Horton Hatches the Egg (1942) User Reviews

Bird impersonates Katharine Hepburn and a fish resembles Peter Lorre; you don't see this every day!

[lee_eisenberg · 8/10 · 11 November 2008]

Bob Clampett's version of Dr. Seuss's "Horton Hatches the Egg" was the first cinematic adaptation of a Dr. Seuss book. And a good one at that. While it does change a few small things, it mostly stays faithful (like Horton is 100%). Oh, and just in case you operate under the assumption that this is just cute stuff for children: Michael Maltese, in his screenplay, also threw in a some things that moviegoers in 1942 would have understood but 21st century tykes probably won't get (including a brief instance of mild sexuality on the bird's part; look what she does to attract Horton's attention!).

I definitely recommend this cartoon. Clampett doesn't make quite as much use of contortion as he does in some of his more famous cartoons, but he still pulls off some fine work. The combination of talent from Seuss and Clampett should identify that you're in for something neat.

This was one of the many Warner Bros. cartoons released before 1948 that lost its opening credits in the Blue Ribbon reissue.

For years, America's been puzzling over . . .

[oscaralbert · 8/10 · 14 October 2016]

. . . 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!

An improved version of the Dr. Seuss story

[Varlaam · 9/10 · 1 February 1999]

Directed by Bob Clampett and scripted by the great Warner Brothers storyman Michael Maltese, this animated version is very faithful to the 1940 story about Horton the earnest elephant, but has a few added embellishments. Call it an irreverent version for adults.

The story begins with a lazy mother bird who longs to go on vacation. She needs to attract Horton so he'll sit on her egg for her. So she pushes her stomach upwards to give herself really big ...

Horton keeps the egg warm during a torrential storm -- that's in Seuss -- getting submerged and nearly drowning -- that's in Clampett.

Three hunters discover Horton perched on the egg and aim straight at his heart. Only in this version it's Horton's jumbo-sized posterior they actually get in their sights. In Seuss, the hunters are gentlefolk nattily done up in bowties; in Clampett, they're coiffed in a style more befitting Yosemite Sam.

Horton is captured and taken across the sea to be exhibited in New York. The sight of Horton at sea is so startling that a fish, who looks and sounds just like Peter Lorre, shoots himself in the head.

Dr. Seuss's story ends happily, with Horton returned safely to his jungle home. Clampett's story also ends happily, with Horton earning big money for promoters.

The Warners team succeeded in reproducing Dr. Seuss's distinctive artistic style but added a full range of colour to his limited palette. A couple of scenes also have what appear to be watercolour backgrounds -- very nice. A little added touch to an already beautiful-looking, one-of-a-kind cartoon.

Dr. Seuss' Horton Hatches the Egg is an excellent Bob Clampett cartoon

[tavm · 10/10 · 27 December 2007]

This afternoon while I was waiting for Enchanted to begin, there was a preview for the new computer-animated feature, Horton Hears a Who? with the voices of Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell. After going home and checking out the Cartoons, Model Sheets, and Stuff blog, I discovered the presence of another Horton tale from Dr. Seuss that I remembered from childhood called Horton Hatches the Egg that became a Warner Bros.-Bob Clampett cartoon. Anyone who's read HHtE will be glad to see how faithfully Bob adapted both the story and drawings to his short while adding some of his own gags and a ditty called "The Hut-Hut Song". One of those gags had a fish that looks like Peter Lorre and as he sees the elephant sitting on an egg on a tree in a boat moving in the sea for the circus, well...Oh, watch the cartoon. And kudos to Mr. Clampett for making such a wonderful Dr. Seuss animated cartoon. The Cartoons, Model Sheets, and Stuff blog linked this from Daily Motion.

