User:SonicClub/sandbox/Dr. Seuss on the Loose



Dr. Seuss on the Loose (also known as Green Eggs and Ham and Other Favorites) is a 1973 American animated made-for-television film based on Green Eggs and Ham and The Sneetches and Other Stories.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Traditional animation that fits the Dr. Seuss style.
 * 2) Great voice acting by the late Allan Sherman, the late Paul Winchell, the late Bob Holt, and the late Hans Conried.
 * 3) Some likable characters.
 * 4) Some funny moments such as the running gag when the fox runs away from a pair of dogs and two horse riding hunters in the Green Eggs and Ham segment.
 * 5) Catchy songs and music by the late Dean Elliot.
 * 6) Nice messages such as equality and trying new things.
 * 7) It's 100% faithful to the books, but with some differences that contrasts their original stories that were not included, such as the Fox ended up being chased by dogs and two horse riding hunters.
 * 8) Dr. Seuss was involved in making the movie.
 * 9) "Do you like green eggs and ham?"
 * 10) The late Hans Conried does a wonderful job as the Narrator of The Sneetches and The Zax.
 * 11) Guy having the same laugh as Tigger from Winnie the Pooh is well executed. It is easy for the viewers because that same laugh was done by the late Paul Winchell.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) During the Star Off Machine sequence in The Sneetches, a shot of the Sneetch’s eyes in the dark, breaking the fourth wall, can be a bit scary for younger viewers and for some older viewers. This also happens in the uncut shots where the Star Off Machine makes a Sneetch look hairy/skinny and push the Sneetch through the colored windows in the dark, which were cut in all video releases before the 2003 re-release onwards. This was most likely due to being frightening for kids.
 * 2) Continuity Error: As the train goes in the tunnel, we see Guy in the passenger car, trying to escape from Sam-I-Am; but in the next shot after he refuses to eat Green Eggs and Ham in the dark, he mysteriously uses a handcar to carry on his voyage.

Trivia

 * Allan Sherman's final acting credit before his death.
 * The laugh Guy has near the end of the special is the same laugh Paul Winchell used for Tigger from the Winnie the Pooh series.
 * In the introduction to "The Zax," The Cat in the Hat mentions a "zinniga-zanniga tree." This is a reference to one of the "lost stories" of Dr. Seuss, "The Rabbit, The Bear and the Zinniga-Zanniga Tree."
 * This is the only Dr. Seuss special to have three segments instead of one. Because Green Eggs and Ham is the shortest story, The Sneetches and The Zax from The Sneetches and Other Stories were filled as two additional stories to help fill out the run time. And for some reason, Green Eggs and Ham gets to be the last segment of the special.
 * The last Dr. Seuss special until The Butter Battle Book to be based on any of Dr. Seuss’ books.
 * On the laserdisc release, the Dr. Seuss on the Loose opening title sequence was cut and replaced with the "A Cat in the Hat Presentation" logo from the previous special and for unknown reasons, Green Eggs and Ham was also positioned as the first segment before The Sneetches and The Zax.
 * This is the last animated appearance of the Cat in the Hat by DePatie-Freleng during Friz Freleng’s involvement. Due to the loss of Allan Sherman which aired posthumously, the character would not return until The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat in 1982 as the Cat was voiced by Mason Adams
 * On all VHS releases and the laserdisc until the 2003 re-release onwards, numerous edits were made.
 * On the Sing-Along Classics release and the 1998 VHS reprint, the opening title sequence has the title card edited: The video title "Green Eggs & Ham and Other Stories" is plastered over the original title "Dr. Seuss on the Loose". The Playhouse Video VHS release however keeps the original title card intact.
 * During the Star-Off Machine sequence, several shots where a machine makes a Sneetch look hairy/wet/skinny, then getting pushed among colored windows in the dark, and the extreme close up shot of their eyes breaking the fourth wall again were cut, most likely due to being frightening for children.
 * The scene where the daytime/sunset/night/sunrise/daytime cycle and the hurricane thunderstorm while the Zax were standing still was cut for unknown reasons.