Doctor DeSoto

William Stieg is a children's book author and illustrator. This isn't any great shakes but has a clever mouse dentist who treats big animals as well as small. But here his compassion could be his undoing. Pretty ordinary animation but a good lesson nevertheless.

DOCTOR DeSOTO is as wryly delightful in animated form as William Steig's original story -- and when I ordered books from Scholastic for my child, I was pleased to discover that our copy of Steig's PETE'S A PIZZA would be accompanied by a videotape of animated short films based on PETE..., THE AMAZING BONE, and DOCTOR DeSOTO. We enjoyed them all -- every one of them is a treat, and all have excellent narration, too. PETE... is narrated by Chevy Chase, ...BONE is narrated by John Lithgow -- but who is doing that crisply witty, very British narration for DOCTOR DeSOTO? It's not mentioned anywhere in the short or on the videotape packaging or even in the IMDb write-up! Maybe that means the narrator simply isn't anybody famous, but hey, everybody deserves credit for good work, don't they? If anyone can identify the narrator of DOCTOR DeSOTO, let the gang at IMDb know, won't you? In any event, you might try ordering this videotape through scholastic.com, just so you can see that excellent animated versions of William Steig's urbanely witty, warm, inventive tales didn't start with the Oscar-nominated SHREK! :-)

The book "Dr. DeSoto" is a sweet kids' book that I have read to my own kids. While not among the greats in children's literature, it's a good story and was translated well to the screen--with decent animation, music and pacing. The only thing is that while it is very good, it never seemed magical or unique enough to merit its being nominated for the Best Animated Short Film Oscar. Perhaps it was just a slow year--especially since animation was in a bit of a slump at the time and wouldn't begin to pick up for another few years (with the re-introduction of good Disney animated films and better TV fare for kids in the late 80s and into the 90s).

If you are a kid, it's worth a look. If you are an adult, then watch it with your child--otherwise, this one is skip-able. Instead, try watching the winner that year--CHARADE. It's a very funny film though the ending isn't the most family-friendly I've ever seen!

The narrator for DOCTOR DeSOTO is IAN THOMPSON.

You can find his filmography here: http://uk.imdb.com/name/nm0860221/

For some reason, IMDb credits Ian Thompson with the narration of DOCTOR DeSOTO in his filmography but does not give him the appropriate credit in the actual title. (I don't understand why.)

This is Ian Jacob Thompson, although most credits just list him as Ian Thompson. Ian Thompson has been in many television shows, mini-series, made for television movies, as well as a number of feature films.

I agree that it is terrible that someone's work is not appropriately credited.

This short was nominated for an Academy Award and deservedly so. The good doctor is a dentist. He also happens to be a mouse. The short revolves around how he manages to treat a fox's tooth without becoming the main course! Good script and voice characterizations make this an enjoyable effort for not only children but adults as well. Worth the effort to track down. Recommended.