How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (TV special): Difference between revisions

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	'''''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!''''' (also known as '''''Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!''''') is a 1966 American animated ], directed and co-produced by ]. Based on the 1957 children's book ] by ], the special features the voice of ] (also a narrator) as the Grinch. It tells the story of the ], who tries to ruin Christmas for the townsfolk of ] below his mountain hideaway.<ref name=Woolery>{{cite book \|last1=Woolery \|first1=George W. \|title=Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962–1987 \|date=1989 \|publisher=Scarecrow Press \|isbn=0-8108-2198-2 \|access-date=27 March 2020 \|url=https://archive.org/details/animatedtvspecia0000wool/page/120/mode/2up \|pages=121–122}}</ref>		'''''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!''''' (also known as '''''Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!''''') is a 1966 American animated ], directed and co-produced by ]. Based on the 1957 children's book ] by ], the special features the voice of ] (also a narrator) as the Grinch. It tells the story of the ], who tries to ruin Christmas for the townsfolk of ] below his mountain hideaway.<ref name=Woolery>{{cite book \|last1=Woolery \|first1=George W. \|title=Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962–1987 \|date=1989 \|publisher=Scarecrow Press \|isbn=0-8108-2198-2 \|access-date=27 March 2020 \|url=https://archive.org/details/animatedtvspecia0000wool/page/120/mode/2up \|pages=121–122}}</ref>

	''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' was produced by The Cat in the Hat Productions in association with the ] and ] divisions of ] Studios (the company that Jones was under contract at the time). The special completed production in a year{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=278}} and originally aired in the United States on ] on Sunday, December 18, 1966. The special is considered a perennial holiday special.		''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' was produced by The Cat in the Hat Productions in association with the ] and ] divisions of ] Studios (the company that Jones was under contract at the time). The special completed production in a year{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=278}} and originally aired in the United States on ] on Sunday, December 18, 1966. The special is considered a perennial ].

	== Plot ==		== Plot ==
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	* ] as Cindy Lou Who		* ] as Cindy Lou Who
	* ] as Max		* ] as Max
	* ] as Vocalist		* ] as Vocalist (])
	* MGM Studio Chorus as Citizens of ]		* MGM Studio Chorus as Citizens of ]

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	Animation and cartoon director ] and children's-book author Ted Geisel (]) had worked together on the '']'' training cartoons at ] during World War II.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=263}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite news \|last=Humphrey \|first=Hal \|date=December 12, 1966 \|title=Seuss Menagerie to Star on Sunday \|pages=92 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/382327697/?terms=how%20the%20grinch%20stole%20christmas&match=1 \|access-date=December 11, 2023}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news \|date=December 7, 1966 \|title='How the Grinch Stole Christmas'– Best Villain Since Old 'Scrooge!' \|pages=17 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/496698273/?terms=how%20the%20grinch%20stole%20christmas&match=1 \|access-date=December 11, 2023}}</ref><ref name=":2">''In the Making of: How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' (1994). ]</ref> Jones was interested in adapting one of Geisel's books into a television special and approached him to turn '']'' into one in time for the holiday season. According to Jones, when he first read the book, his comment was that the ] was the best Christmas villain since ] from '']''.<ref name=":1" /> Although Geisel was initially reluctant, he agreed with Jones' idea.<ref name=":2" />{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=267}}		Animation and cartoon director ] and children's-book author Ted Geisel (]) had worked together on the '']'' training cartoons at ] during World War II.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=263}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite news \|last=Humphrey \|first=Hal \|date=December 12, 1966 \|title=Seuss Menagerie to Star on Sunday \|pages=92 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/382327697/?terms=how%20the%20grinch%20stole%20christmas&match=1 \|access-date=December 11, 2023}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news \|date=December 7, 1966 \|title='How the Grinch Stole Christmas'– Best Villain Since Old 'Scrooge!' \|pages=17 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/496698273/?terms=how%20the%20grinch%20stole%20christmas&match=1 \|access-date=December 11, 2023}}</ref><ref name=":2">''In the Making of: How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' (1994). ]</ref> Jones was interested in adapting one of Geisel's books into a television special and approached him to turn '']'' into one in time for the holiday season. According to Jones, when he first read the book, his comment was that the ] was the best Christmas villain since ] from '']''.<ref name=":1" /> Although Geisel was initially reluctant, he agreed with Jones' idea.<ref name=":2" />{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=267}}

