Dr. Seuss
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Once upon a time
There was a writer
Who wrote only in rhyme
And made children’s reading brighter
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He wrote of a grinch and a cat
And green eggs and ham
We know his stories down pat
They’re simple, not glam
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Dr. Seuss was his name
Of course, it was fictitious
But his creations were wonderful,
Funny and ridiculous
Dr. Seuss was the nom de plume of Theodor Seuss Geisel, born March 2, 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Although his Dr. Seuss stories are well-known, Geisel’s credits are substantial beyond his books for the learning-to-read set.
Geisel was a member of filmmaker Frank Capra’s team for the Why We Fight series, a group of films geared to educate soldiers about the American reasons for fighting in World War II. Geisel admired Capra’s ability to connect with his fellow creators. He recalled an incident for Joseph McBride’s 1992 book Frank Capra: The Catastrophe of Success.
The secret of Capra is his patience. He’s always been a good teacher. I never heard him cuss anybody out or embarrass anybody. One of the reasons I love Capra is that when I arrived at Fort Fox, he gave me the tour, and the last thing he said was, ‘Here, Captain, are the Moviolas.’ I said, ‘What is a Moviola?’ He looked at me rather suddenly and said, ‘You will learn.’ The average guy would have thrown me out.
Under his Dr. Seuss pseudonym, Geisel created Gerald McBoing Boing, a cartoon character. The Gerald McBoing Boing Show aired on CBS from 1956-58 with a rather interesting evolution. Hal Erickson explains in his 1995 book Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 through 1993.
The genesis of Gerald was a theatrical cartoon directed by Bobe Cannon for United Productions of America in 1950. Gerald McBoing Boing was originally created by children’s poet Dr. Seuss for a phonograph record; the record sold poorly, but Dr. Seuss still thought the character had potential and took the notion to UPA. The deceptively simple story of Gerald McBoing Boing was that of a little boy whose efforts at speech resulted only in sound effects. ‘Boing boing’ was his standard utterance, but Gerald could also emulate fire sirens and machine guns.
These experiences garnered awards, prestige, and respect for Geisel. He won two Oscars for his work on Why We Fight, specifically, the films Hitler Lives and Design For Death. Also, the original Gerald McBoing Boing film earned Geisel an Oscar. Though this resume is formidable, Geisel is best known for his work in the children’s literary arena as Dr. Seuss.
Dr. Seuss books are cornerstones of children’s libraries. They offer a cure for children’s reading blues through stories told in rhyme. Beginning with And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, his literary debut in 1937, Dr. Seuss adhered to the principle of educating through entertaining. He stayed true to his vision.
I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.
To name but a few of Dr. Seuss’ offereings:
The Cat in the Hat
Hop on Pop
Green Eggs and Ham
Horton Hears A Who
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Yertle the Turtle & Other Stories
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
In the mid-1960’s, Dr. Seuss stories expanded to a new vista -- television. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas was his first special. It debuted on December 18, 1966 and soon became a perennial favorite during the yuletide television season. According to George W. Woolery’s book Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-87, CBS paid $315,000 for Grinch, the highest price for a cartoon special at the time.
CBS’ airing of Grinch in ’66 followed the previous year’s debut of another soon-to-be holiday standard. A Charlie Brown Christmas premiered on CBS on December 9, 1965.
Geisel’s Dr. Seuss offerings on television also found critical acclaim. Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who first aired on CBS on March 19, 1970 and won a George Foster Peabody Award. Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (1982) and Dr. Seuss’ Halloween Is Grinch Night (1977) won Emmys.
Geisel added to his trophy shelf in 1984 with the Pulitzer Prize.
Theodor Seuss Geisel died on September 24, 1991 at the age of 87. To say that his legacy has a wide appeal would be a terrific understatement. Consider that even the prototypical popular culture antithesis of 1990’s political correctness referenced Dr. Seuss.
Andrew ‘Dice’ Clay reworked Dr. Seuss poems in his stand-up comedy routine and his first starring film role as the title character in The Adventures of Ford Fairlane. Additionally, Reverend Jesse Jackson cited from Green Eggs & Ham rather than the Book of Samuel on the Weekend Update segment of the September 28, 1991 broadcast of Saturday Night Live.
So in conclusion
We can say
We’d enjoy Dr. Seuss stories
Any day
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While we eat
Before we sleep
As we walk
A hill that is steep
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Dr. Seuss stories are
Better than shows on television stations
Because they’re written for us
To use our imagination