Let's celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day with these two classic Dr. Seuss specials from the 70's.
The Lorax covers the importance of trees to us and the environment, while
Hoober Bloob Highway looks at what it means to be human. Are they worth checking out with your family? Let's follow a young boy as he makes his way across a desolate, ruined landscape to ask the Onceler (Bob Holt) how the land came to be this way and find out...
The Lorax
CBS, 1972
Voices of Bob Holt, Eddie Albert, Athena Lorde, and Helen Carraher
Directed by Hawley Pratt
Music by Dean Elliot; Lyrics by Dr. Seuss
The Story: When the Onceler originally came to the land, it was a paradise with acres of sweet-smelling, bright-colored Truffula Trees and the creatures that relied on them for food and shelter. He builds a small shop and chops down one tree to make a "Thneed," a multi-purpose pink fluffy object that he insists "everyone needs." The Lorax (Holt), the resident of the tree he cut down, objects to the destruction of the tree. Onceler insists he's just cutting down one tree, but after the Thneed sells quickly, one tree leads to mass-chopping every tree in the area to build them.
He builds a huge factory to make the Thneeds, and while that may be good for his family and his personal finances, it's not good for the land and animals. As the trees dwindle, the bear-like Barba-Loots leave to find food elsewhere. The Swamee-Swans and Humming Fish can't handle the increased pollution caused by the factory and also depart. The Lorax keeps protesting and keeps pointing out the disaster in the making that the Onceler is causing. The Onceler claims to understand, but he only truly understands profits...until the trees run out, and he realizes that no resources, or profits, last forever.
The Animation: Like all of the Seuss specials of the 70's, it's bright, sketchy, and very reminiscent of the actual books. While we only see the Onceler's arms, they do manage to give the Lorax and the animals a fair amount of expression. We see those curving Seuss lines in the factory, the city, and in the gracefully waving Truffulas themselves. They really are lovely, which makes it all the more heartbreaking when they're depleted.
The Song and Dance: Along with The Butter Battle Book, this is the darkest Seuss special...and that alone makes it my favorite. There's no easy answers in this one. It does give us a spot of hope in the finale with the kid and the seed, but getting there is one of the saddest stories in the Seuss canon. Holt does very well, managing to make the Onceler and the Lorax such distinctly different characters, you'd never know they were voiced by the same man if you didn't check the cast list.
Favorite Number: We open with Eddie Albert, a real-life environmentalist, singing "Street of the Lifted Lorax" as he explains about the legend of the Lorax and the Onceler's ruined factory. "Under the Trees" takes us back in time to introduce the Truffula forest and the creatures it supports. "To the House of the Onceler" brings in the Onceler's relatives to work in his newly-built factory. Unfortunately, they also pollute the area with their cars and littering.
"He's a Jolly Good Onceler" is the celebration song when the factory makes it's 1,000th Thneed. The Onceler does understand what he's done, as he admits in "Why are You a Onceler?" A brief reprise of "Under the Trees" shows the Barba-Loots departing to find more food. The Swamee Swans can't handle the smog and are "Going, Going, Gone" too. The longest number goes to the Humming Fish, who are "Fish Out of Water" when their river is too filled with gunk to survive.
Trivia: One of the Humming Fish claims "I hear things are just as bad in Lake Erie" in their song. Lake Erie was extremely polluted in the 70's. It has since been cleaned up, to the point where the line was removed from later versions of the book (though not the special).
There are a few changes from the book. The boy had to pay for the Onceler's story, and the Onceler related it over a "Whisper-Ma-Phone." The Barba-Loots left before the sky was polluted, not after, and the Onceler never had the mild change of heart that we see after the "Good Old Onceler" number.
What I Don't Like: Did I mention that "dark" thing? This might be a bit too dark for young children who would be interested in the cute animals and bouncy songs. It also pushes its environmental message very hard...maybe a bit too hard for those who prefer their Seuss on the lighter side or don't agree with what it's saying.