	During the process of storyboarding, Geisel and Jones ~~looked~~ closely at the ] studio and ~~Giesel~~'s glass-enclosed eagle's nest in the neighborhood of ] in ].{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=275}} It took approximately two months to be finished.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=275}} After storyboarding was finished, Jones went to ] to sell the special to a sponsor.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=275}} He presented the idea with the storyboard and acted all the parts 28 times.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=275}} The special was bought by the Foundation of ~~Commercial~~ Banks.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=276}} ] gave Jones and MGM a $315,000 budget ({{Inflation\|US\|315000\|1966\|r=-3\|fmt=eq}}),<ref name=":0" />{{Inflation-fn\|US}} more than four times what ] was offered to produce '']''.<ref>{{Cite book \|last=Stephen \|first=Jacob \|title=Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster \|publisher=Tomahawk Press \|year=2011 \|pages=478}}</ref> According to '']'' in 1992, it was a record for a cartoon at the time.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Barrington \|first=Stephen \|date=December 23, 1992 \|title=The Grinch remains a venerable part of Christmas \|pages=14 \|work=] \|url=https://newspapers.com/image/730257983/?terms=how%20the%20grinch%20stole%20christmas%20&match=1 \|access-date=December 24, 2023}}</ref>		During the process of storyboarding, Geisel and Jones worked closely at the ] studio and Geisel's glass-enclosed eagle's nest in the neighborhood of ] in ].{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=275}} It took approximately two months to be finished.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=275}} After storyboarding was finished, Jones went to ] to sell the special to a sponsor.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=275}} He presented the idea with the storyboard and acted all the parts 28 times.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=275}} The special was bought by the Foundation For Full-Service Banks.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=276}} ] gave Jones and MGM a $315,000 budget ({{Inflation\|US\|315000\|1966\|r=-3\|fmt=eq}}),<ref name=":0" />{{Inflation-fn\|US}} more than four times what ] was offered to produce '']''.<ref>{{Cite book \|last=Stephen \|first=Jacob \|title=Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster \|publisher=Tomahawk Press \|year=2011 \|pages=478}}</ref> According to '']'' in 1992, it was a record for a cartoon at the time.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Barrington \|first=Stephen \|date=December 23, 1992 \|title=The Grinch remains a venerable part of Christmas \|pages=14 \|work=] \|url=https://newspapers.com/image/730257983/?terms=how%20the%20grinch%20stole%20christmas%20&match=1 \|access-date=December 24, 2023}}</ref>

	=== Voice cast ===		=== Voice cast ===
	Chuck Jones and Ted Geisel cast ] to narrate the special because of his "beautiful, rhythmic, caring" voice and the poetic quality of the way he read the script.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=272}} He also voiced the Grinch to ensure the voices of the Grinch and ] were well received by fans.<ref name=":0" /> Jones described Karloff as "the only one " because of his establishment of ]'s stories and others.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=272}} Prior to its production, Karloff was eager to do the special since he had been a Dr. Seuss fan for several years.<ref name=":1" /> After recording, the sound engineers removed Karloff's high pitches to create the "gravelly grunt" of the Grinch's voice.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=272}} ] provided the voice of Cindy Lou Who.<ref name=":2" />{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=272}} She listened to Karloff's reading on earphones to maintain the same poetic quality.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=272}}		Chuck Jones and Ted Geisel cast ] to narrate the special because of his "beautiful, rhythmic, caring" voice and the poetic quality of the way he read the script.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=272}} He also voiced the Grinch to ensure the voices of the Grinch and ] were well received by fans.<ref name=":0" /> Jones described Karloff as "the only one " because of his establishment of ]'s stories and others.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=272}} Prior to its production, Karloff was eager to do the special since he had been a Dr. Seuss fan for several years.<ref name=":1" /> After recording, the sound engineers removed Karloff's high pitches to create the "gravelly grunt" of the Grinch's voice.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=272}} ] provided the voice of Cindy Lou Who.<ref name=":2" />{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=272}} She listened to Karloff's reading on earphones to maintain the same poetic quality.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=272}}

