Dr. Seuss Movies

Ted Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, wrote and helped design this eccentric fantasy about a young boy named Bart (Tommy Rettig) who, like most young boys, doesn't enjoy his piano lessons with the mean-spirited Dr. Terwilliker (Hans Conried). He figures his time would be better spent playing baseball with his friends or helping his grown-up buddy Arthur Zabladowski (Peter Lind Hayes), a plumber. One night, while fast asleep, Bart has a long and remarkable dream in which he's trapped in the kingdom of the fearsome Dr. T, who has enslaved hundreds of little boys, forcing them to practice on the world's largest piano until they drop. With the help of a friendly plumber, Bart plans a revolt that will topple Dr. T's evil empire once and for all. The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T also features several songs for which Geisel contributed lyrics. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Chuck Jones' animated version of the classic Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas originally aired on television in 1966 and has since become a holiday family favorite. Voiced by Boris Karloff (who also narrates), the Grinch lives on top of a hill overlooking Whoville with his dog, Max. Each year at Christmas time, the Grinch's hatred grows stronger toward those insufferably cheerful Whos down in Whoville. Content to exchange presents, eat large banquets, and sing songs in the town square, the Whos live in a blissful ignorance of the Grinch's contempt. One year, he gets the idea to stop Christmas from coming by dressing up as Santa Claus. He cobbles together an outfit and makes his dog drag him around on a sleigh while sneaking into the Whos' homes and stealing their presents, food, and decorations. After he has stolen every last thing, the Whos wake up on Christmas morning to sing in the town square, causing the Grinch to question the basis of his nefarious plan. Thurl Ravenscroft (the voice of kid cereal mascot Tony the Tiger) provides the vocals for the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." This story was remade into a live-action movie in 2000 by director Ron Howard starring Jim Carrey as the Grinch. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

The mean, green terror of Whoville returns in this made-for-TV animated adventure. The Grinch is in one of his periodic bad moods again, and all of the Whos have locked themselves in for the night in hopes of avoiding his foul temper. But when young Euchariah Who has to step outside in the middle of the night, he finds himself face to face with the Grinch, becoming Whoville's last line of defense against the world-class grouch. Hans Conried narrates the story, while also providing the voice of the Grinch. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Dr. Seuss' unique artwork and amazing ability to create words that look how they sound and characters that resemble their names has made him one of the most-loved and best-selling children's authors of all time. In I Can Read with My Eyes Shut, The Cat in the Hat reveals what kids can learn through reading. Educational and entertaining, recommended for ages 5 to 8. ~ Heather M. Fierst, Rovi

The story of the Grinch continues in this 1977 program. With what has come to be known as Dr. Seuss animation, It's Grinch Night carries the story of the small-hearted creature even further. Now it's Halloween and the Grinch has decided on a trick. But his plans to terrorize the residents of Whoville are foiled by a young boy on his way to the Uphamism. With the green devil fully animated, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author comes to life. ~ Sarah Ing, Rovi