In Search of Dr. Seuss is a feature film is based on Alice in Wonderland, chronicling the adventures of a news reporter and explorer (Kathy Najimy) who, by opening a magical book, enters the sea world of Dr. Seuss and meets all new animals and sea animals. It came to DVD in 2003 and again in 2008 as a bonus feature for the TV special Horton Hears a Who!.
Plot[]
A reporter named Kathy Lane comes to Theodor Geisel's home in order to do a report on the famous Dr. Seuss, where she meets a strange character. When Kathy asks to use him as a source, he reveals himself to be the Cat in the Hat. Curiosity allows her to open a magical book labeled "Open a book, open your imagination", which pulls her into the world of Dr. Seuss. The Cat in the Hat character shows Kathy a door which leads to a beach. On the beach, they read The Sneetches. Kathy then falls into a kitchen where she meets Mr. Hunch from Hunches in Bunches. They eat lunch and read McElligot's Pool.
Kathy then ends up in a jungle where she notices Horton the Elephant. She then reads Horton Hatches the Egg. The Cat in the Hat appears again. Soon, Kathy wanders into a room which is explained to be "The World of Advertising". The Ad Man and the Ad Woman explain to Kathy about Dr. Seuss in the advertising business. The room soon rocks and Kathy is transported to Mulberry Street where she meets Marco. She helps Marco come up with a story to tell his father when he gets home from walking from school.
The story changes as Kathy and Marco add exciting things to it. The story starts out as a horse pulling a cart. But it soon turns into a tale with an elephant, the mayor, planes with confetti, a Rajah, a band playing music and other things completely random. Soon, Marco keeps the story as a horse pulling a cart. He then leaves.
Sgt. Mulvaney then appears and brings Kathy to a revolving door that is shown to represent the way people rejected Dr. Seuss' first book for publishing. The Sargent then goes through the door and disappears.
Kathy goes through the door and ends up in a hall with the Cat in the Hat. The Cat explains to Kathy about some of Dr. Seuss' dark political cartoons. An alarm goes off and he disappears.
Kathy soon walks into a room and meets The Voice of America. The Voice of America then shows Kathy the documentary, Hitler Lives, which was made by Theodor Geisel and his wife.
A live action version of the story Yertle the Turtle is then shown in a gospel like song and Kathy watches then later joins the choir singing.
Kathy meets back up with the Cat in the Hat, who tells her the story about him. The story is acted out by a father reading the story to his two little girls who are both dressed like Sally.
After the story, Kathy ends up in the story of Green Eggs and Ham where she is chased by Sam I Am, who tries to get her to taste the aforementioned dish.
After that, Kathy ends up in the mountains where The Grinch had lived. A lady reads her the story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Next, Kathy shows up at the Street of the lifted Lorax where she put in a payment (15 cents, a nail, and the shell of a great, great, great grandfather snail) written on paper in a bucket after which The Once-Ler hoisted up the bucket with all those things, collected them, brought down a speaker and told the story of The Lorax.
After planting a new Truffula Tree, marching music sounded, indicating a butter battle, which represents The Butter Battle Book.
The finale segment of the film saw Kathy & The Cat in the Hat visit the library where they sing Oh, the Places You'll Go!, later they were transported back to Dr. Seuss' house where Kathy's adventure ended. The Cat in the Hat walks off after talking to Kathy and is later is unseen the moment she turns around to him. She happily leaves Dr. Seuss's house after finally getting the story she needed. Dr. Seuss himself is seen in a portrait speaking to the viewers a little about his work and a early drawing of The Cat in the Hat winks to the viewers happily.
Cast[]
- Kathy Najimy as Kathy Lane
- Matt Frewer as The Cat in the Hat
- Christopher Lloyd as Mr. Hunch
- Graham Jarvis as The Farmer
- Brady Bluhm as Marco (McElligot's Pool)
- Frank Welker dubbed the voices of Horton, Maysie, the elephant bird, Three Hunters, Mouse, Hitler Lives Narrator, Chief Yookeroo, and Van Itch
- Malachi Pearson as Additional Voice-overs
- David Paymer as the Ad Man
- Andrea Martin as the Ad Woman
- J. D. Daniels as Marco (Mulberry Street)
- Patrick Stewart as Sgt. Mulvaney
- Billy Crystal as Radio Voice (The Voice of America)
- Andraé Crouch as Yertle the Turtle
- Bright Eyes as Mack
- Robin Williams as The Father
- Zelda Williams and Eleanor Columbus as The Daughters
- Howie Mandel as Sam I Am Voice-Over
- Eileen Brennan as Who-Villain
- Terry Lindholm as Once-ler (hands)
- Kay E. Kuter as the voice of Dr. Seuss
Uncredited[]
- Charles Durning as Grandfather Yook (voice, archive footage and redubbed lines)
- June Foray as Cindy Lou Who (voice, archive footage)
- Bob Holt as the Once-ler, the Lorax, Sylvester McMonkey McBean, and some of The Sneetches (voice, archive footage)
- Boris Karloff as the Grinch (voice, archive footage)
- Paul Winchell as the Sneetches (voice, archive footage)
Stories featured[]
The movie features many of Dr. Seuss's stories, though they are edits of older adaptations, while some of the adaptations are newly created live-action versions. It also includes some of his political work, including excerpts of his short subject Hitler Lives.
- The Sneetches (originally from DePatie-Freleng Enterprises' special Dr. Seuss on the Loose and was edited; 1973)
- Hunches in Bunches (live-action)
- McElligot's Pool (live-action)
- Horton Hatches the Egg (Warner Bros. 1942 version directed by Bob Clampett; this cartoon is only edited, but re-dubbed by Frank Welker)
- And to Think That I Saw It on Mullberry Street (originally created by George Pal in 1944; and the story is re-told by J.D. Daniels)
- Hitler Lives (short documentary by Warner Bros. in 1945; not only edited, but re-dubbed by Frank Welker)
- Yertle the Turtle (live-action)
- The Cat in the Hat (live-action)
- Green Eggs and Ham (live-action)
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (The famous Chuck Jones television special created in 1966; this cartoon is not only edited, but the story is re-told by Eileen Brennan, while Boris Karloff and June Foray reprise their voices of The Grinch and Cindy Lou Who.)
- The Lorax (1972 DePatie-Freleng Enterprises version; the present day scenes of the Once-ler are re-created in live-action.)
- The Butter Battle Book (originally created by Ralph Bakshi in 1989; some of the verses weren't in the special, or weren't said the correct way for the telling of the book, are added in this version and voiced by Charles Durning, who reprised his role as the grandfather, Frank Welker and Malachi Pearson.)
- Oh, the Places You'll Go! (live-action)
Trivia[]
Frank Welker reprised his role as Horton the Elephant.
Gallery[]
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Video[]
In Search of Dr. Seuss-2