	=== Designs and animation ===		=== Designs and animation ===
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	\| genre = ]		\| genre = ]
	\| length = 31:08 (original release)		\| length = 31:08 (original release)
	\| label = ]		\| label = ]
	\| producer = Jesse Kaye		\| producer = Jesse Kaye
	\| chronology =		\| chronology =
	\| misc =		\| misc =
	}}		}}
	On December 18, 1966, ] released a soundtrack LP in conjunction with the television special. In the recorded version, Boris Karloff does all voices including Cindy Lou Who. The song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch", which comically describes the level of the Grinch's despicable nature, includes all verses with their original rhyming lyrics and the isolated song tracks have different durations due to being re-recorded.{{Citation needed\|date=December 2016}} On October 3, 1995, ] released the soundtrack on CD.<ref>{{Cite news \|date=October 7, 1995 \|title=Country Music \|pages=32 \|work=] \|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/90s/1995/CB-1995-10-07-OCR-Page-0032.pdf#search=%22how%20the%20grinch%20stole%20christmas%22 \|access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref>		On December 18, 1966, ] released a soundtrack ] in conjunction with the television special. In the recorded version, Boris Karloff does all voices including Cindy Lou Who. The song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch", which comically describes the level of the Grinch's despicable nature, includes all verses with their original rhyming lyrics and the isolated song tracks have different durations due to being re-recorded.{{Citation needed\|date=December 2016}} On October 3, 1995, ] released the soundtrack on CD.<ref>{{Cite news \|date=October 7, 1995 \|title=Country Music \|pages=32 \|work=] \|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/90s/1995/CB-1995-10-07-OCR-Page-0032.pdf#search=%22how%20the%20grinch%20stole%20christmas%22 \|access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref>

	On October 5, 1999, ] released a new CD soundtrack (which included the soundtrack for another Dr. Seuss cartoon, '']''). Both story collections contain selected dialogue and music numbers. The "isolated music tracks" in this edition are taken from the television soundtrack and are not the re-recorded tracks from earlier versions. The dialogues are the originals, being voiced by Boris Karloff for "Grinch" and ] for "Horton".{{Citation needed\|date=December 2023}}		On October 5, 1999, ] released a new CD soundtrack (which included the soundtrack for another Dr. Seuss cartoon, '']''). Both story collections contain selected dialogue and music numbers. The "isolated music tracks" in this edition are taken from the television soundtrack and are not the re-recorded tracks from earlier versions. The dialogues are the originals, being voiced by Boris Karloff for "Grinch" and ] for "Horton".{{Citation needed\|date=December 2023}}
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	\| length2 = 1:18		\| length2 = 1:18
	\| extra2 = MGM Studio Chorus		\| extra2 = MGM Studio Chorus
	\| title3 = ]		\| title3 = ]
	\| length3 = 2:56		\| length3 = 2:56
	\| extra3 = ]		\| extra3 = ]
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	''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' was originally telecast in the United States on ] on December 18, 1966.<ref name=":1" /> The original broadcasts from 1966 to 1970 were sponsored by the Foundation for Full Service Banks, whose sponsor plugs within the special were edited out for subsequent broadcasts after 1970.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=276}} In 1971, ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' was sponsored by ] and ].<ref>{{Cite news \|date=November 15, 1971 \|title=ProgramNotes \|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1971/1971-11-15-BC.pdf \|access-date=March 3, 2024 \|work=] \|pages=54–55}}</ref>		''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' was originally telecast in the United States on ] on December 18, 1966.<ref name=":1" /> The original broadcasts from 1966 to 1970 were sponsored by the Foundation for Full Service Banks, whose sponsor plugs within the special were edited out for subsequent broadcasts after 1970.{{Sfn\|Jones\|1996\|p=276}} In 1971, ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' was sponsored by ] and ].<ref>{{Cite news \|date=November 15, 1971 \|title=ProgramNotes \|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1971/1971-11-15-BC.pdf \|access-date=March 3, 2024 \|work=] \|pages=54–55}}</ref>

