Vintage Films: Gerald McBoing-Boing (1950)

Many people know Dr. Seuss for his children's books Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat and the Hat. But in 1950, Dr. Seuss also wrote the original story for the Academy Award winning animated short film Gerald McBoing-Boing. Produced by United Productions of America and distributed by Columbia Pictures, the film was adapted by screenwriters Phil Eastman and Bill Scott and was directed by Robert Cannon. Its historical and cultural significance is so great that the film is now preserved in the Library of Congress for safekeeping. In honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday, Inside Beat commemorates his literary contributions by taking a closer look at this gem of a film.

The animated short tells the story of Gerald McCloy, a boy who cannot speak words but makes sound effects instead. Society views his ability as an affliction, and as a result little Gerald is ostracized Tormented and teased, he resolves to run away until he runs into the owner of a radio station. The owner, by contrast, sees the boy's ability as a gift and hires Gerald as a voice actor for his radio show.

The film itself is as unconventional as its main character. It has an offbeat style that sets it apart from the mainstream Disney, Metron Goldwyn-Mayer and Warner Brothers productions of the time. Gerald McBoing-Boing is composed of loose and loopy lines that form strongly stylized characters.

In addition, most scenes are set in one color, with only a few additional hues shown in clothes and surrounding objects. During the emotional scenes, contrasting colors strike against each other to convey how the character feels. And of course, the script is constructed with the humorous rhymes that are so characteristic of Dr. Seuss, such as, "From Public School 7 to Mrs. McCloy, your little son Gerald's a most hopeless boy." Like the drawings, the script appears simple. However, the wordplay underlines a deeper message — that being different can be difficult, but it is not always a bad thing.

The film could not have been released at a better time. The '50s was a decade marked by conventionalism, complete with cookie-cutter suburbs and overly cheerful housewives. Gerald McBoing-Boing challenged the norm and criticized convention for quashing what was different. The message does not only apply to the '50s, it is just as relevant today as it was back then. In a rapidly changing world, our society feels overwhelmed by events overseas and problems at home. Despite our desire to return to old comforts, we too must be receptive to new ideas from people like Gerald McCloy.