Vimacone It's seems unusual that the Schlesinger studio would do a straight adaptation of a then recent story. One would expect that to be in Disney territory. Even more unusual that Bob Clampett tackle the adaptation of a Dr. Seuss story. Yet he pulled it off and it's one of his greatest cartoons.It's not even a parody of the story either, but a straight adaptation of the then recent story that was published in 1940. Although, Clampett was still able to inject the brash Warner sensibility. While, not over the top zany like many of Clampett's other works, the character animation is what makes the short very strong. The colorful Seuss inspired backgrounds are a thing of beauty as well. I wonder if Johnny Johnsten was still in the unit at that time. This short would have also worked well had Chuck Jones directed and would have sounded like a more logical director in theory. I can imagine the stylized backgrounds at work and more stark expressions on the characters, but Clampett's result was marvelous.This was probably the first connection Dr. Seuss had with the Schlesinger studio. He would collaborate with them on the Snafu shorts for the duration of the war.

Stompgal_87 I watched this on 'The Best of Dr. Seuss' DVD, which also includes 'Daisy-Head Mayzie' and 'The Butter Battle Book.' The first time I watched this I gave it a 7/10 but after a second viewing, I gave it an 8/10 due to enjoying it more, which is why it gave me the same feelings as 'Igor' due to initially given it a 7 but an 8 the second time I saw it due to enjoying it a lot more.The animation is smooth but typically matches the style of other Looney Tunes cartoons rather than Dr. Seuss' illustrations, which is unusual, but the backgrounds were beautifully coloured with intricate detail. Horton looked most like a Dr. Seuss character and I like his saying, "I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful 100%." The flying elephant that hatches from the egg Is cute while Masie the bird was strict and overprotective. I liked the musical score with a touch of nostalgia as well as Horton's walking matching some of the notes. The rhyming narrative was as exquisite as always.Overall this is my second favourite short on 'The Best of Dr. Seuss' and it is nearly on par with the 2008 CGI film adaptation of 'Horton Hears A Who!'

slymusic Directed by Robert "Bob" Clampett, "Horton Hatches the Egg" is a wonderful Warner Bros. cartoon based on the Dr. Seuss fable. Full of bright colors and catchy rhymes, this story is one that I truly find heartwarming, particularly when I see poor Horton suffering through his unwavering faithfulness. Thankfully, his suffering is only temporary.My favorite scenes? Horton is delightful as he prances and sings "Hut-Sut Rawlson on the Rillerah", but it gets even better when he is joined by his offspring at the end. "A rifle was aiming right straight at his heart," but it actually wasn't! And who could neglect the Peter Lorre fish? I am impressed and amazed at the strong moral character of our dear friend Horton. If only everybody in this world had that same kind of integrity.

phantom_tollbooth Every animation fan is well aware of Chuck Jones's Christmas classic 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas', a seasonal staple based on the classic story by Dr. Seuss. However, fewer people are aware of Bob Clampett's adaptation of a Seuss story, 'Horton Hatches the Egg', which predates Jones's effort by a couple of decades. Out of all the Warner Bros. directors, Clampett is arguably the most obvious choice as the ideal person to adapt Seuss's surreal tales and he more than proves himself with 'Horton Hatches the Egg'. Both the genius of Clampett and of Seuss shine through as Clampett deftly weaves his own edgy, grotesque humour into Seuss's friendlier tomfoolery. Exceptional wordplay (rhyming "it doesn't make sense" with "I'm so immense" is merely the tip of the iceberg) and brightly coloured characters and settings collide with Hollywood caricatures, indelible images and off-colour jokes about backsides, sea-sickness and characters shooting themselves in the head! Clocking in at just under ten minutes, 'Horton Hatches the Egg' is longer than the average Merrie Melodie but if anything it leaves the viewer begging for even more. It's truly a shame that there were no further Clampett/Seuss collaborations as it is clearly a match made in heaven. 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' may be the recognised classic but 'Horton Hatches the Egg' deserves to be as widely celebrated and its egg-based narrative makes it ideal for the Easter schedules. If only these gorgeous cartoons weren't so rapidly disappearing from our screens, perhaps 'Horton Hatches the Egg' (along with hundreds of other classics) might be rediscovered by a whole new generation. In the meantime, you can get your hands on this charming short on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection volume 6 DVD.