	CBS repeated it annually during the Christmas season until 1988.<ref>{{cite news \|title=UPDATE / Lee Margulies \|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-20-tv-318-story.html \|access-date=November 27, 2016 \|work=Los Angeles Times \|date=November 27, 2016 \|archive-date=August 9, 2020 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809063221/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-20-tv-318-story.html \|url-status=live}}</ref> After ] bought the pre-May 1986 MGM library in 1986,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Delugach \|first=Al \|date=March 4, 1986 \|title=Way Cleared for Turner's MGM Deal \|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-03-04-fi-15193-story.html \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511201300/http://articles.latimes.com/1986-03-04/business/fi-15193_1_ted-turner \|archive-date=May 11, 2011 \|access-date=December 18, 2023 \|website=]}}</ref> it was transferred to its cable network ], which debuted on the network on December 9, 1989.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Hughes \|first=Mike \|date=December 9, 1989 \|title=Turner turns Grinch; show only on TNT \|pages=11 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/battle-creek-enquirer-turnerturnsgrinc/13908286/ \|access-date=December 18, 2023}}</ref> It was also broadcast on ] and ]. ] returned it to broadcast television by adding its own annual screening in 2001.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Seuss' 'Grinch' Returns to TV on The WB this December \|url=http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?21957 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011201164421/http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?21957 \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=1 December 2001 \|work=Zap2It \|date=1 December 2001}}</ref> ] took over the special after The WB ceased operations in 2006. ] acquired the rights in 2015; its deal with ] allows two broadcasts per season.<ref>{{cite news \|title='How The Grinch Stole Christmas' Animated Special Moves To NBC – TCA \|url=https://deadline.com/2015/08/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-animated-special-nbc-1201498444/ \|access-date=August 14, 2015 \|website=] \|date=August 13, 2015 \|archive-date=August 14, 2015 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814154626/http://deadline.com/2015/08/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-animated-special-nbc-1201498444/ \|url-status=live}}</ref> The Christmas night broadcast has been later followed by the airing of the ]. In 2022, the second airing of the special was aired on December 23 instead of Christmas Day due to a ] (NFL) game between the ] and ]. Both TBS and TNT continue to air the special many times during the ] as well.		CBS repeated it annually during the Christmas season until 1988.<ref>{{cite news \|title=UPDATE / Lee Margulies \|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-20-tv-318-story.html \|access-date=November 27, 2016 \|work=Los Angeles Times \|date=November 27, 2016 \|archive-date=August 9, 2020 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809063221/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-20-tv-318-story.html \|url-status=live}}</ref> After ] bought the pre-May 1986 MGM library in 1986,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Delugach \|first=Al \|date=March 4, 1986 \|title=Way Cleared for Turner's MGM Deal \|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-03-04-fi-15193-story.html \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511201300/http://articles.latimes.com/1986-03-04/business/fi-15193_1_ted-turner \|archive-date=May 11, 2011 \|access-date=December 18, 2023 \|website=]}}</ref> it was transferred to its cable network ], which debuted on the network on December 9, 1989.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Hughes \|first=Mike \|date=December 9, 1989 \|title=Turner turns Grinch; show only on TNT \|pages=11 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/battle-creek-enquirer-turnerturnsgrinc/13908286/ \|access-date=December 18, 2023}}</ref> It was also broadcast on ] and ]. ] returned it to broadcast television by adding its own annual screening in 2001.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Seuss' 'Grinch' Returns to TV on The WB this December \|url=http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?21957 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011201164421/http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?21957 \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=1 December 2001 \|work=Zap2It \|date=1 December 2001}}</ref> ] took over the special after The WB ceased operations in 2006. ] acquired the rights in 2015; its deal with ] allows two broadcasts per season.<ref>{{cite news \|title='How The Grinch Stole Christmas' Animated Special Moves To NBC – TCA \|url=https://deadline.com/2015/08/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-animated-special-nbc-1201498444/ \|access-date=August 14, 2015 \|website=] \|date=August 13, 2015 \|archive-date=August 14, 2015 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814154626/http://deadline.com/2015/08/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-animated-special-nbc-1201498444/ \|url-status=live}}</ref> The Christmas night broadcast has been later followed by the airing of the ]. In 2022, the second airing of the special was aired on December 23 instead of Christmas Day due to a ] (NFL) game between the ] and ]. Both TBS and TNT continue to air the special many times presently during the ] annually too as well.
	After its initial airing, ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' was ranked at No. 6 on television during the period between December 5–18, 1966, by ].<ref>{{Cite news \|title=Bonanza and NBC Head Nielsen Lists \|pages=77 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/382312914/?terms=how%20the%20grinch%20stole%20christmas&match=1 \|access-date=December 11, 2023}}</ref> A year later, it was ranked at No. 2 (behind a rerun of ]) during the period between December 4–17, 1967.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Du Brow \|first=Rick \|date=January 3, 1968 \|title=Specials Do Well on TV \|pages=16 \|work=The Pensacola News \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/264088271/?terms=how%20the%20grinch%20stole%20christmas&match=1 \|access-date=December 11, 2023}}</ref> The special continues to be popular in Nielsen ratings, with its 2010 airing (the last of many times it had aired that year) winning its time slot among persons 18 to 49 and finishing second in overall viewers.<ref> {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227090313/http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2010/12/tv-ratings-cbs-reruns-dominate-abcs-double-grinch-wins-demo.html\|date=December 27, 2010}}. ''Zap2It''. Retrieved December 26, 2010</ref>		After its initial airing, ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' was ranked at No. 6 on television during the period between December 5–18, 1966, by ].<ref>{{Cite news \|title=Bonanza and NBC Head Nielsen Lists \|pages=77 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/382312914/?terms=how%20the%20grinch%20stole%20christmas&match=1 \|access-date=December 11, 2023}}</ref> A year later, it was ranked at No. 2 (behind a rerun of ]) during the period between December 4–17, 1967.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Du Brow \|first=Rick \|date=January 3, 1968 \|title=Specials Do Well on TV \|pages=16 \|work=The Pensacola News \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/264088271/?terms=how%20the%20grinch%20stole%20christmas&match=1 \|access-date=December 11, 2023}}</ref> The special continues to be popular in Nielsen ratings, with its 2010 airing (the last of many times it had aired that year) winning its time slot among persons 18 to 49 and finishing second in overall viewers.<ref> {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227090313/http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2010/12/tv-ratings-cbs-reruns-dominate-abcs-double-grinch-wins-demo.html\|date=December 27, 2010}}. ''Zap2It''. Retrieved December 26, 2010</ref>

