Horton Hatches the Egg (1942)

The Worst Film Ever

Let's be realistic.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

It's seems unusual that the Schlesinger studio would do a straight adaptation of a then recent story. One would expect that to be in Disney territory. Even more unusual that Bob Clampett tackle the adaptation of a Dr. Seuss story. Yet he pulled it off and it's one of his greatest cartoons.It's not even a parody of the story either, but a straight adaptation of the then recent story that was published in 1940. Although, Clampett was still able to inject the brash Warner sensibility. While, not over the top zany like many of Clampett's other works, the character animation is what makes the short very strong. The colorful Seuss inspired backgrounds are a thing of beauty as well. I wonder if Johnny Johnsten was still in the unit at that time. This short would have also worked well had Chuck Jones directed and would have sounded like a more logical director in theory. I can imagine the stylized backgrounds at work and more stark expressions on the characters, but Clampett's result was marvelous.This was probably the first connection Dr. Seuss had with the Schlesinger studio. He would collaborate with them on the Snafu shorts for the duration of the war.

. . . the meaning of HORTON HATCHES THE EGG. This Dr. Seuss Looney Tune from World War Two does NOT make much sense in its original context of the 1900s. Who ever heard of an ELEPHANT BIRD?! Recently, however, America's crack corps of Warnologists (those folks who laboriously interpret Classic Warner Bros.' Animated Shorts for prophesies of 21st Century America's impending Calamities, Catastrophes, Cataclysms, and Apocalypti--which have proved far more accurate than those of that over-rated prognosticator, Nostradamus) have made a startling discovery. Present Day editorial cartoonists invariably caricature Barack Obama with Horton-like elephant ears. Also, "Lazy Mayzie" sounds a lot more like Hillary Clinton than some dead chick called Kate Hepburn. During his national address Oct. 14, 2016, Mr. Obama cried us a river complaining about Leader Trump and boosting (while making excuses for) that raunchy rooster's moll, Mayzie (aka, Hillary). Rest assured, Today's Citizens of Horton's Future: We've been shown how this story ends. Horton hatches HIS egg, which turns out NOT to resemble a Lazy Mayzie Clinton, but a Cute Widdle Teenie Tiny elephant: that is, a Chip off the Ol' Block, Leader Trump!

I watched this on 'The Best of Dr. Seuss' DVD, which also includes 'Daisy-Head Mayzie' and 'The Butter Battle Book.' The first time I watched this I gave it a 7/10 but after a second viewing, I gave it an 8/10 due to enjoying it more, which is why it gave me the same feelings as 'Igor' due to initially given it a 7 but an 8 the second time I saw it due to enjoying it a lot more.The animation is smooth but typically matches the style of other Looney Tunes cartoons rather than Dr. Seuss' illustrations, which is unusual, but the backgrounds were beautifully coloured with intricate detail. Horton looked most like a Dr. Seuss character and I like his saying, "I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful 100%." The flying elephant that hatches from the egg Is cute while Masie the bird was strict and overprotective. I liked the musical score with a touch of nostalgia as well as Horton's walking matching some of the notes. The rhyming narrative was as exquisite as always.Overall this is my second favourite short on 'The Best of Dr. Seuss' and it is nearly on par with the 2008 CGI film adaptation of 'Horton Hears A Who!'

Dr Seuss was one of my childhood favourite authors(and I still hold a lot of fondness for them) and Bob Clampett was one of the best and most unique animation directors. Combining the two together seemed like a match made in heaven, and this is something that translates just as well on screen. I am glad that there are others who hold Horton Hatches the Egg, and I wish it was better known because of all the animated cartoons/specials there is of Dr Seuss' work(the granddaddy of them all being How the Grinch Stole Christmas) Horton Hatches the Egg is among the best ones. The animation is beautifully drawn and brightly coloured, you have got to love the Peter Lorre fish, that was genius. Clampett even brings his own edge to it while still remaining faithful to Dr Seuss' style, which I really liked. The music is whimsical and upbeat both in the incidental scoring and the ditties, while the dialogue and rhymes are as catchy and witty as ever, again having that Clampett edge while still feeling and sounding like Dr Seuss. The story and characters are always engaging, there is a great deal of charm and heart and often it is hugely funny too. The voice work is just great. In conclusion, a classic that deserves better recognition. 10/10 Bethany Cox