The Lorax (1972) (TV)

Director:

Hawley Pratt

Writer:

Dr. Seuss (teleplay)

Release Date:

14 February 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Short | Family

Plot:

A ruined industrialist tells his tale of his environmentally self destructive greed despite the warnings of an old forest creature.

Plot Keywords:

Industrialist | Greed | Tree | Water Pollution | Dr Seuss

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Eddie Albert	...	Narrator (voice)
Bob Holt	...	The Lorax / The Once-ler (voice)
Athena Lorde	...	(voice)
Harlen Carraher	...	Boy (voice)

Runtime:

25 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-G | Australia:G | UK:Uc (video rating) (1986)

Company:

The Cat in the Hat Productions

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: [sung] At the far end of town where the grickle grass grows/and the wind smells slow and sour when it blows/and no birds ever sing, excepting old crows/is the street of the lifted Lorax.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 4: Dangeresque 3 - The Criminal Projective (2008) (VG)

more relevant than ever

As Dr. Seuss's work was usually politically charged,* "The Lorax" does a good job looking at the environment. Scary is how realistic the book/movie eventually became (especially under George W. Bush). But it does have an element of hope to it. I guess that it makes sense to have Eddie Albert narrate, given his environmental work. After watching the movie, you just might feel like speaking for the trees, and all other wildlife.

*"The Cat in the Hat" was promoting rebellion, "Yertle the Turtle" was about the class system, "The Butter Battle Book" was about the Cold War-era arms buildup.