Michael_Elliott Cat in the Hat, The (1971) *** (out of 4) Two children get left home alone on a rainy night when there's a knock at the door and in walks a strange cat in an even stranger hat. Next to 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' this here is perhaps the most famous story from Dr. Seuss and there's no question that this made-for-TV short goes all out in turning it into one of the most memorable shorts from this era. When you look back at these animated shorts from the 1970s there's no question that the majority of them stand the test of time for numerous reasons. THE CAT IN THE HAT is certainly no exception and there are two things that make it remain so fresh. One is the terrific dialogue, which gets shot out at a mile a second. There's never a dull moment because the dialogue just keeps firing on all sides. It's funny and also very catchy to the point where you just want to start speaking this dialogue. Another thing that I really loved about the film were the colors. The colors used really bring this film to life and I really love one sequence where our beloved cat is sitting at a piano with both sides of the wall being a different color and then you have that terrific looking carpet. When you see all three colors blended together it's really a treat for your eyes. The story itself is a nice one and there's no question that kids and their parents will enjoy this one.

TheLittleSongbird I love Dr Seuss's stories, they are just so witty, fun and charming, and Cat in the Hat is quite possibly my favourite of them all. When I was a kid, this was the story I quoted most, and to this day I still find myself reciting the "green eggs and ham" bit. Anyway, being a huge fan of the 1966 animated Christmas classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas, I looked forward to Cat in the Hat, and prayed it would be better than the live action film with Mike Myers, which I found absolutely awful.And guess what, it is infinitely better. Whereas the Mike Myers version replaced the wit and charm of the story with vulgar, unfunny and somewhat inappropriate toilet humour, this remained true to the playful spirit of the story, and it was fun and charming as a result. Plus it has everything going for it, whereas the Mike Myers film had only the colourful sets and Dakota Fanning as its sole saving graces. Anyway I am not going to compare anymore, in my eyes this is the only Cat in the Hat version, though I have yet to see The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat. Is there any comparisons to the 1966 version of the Grinch? Well, I can only say this, both of them are timeless classics so I cannot choose which is better; if I had a marginal preference probably the Grinch because I am more familiar with it.The rest of the review is going to detail why I loved this version of The Cat in the Hat so much. The animation is terrific, bright, vibrant and colourful, and all the characters are drawn really well. I also loved the music, the incidental music is delightful enough but the songs are surprisingly catchy, upbeat and memorable. The dialogue still maintains the wit and charm of the story, and is very funny, the jokes are really clever and sophisticated, and the Cat himself is a revelation of a title character, really mischievous and charismatic. The fish is a really funny character as well, his dialogue is hilarious, and the children weren't bratty but appealing, a major plus in my book.The story is still intact, and has many memorable scenes, especially the language lesson. I loved how faithful this was too, I am not a person who says a film/adaptation has to be word from word, as long as it keeps to the spirit of the book/story, something the live action version didn't but this version did. The special is quite short at 30 minutes or so, but it moves very quickly and doesn't in any way feel draggy or rushed. The voice work is spot on, Allan Sherman is perfect as the Cat, and Daws Butler is a riot as the fish. Overall, classic Dr Seuss, and just perfect. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Lee Eisenberg On this, what would have been Dr. Seuss's 103rd birthday, I wanted to talk about the TV adaptation of one of his greatest books. It seems that "The Cat in the Hat" was actually a political allegory, as the hedonistic feline gets the kids to go all wild in the midst of the regimented suburban world of 1950s America.But even beyond that, it's still a masterpiece. Dr. Seuss always had wonderful ideas, and this one was no exception. I notice that it was directed by Hawley Pratt, formerly a Looney Tunes animator. He obviously had a good eye for many things. A true classic. I heard that the 2003 live action version was little more than a 90-minute commercial padded with jokes inappropriate for children.

rbverhoef 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.