The Cat in the Hat is most famous for his starring role in the Dr. Seuss children’s book, fittingly titled, The Cat In The Hat. Since his introduction in the 1957 children’s book, this iconic cat has appeared in 5 other Dr. Seuss books, 4 television shows, a theatrical play, a Hollywood motion picture, and even as a theme park ride in Universal Studios, Florida. So what makes this cat so memorable?
In his very first book appearance, the Cat in the Hat solidifies his reputation as a character that brings chaos and adventure everywhere he goes.
In the story, two children, Sally and her unnamed brother (he’s the narrator), are left unattended by their mother while she runs some errands. The children are given one rule – don’t make a mess in the house. Although the children try their best to keep the house tidy, this plan goes awry with the arrival of a talking cat wearing a large red and white striped hat and a red bow-tie. The Cat in the Hat makes a complete mess of the house thanks to his crazy gadgets and his two mess-making friends Thing 1 and Thing 2; however, he is somehow able to clean up and disappear only moments before the mother arrives home.
This first book was so successful that the Cat in the Hat became a signature image of the Dr. Seuss book series – with Cat’s picture becoming a logo that was placed in the top corner of every book published thereafter. And, only one year after the book’s release, Dr. Seuss wrote a sequel titled The Cat In The Hat Comes Back, where the Cat visits Sally and her brother, once again causing chaos while their mother is out.
In addition to being featured in other Dr. Seuss books, the Cat in the Hat has had several of his own television series, The Cat In The Hat (1971), The Grinch Grinches The Cat (1982), and the most recent television program, The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That ! (2010), and in his own live action feature film The Cat In The Hat (2003), where he was portrayed by the famous actor, Mike Myers.
The Cat in the Hat’s gadgets, machines, crazy antics, and mystery, are what really make him memorable and unique from other cartoon cats. This famous feline has been loved by many generations of children and adults for over 50 years, and we don’t think his popularity is going away anytime soon.
Is there a famous feline you’d like to see featured in one of our Famous Friday posts?
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