AllMovie

Doctor Seuss gets the Merrie Melodies treatment in Horton Hatches the Egg, an animated short based on the classic children's book of the same name. The story is the same, with Masie the lazy bird convincing Horton the elephant to sit on her egg while she takes a short break. Horton is reluctant, worried about the effect of his immense weight on the tiny shell, but he eventually agrees. Once Horton is on the egg, Masie takes off for an extended vacation in Palm Beach, leaving her offspring behind. Horton, meanwhile, stays with the egg for a full year, suffering through snow, rain, and the ridicule of his fellow animals; he never considers leaving his post, because "an elephant's faithful 100 percent." However, when Horton is kidnapped by a trio of elephant hunters and brought to a local circus, he once again encounters Masie -- who, now that all the hard work's done, wants her egg back. The short is essentially faithful to the Seuss fable, but director Robert Clampett spices things up with occasional moments of comedy with a distinctly Warner Brothers flavor, like jungle animals with New York accents and a cameo appearance by a suicidal fish.