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Dr. Seuss, Propagandist: NY film curator helps uncover the darker side of beloved author

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Dennis Nyback, a New York film curator, was in San Francisco this week to screen a touring program he calls “The Dark Side of Dr. Seuss.” Seuss’ little-known WWII era military training and propaganda cartoons were shown at Oddball Film+Video, an archival space in the Mission District. Also the home of the nonprofit San Francisco [...]

Dennis Nyback, a New York film curator, was in San Francisco this week to screen a touring program he calls “The Dark Side of Dr. Seuss.”

Seuss’ little-known WWII era military training and propaganda cartoons were shown at Oddball Film+Video, an archival space in the Mission District. Also the home of the nonprofit San Francisco Media Archive, a hidden-away outfit that houses roughly 50,000 films.

These war time cartoons of then Col. Giesel feature racy content and racist comments and reveal a different side to this beloved author who championed liberal causes throughout his life.