Dr. Seuss Enterprises

Logo descriptions by Logoboy95

Logo captures by Bob Fish

Background: Dr. Seuss Enterprises is an independent company. It was initially used when Chuck Jones and MGM Animation/Visual Arts co-produced How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and Horton Hears a Who!, until DePatie-Freleng Enterprises took over animation production of the Dr. Seuss TV specials in 1971. Currently, Warner Bros. Entertainment through Turner Entertainment Co. owns How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and Horton Hears a Who!, while Warner also licenses the remaining material along with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Inc. Dr. Seuss Enterprises is a division of Random House and subsidiary of Bertelsmann AG.

Cat in the Hat Productions

1st Logo

(December 18, 1966-March 19, 1970)

Nicknames: "The Cat in the Hat", "Raising Eyebrows"

Logo: A yellow circle appears on a dark blue (or sky blue) background, surrounded a circle by the words "A CAT IN THE HAT PRESENTATION", with a Random House copyright notice underneath, and inside the yellow circle is a white circle with Cat in the Hat. He "blinks" his eyes. On the closing credits of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, the logo would cross-fade to the MGM Television "Lion Wallpaper" logo.

Trivia: On the original 1966 airing of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, the opening logo would cross-fade into the logo for The Foundation For Full Service Banks who originally sponsored the special. After the sponsor plugs were removed due to being banned from within children’s programming by the FCC, the opening bells of the theme were simply looped to avoid playing the sponsor message. Newer versions of the Blu-Ray include a slightly extended version of the original un-looped music over the logo.

FX/SFX: The raising eyebrows.

Music/Sounds: None; just the opening/closing of the animated special. On the 1994 VHS release, Cartoon Network airings, the 2006 DVD release, and the 2009 Blu-ray release of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, it has looped audio of jingling bells which make up the original extended opening theme.

Availability: Rare. Can be seen on earlier Dr. Seuss specials, specifically on How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and Horton Hears a Who!

Editors' Note: Not a bad start, though the Cat in the Hat's eyes are somewhat off-model, and the cross-fade into the MGM logo may throw people off.

2nd Logo

(July 4, 1971-February 19, 1975)

Nicknames: "The Cat in the Hat II", "The Logo of the Water", "The Magician Cat"

Logo: On a black background, we see a yellow circle with the Cat in the Hat inside the purple circle as in the first logo. The words "A CAT IN THE HAT PRESENTATION" surround the circle, and the Cat in the Hat does some tricks (his bowtie spins, and then his hat compresses and expands back to normal size, and he blinks).

Variants:


 * On the logo's 1971 debut in The Cat in the Hat, it begins with water drops on a black background, and a big drop falls down on the screen, transforming into the finished logo seen above. The standard version was introduced in 1972 in front of The Lorax, and ended in 1975 with The Hoober-Bloob Highway.
 * The closing variant of this logo is completely still, with the sky blue circle inside. It can be seen at the end of The Lorax.
 * The animated closing variant of this logo back from 1975 has a dark blue background and the same sky blue circle inside. It can be only seen on The Hoober-Bloob Highway, which was the last special produced under the "Cat in the Hat" brand.
 * On the 1994 Dr. Seuss Sing-Along Classics VHS tapes of these specials from CBS-FOX Video, the logo is shifted up a bit and a "SING-ALONG" byline in a yellow cartoon-like font with musical notes above it appears below the logo.

FX/SFX: The "water drop" and the tricks sequence (sometimes the "water drop" effects are edited out of the later variant). None for the closing variant.

Music/Sounds: On the short "standard" version, just instrumental sounds while the Cat in the Hat is doing tricks leading to a short fanfare in the short logo, all composed by Dean Elliot. On The Cat in the Hat, we hear dramatic "ping" sounds as the water drops, pinging to the tune of a vocal song heard in the special, followed by the announcer who says (when the logo forms) "The Cat in the Hat presents...", and, finally, (on the title screen) "Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat". On the closing variant, it uses the closing theme of the show.

Availability: Rare. Can be only seen on the first few specials produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, including The Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, and The Hoober-Bloob Highway. The extremely rare closing variant can be seen on The Lorax. Expect the current Universal Pictures logo to precede this logo on many remastered prints on DVD releases of Dr. Seuss specials. When ABC Family (now Freeform) aired all 4 specials, the 1999 KingWorld logo plasters over, due to split screen credits. The 1972 version can be found on the Green Eggs and Ham DVD release.

Editors' Note: It's sure to be a favorite of Dr. Seuss fans.

3rd Logo (Alternate)

(October 15, 1973)

Nicknames: "The Cat in the Hat III", "That's Me!", "The Dr. Seuss on the Loose Logo"

Logo: On a blue background we see a Cat in the Hat hat trademark inside a blue circle with a gold circle outline around it. We then see the Cat in the Hat revealing wearing his hat, and saying "That's me!". Then the Cat in the Hat holds a yellow paper, revealing a title screen that says "Dr. Seuss on the Loose", in a red, Dr. Seuss corporate logo font. The rest of the opening sequence to Dr. Seuss on the Loose continues as normal.

Variant: There is a closing variant in which "That's me!" and the title screen were cut out; instead, the logo freezes and fades away. It was seen at the end of Green Eggs and Ham and Dr. Seuss on the Loose.

FX/SFX: The Cat in the Hat appearing, and the title screen revealing.

Music/Sounds: The opening theme of the special, as an announcer says "The Cat in the Hat presents...Dr. Seuss on the Loose." After the announcer says the Cat's name, he says his line. On the closing variant, it's the closing theme on the special.

Availability: Rare. Only seen on 1973's Dr. Seuss on the Loose. The recent DVD release of the TV special strangely plastered this with the 1972 opening logo from The Lorax.

Editors' Note: None.

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Dr. Seuss Enterprises

(October 29, 1977)

Logo: On a red background, we see the words  Dr. Seuss  in the Dr. Seuss font. Below that is  presents  in a different font.

FX/SFX: The zooming-in.

Music/Sounds: The opening theme of Halloween is Grinch Night.

Availability: Rare. Seen only on Halloween is Grinch Night (1977).

Editors' Note: A rather ominous mood whiplash from the previous logos. But given that it is a Halloween special, this was likely intentional.