Portrait of Dr. Seuss by Everett Raymond Kinstler (1982)
The Cat in the Hat (1957) Dr. Seuss Enterprises/Random House "In the end, what drove Ted, I think, was to be useful to the world. He sent those wacky warriors he created out to wage the battles of the underdog, with whom he always felt a kinship - the battles against illiteracy, against environmental ruin, against greed, against conformity, against the arms race. He taught generations of children that it was fine to be different, and it was even better to do good, but that it all should have some fun about it." - Neil Morgan, co-author, Dr. Seuss and Mr. Geisel One of Theodor Geisel's superior officers during World War II once described him in an evaluation as a "personable zealot." An oxymoron? Perhaps, but those two words come as close as any to characterizing exactly who he was. Ron Lamothe's revealing portrait traces the evolution of Geisel's art and political philosophy and shows how Seuss deftly combined his delightful, otherworldly creations with moral parables, teaching children not only to be better readers but better people as well. INDEPENDENT LENS "The Political Dr. Seuss" airs on PBS Tuesday, October 26, 2004. Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904-1991), the man known to the world as the famous Dr. Seuss, was an enigma. Both an idealist and a curmudgeon, Geisel spent much of his life trying to improve a society he knew was inherently flawed. He had a keen eye for hypocrites, bullies and demagogues, and ridiculed them whenever he got the chance. He was a man of strong opinions and deep convictions, though shy and unassuming in demeanor. Among friends he was quite charming, and was famous for his practical jokes. Yet he guarded his privacy dearly and seldom made public appearances. He was the best-selling children's book author of all time, though he never had children of his own, and once admitted that "in mass, they terrify me." Dreamer or cynic? Grandfather or Grinch? It seems that Dr. Seuss was all of these things and more, a complex, talented and passionate man who struggled to remain hopeful in spite of the "dissemination of stupidity" he saw all around him. Above all, Dr. Seuss and his work were intrinsically political. This master of "logical insanity," as he called it, the author of such fanciful tales as Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat in the Hat, devoted much of his considerable talent and influence to advocating political and social change. From condemning isolationism and attacking anti-Semitism to his later work for literacy and the environment, and against the arms race, Dr. Seuss' most popular works reflect his passion for fairness, democracy and tolerance. But this is a side of Seuss rarely discussed. Most Americans don't know, for example, that during World War II he drew editorial cartoons for the left-wing New York newspaper PM, or that he made army propaganda films with Frank Capra. How many readers know that Yertle the Turtle was modeled on the rise of Hitler? Or that Horton Hears a Who! is a parable about the American postwar occupation of Japan? Indeed, Dr. Seuss' true genius may lie in the fact that all of this was done with such humor and finesse, that few realized he was being political at all. "The Political Dr. Seuss" traces Geisel's life from his boyhood in Springfield, Massachusetts, through his final days living atop Mt. Soledad in La Jolla, California. In-depth interviews with his widow Audrey, his biographers Judith and Neil Morgan (Dr. Seuss and Mr. Geisel) and Richard H. Minear (Dr. Seuss Goes to War), his long-time Random House publisher Robert Bernstein and editor Michael Frith, and historian Michael Kazin - not to mention Geisel's own words through voice-over - bring the man to life. "The Political Dr. Seuss" includes a great deal of previously unseen material such as illustration drafts, family photographs and rare television appearances. The film explores Geisel's little-known World War II era cartoons for PM and his educational and propaganda film work with Frank Capra's Signal Corps, including the Private Snafu films he made with Chuck Jones, and Design for Death, his Academy Award-winning documentary on Japan, seen here for the first time since its original theatrical release in 1947. Also explored are Seuss's postwar allegorical children's books (Horton Hears a Who!, Yertle the Turtle and The Sneetches) as well as his more overtly political works of the 1970s and 80s, The Lorax and The Butter Battle Book. One of Seuss' greatest achievements was his work in children's literacy in the 1950s and 60s, when the delightfully subversive The Cat in the Hat replaced boring Dick and Jane and inspired an entire generation of enthusiastic young readers (and perhaps planted the seeds for the counter-culture as well). What emerges is not only an intriguing portrait of a largely unknown side of Geisel, but also a fascinating lens through which to view the complex political and social history of the 20th century. The Cat in the Hat (1957)
Dr. Seuss properties Dr. Seuss Enterprises L.P.1937-1991. All rights reserved.
Copyright Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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