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

Eddie Albert	...	Narrator (voice)
Bob Holt	...	The Lorax / The Once-ler (voice)
Athena Lorde	...	Miss O'Schmunsler (voice)
Harlen Carraher	...	Boy (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Scatman Crothers	...	Singer (uncredited)
Thurl Ravenscroft	...	Bass Singer (voice) (uncredited)
Vivian Vance	...	Singer (uncredited)

Directed by
Hawley Pratt

Writing credits
Dr. Seuss		(teleplay)

Produced by
David H. DePatie	....	executive producer
Friz Freleng	....	producer
Dr. Seuss	....	producer (as Ted Geisel)

Original Music by
Dean Elliott

Film Editing by
Lee Gunther
Joe Siracusa
Rick Steward

Production Design by
Maurice Noble

Production Management
Harry Love	....	production supervisor
Stan Paperny	....	executive in charge of production

Art Department
Irv Spector	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Steve Orr	....	production mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
John Burton Jr.	....	camera operator
Larry Hogan	....	camera operator
Ray Lee	....	camera operator

Animation Department
Warren Batchelder	....	animator
John Gibbs	....	animator
Manny Gould	....	animator
Bob Matz	....	animator
Bob Richardson	....	animator
Robert Taylor	....	animator
Richard H. Thomas	....	background artist
Richard Thompson	....	animator (as Dick Thompson)
Don Williams	....	animator

Music Department
Dr. Seuss	....	lyricist

Production Companies

• The Cat in the Hat Productions
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)
• DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (DFE)

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1972) (USA) (TV)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

25 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

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

Company:

The Cat in the Hat Productions

Trivia:

This is the first Dr. Seuss CBS television special to feature the short version of the 1971-1975 Cat in the Hat Productions logo with only the "Cat in the Hat doing tricks" sequence.

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 RiffTrax Live: Reefer Madness (2010)

Open your eyes

Although a slightly silly film, as commented by another user, the Lorax is a revealing and relevant film. Released in the early 1970's when such issues were not publicly recognized, the film addresses perfectly the issue of the environment and natural resource depletion. The older generation feels that such a topic is not a pressing issue and needs not immediate attention. Perhaps that is why this "silly film" is aimed towards younger people, who will be impacted by its message and will not be too stubborn to make a change. The Lorax exemplifies this problem exactly, where the Once-ler feels that the economy and his own interests are more important then that of mother earth. God gave us one life, one planet. Act that way.