some good animation and the music of Allan Sherman, and you have a winner. I'll be watching THIS version for many years, not the dreadful Mike Meyers version.