Okay cartoon massively elevated by the ending

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 9 March 2017]

"Horton Hatches the Egg" is a short film from 1942, so this one has its 75th anniversary this year. It is a co-production between Schlesinger Studios and Warner Bros. and unusually long for a cartoon from that time. Usually they ran for 7 minutes, but this one here stands at almost 10. So yeah, this is another one from the Golden Age of Animation and this of course means that visually, it is an absolute delight taking into account when this was made. There are not any of the Warner Bros. standard cartoon characters in here (Bugs, Daffy), but the focus here is on an elephant, who gets an A+ for dedication in the story here and a nice little reward at the very end that was pretty sweet, almost touching. Sadly, most of the action before that is not really too memorable, so the plot could have been better and even gets a bit repetitive. The three antagonists, if you can call them like that (Mother Bird also has something going for her), look as if they are taken right out of a Bugs Bunny cartoon though, also a bit on the incompetent side, but luckily the elephant is not as resilient as Bugs. Oh yeah, final note, this one here is actually based on a work by Dr. Seuss and he had many more adaptations to come in the following decades. It may not be as good as Elmer The Elephant, but it is still worth watching, mostly thanks to the revelation at the very end.

Clampett and Seuss - A match made in heaven

[phantom_tollbooth · 10/10 · 22 April 2009]

Every animation fan is well aware of Chuck Jones's Christmas classic 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas', a seasonal staple based on the classic story by Dr. Seuss. However, fewer people are aware of Bob Clampett's adaptation of a Seuss story, 'Horton Hatches the Egg', which predates Jones's effort by a couple of decades. Out of all the Warner Bros. directors, Clampett is arguably the most obvious choice as the ideal person to adapt Seuss's surreal tales and he more than proves himself with 'Horton Hatches the Egg'. Both the genius of Clampett and of Seuss shine through as Clampett deftly weaves his own edgy, grotesque humour into Seuss's friendlier tomfoolery. Exceptional wordplay (rhyming "it doesn't make sense" with "I'm so immense" is merely the tip of the iceberg) and brightly coloured characters and settings collide with Hollywood caricatures, indelible images and off-colour jokes about backsides, sea-sickness and characters shooting themselves in the head! Clocking in at just under ten minutes, 'Horton Hatches the Egg' is longer than the average Merrie Melodie but if anything it leaves the viewer begging for even more. It's truly a shame that there were no further Clampett/Seuss collaborations as it is clearly a match made in heaven. 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' may be the recognised classic but 'Horton Hatches the Egg' deserves to be as widely celebrated and its egg-based narrative makes it ideal for the Easter schedules. If only these gorgeous cartoons weren't so rapidly disappearing from our screens, perhaps 'Horton Hatches the Egg' (along with hundreds of other classics) might be rediscovered by a whole new generation. In the meantime, you can get your hands on this charming short on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection volume 6 DVD.

Bob Clampett takes on Dr Seuss in an animated classic

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 8 May 2013]

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

Gave me the same feeling as 'Igor' but is nearly on par with 2008's 'Horton Hears a Who!'

[Stompgal_87 · 8/10 · 11 December 2013]

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!'

This cartoon is wack

[ragpap93 · 5/10 · 8 November 2016]

I said what I meant and I meant what I said. I am tired of the katherine hepburn impersonations in these cartoons really I am. Peter Lorre impersonations are also made in many cartoons from the thirties and forties. Others include the marx brothers and Laurel and Hardy. Come on impersonate some other celebrities or do not do it at all. Why kill yourself if you've seen everything. Also you cannot really see everything. You could spend a life time and what you've seen would still be almost negliglble. That joke has been done many times before in the thirties also. What a lazy bird. What's with the rhyming Dr Zeuss? Some are really unnecessary. Oh well at least not everything was being rhymed with everything else or it would just be weird. Not the best Dr Zeuss inspired cartoon. The ending is just ridiculous. This is my opinion but some may find it cute and charming there is nothing wrong with that. That is not the case with me.

"'This isn't much fun,' the poor elephant grumbled."

[slymusic · 10 September 2010]

Directed by Robert "Bob" Clampett, "Horton Hatches the Egg" is a wonderful Warner Bros. cartoon based on the Dr. Seuss fable. Full of bright colors and catchy rhymes, this story is one that I truly find heartwarming, particularly when I see poor Horton suffering through his unwavering faithfulness. Thankfully, his suffering is only temporary.

My favorite scenes? Horton is delightful as he prances and sings "Hut-Sut Rawlson on the Rillerah", but it gets even better when he is joined by his offspring at the end. "A rifle was aiming right straight at his heart," but it actually wasn't! And who could neglect the Peter Lorre fish?

I am impressed and amazed at the strong moral character of our dear friend Horton. If only everybody in this world had that same kind of integrity.