The Big Finale: A sobering message with decent animation and voice acting for families with older kids who are starting to learn about the environment and how we can help save it.
Home Media: Easily found on all formats, often for under $10.
The Hoober-Bloob Highway
CBS, 1975
Voices of Bob Holt and Hal Smith
Directed by Alan Zaslove
Music by Dean Elliot; Lyrics by Dr. Seuss
The Story: Mr. Hoober-Bloob (Holt) and his mandolin assistant are "dispatchers" on an outer space platform who prepare newborn children for their life on the Earth. He's especially excited about his current charge, whom he has dubbed "Bub." We see Bub as a boy on Earth in various musical vignettes depicting him both in normal, everyday situations like enjoying summer vacation and doing chores and more unusual ones like trying to answer scrolling questions and figure out how to fix a schnorken. Mr. Hoober-Bloob isn't too sure about sending Bub, given how complicated and dull Earth can be, but Bub knows that life on Earth can be pretty exciting, too.
The Animation: Same deal here. The Seuss specials were pretty much consistently similar over the decade or so most of them were made, thanks to them being all made by Friz Freling's DePatie-Freling Enterprises. The design here isn't quite as colorful, but it's even more creative. Check out all the truly unusual creatures Mr. Hoober-Bloob shows off in the "On the Other Hand" number!
The Song and Dance: This is by far the most unique of the Dr. Seuss specials, and possibly the simplest. They get a lot out of "Bub" and his dog, without them saying a word. In fact, other than Holt, Smith's brief narration, and the occasional bursts from the mandolin (which annoy Mr. Hoober-Bloob), this special is largely done in pantomime and music. It's more effective than you might think, thanks to Seuss' creative designs and the often hilarious expressions from "Bub" and his canine friend. Holt makes a warm and hilarious Mr. Hoober-Bloob, too, especially later when he's really getting caught up with what his charge's life could be like.
Favorite Number: We open with the chorus performing the title song that describes who Mr. Hoober-Bloob is and where he is. "And That's the Way It Is, Bub" he explains to his charge during the segment depicting different towns he could end up in. "West Watch-a-ka Tella" is a short segment with a singer admitting that Bub will be living in what is likely intended to be a typical suburb. The gentle "Among the Daisies" depicts the slower side of life on Earth, as Bub and his dog relax in a field.
"That's Just the Beginning" and "Things You Have to Know" are chorus numbers as Bub finds himself in school, learning everything from dull math equations to odd history facts. Dr. Hoober-Bloob admits "I Know the Way You Feel, Bub." "On the Other Hand," Bub can be any kind of peculiar alien creature Seuss can come up with.
"It's Fun to Be a Human" when you're enjoying summer vacation...but there are consequences of fun. Vacation ends all too soon, and the chorus asks Bub "What Do You Do?" when a machine breaks down. Mr. Hoober Bloob objects to all this as boring, but finally lets the film continue, as Bub has to "Answer Yes or No" on a fast-paced scroll. After Bub makes his decision, the chorus declares "You're a Human!"
Trivia: First of four Dr. Seuss specials written directly for television and not based on a previous book. It was also the last Seuss special with music by Dean Elliott and to air on CBS.
What I Don't Like: Honestly, this one can come off as a little too bizarre for some people. The vague theme about birth and being human and the very simplicity can seem dull or just beyond weird. It's also a lot more meandering than most Seuss specials and a lot less plot-focused. It has more in common with some of Seuss' more random word stories for the very young like If I Ran the Zoo or I Had Trouble Getting to Solla Sollew (and actually recycles a few gags from those books).
The Big Finale: The weirdness is why this is another favorite Seuss special of mine. You won't find anything like Bub learning what makes us human anywhere else. Highly recommended for families who are beginning to discuss birth and life with their children.
Home Media: Unlike The Lorax, The Hoober-Bloob Highway hasn't had a separate release since it came out on video in the 90's. It can currently be found on disc paired with the original Cat In the Hat and the later special Daisy-Head Maisie.