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	Upon its initial broadcast, it received generally positive but muted reviews from critics. Roy Shields of '']'' called the special "perfect", praising it as "faithful to the artistry of Dr. Seuss".<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Shields \|first=Roy \|date=December 19, 1966 \|title='Grinch' stole more than just Christmas \|pages=19 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/942206021/?terms=the%20grinch&match=1 \|access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref> A review on '']'' recommended the program, describing it as a "superb, delightful, and tender animated presentation of Dr. Seuss's beloved children's book."<ref>{{Cite news \|date=December 18, 1966 \|title=TV Preview \|pages=32 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/846444877/?terms=the%20grinch%20newsday&match=1 \|access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref> Syndicated columnist Rick Du Brow, while taken aback at the special's cost compared to others in its genre, admitted that it was "as good as most of the other holiday cartoons" and found the special's optimistic ending to be "reassuring", stating "I can't see why anyone would dislike it."<ref>{{cite news \|author=Rick Du Brow \|date=December 19, 1966 \|title=Christmas 'Theft' A Charming Hour \|newspaper=Beaver County Times \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DrQiAAAAIBAJ&pg=4759,3878898&dq=rick-du-brow+grinch&hl=en \|access-date=December 23, 2012}}</ref> John Heisner of '']'' called the special a "fascinating bit of fantasy with a simple message".<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Heisner \|first=John \|date=December 19, 1966 \|title=Dr. Seuss' 'Christmas' Is Fun \|pages=44 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/137005456/?terms=the%20grinch&match=1 \|access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref> Hal Humphrey of '']'' called the special a "disappointment". Though Humphrey described the result as "much too mild", he praised the animation and music.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Humphrey \|first=Hal \|date=December 19, 1966 \|title='Grinch' Disappointing Christmas Special \|pages=102 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/382362119/?terms=how%20the%20grinch%20stole%20christmas&match=1 \|access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref> Jack Gould of '']'' praised the animation, but criticized the result as a "creation that should be left undisturbed on the printed page." He further stated that it is "one of the rare children's shows that are really interesting to adults."<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Gould \|first=Jack \|date=December 19, 1966 \|title=TV Review \|pages=75 \|work=] \|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1966/12/19/archives/tv-review.html \|access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref> Barbara Delatiner of '']'' criticized the special as "more elusive" and a "disappointment", describing the characters as " half as funny ".<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Delatiner \|first=Barbara \|date=December 19, 1966 \|title='Grinch' Fails To Steal Hearts \|pages=78 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/715513164/?terms=the%20grinch&match=1 \|access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref> A 1970 "Top View" survey of viewers published by Clarke Williamson ranked the show with a 70.2 "good" score, ahead of ''Frosty the Snowman'' but lower than ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'', '']'' and ''Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer''.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Williamson \|first=Clarke \|date=January 28, 1970 \|title=Top View \|pages=40 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/272948692/?terms=grinch&match=1 \|access-date=December 12, 2023}}</ref>		Upon its initial broadcast, it received generally positive but muted reviews from critics. Roy Shields of '']'' called the special "perfect", praising it as "faithful to the artistry of Dr. Seuss".<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Shields \|first=Roy \|date=December 19, 1966 \|title='Grinch' stole more than just Christmas \|pages=19 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/942206021/?terms=the%20grinch&match=1 \|access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref> A review on '']'' recommended the program, describing it as a "superb, delightful, and tender animated presentation of Dr. Seuss's beloved children's book."<ref>{{Cite news \|date=December 18, 1966 \|title=TV Preview \|pages=32 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/846444877/?terms=the%20grinch%20newsday&match=1 \|access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref> Syndicated columnist Rick Du Brow, while taken aback at the special's cost compared to others in its genre, admitted that it was "as good as most of the other holiday cartoons" and found the special's optimistic ending to be "reassuring", stating "I can't see why anyone would dislike it."<ref>{{cite news \|author=Rick Du Brow \|date=December 19, 1966 \|title=Christmas 'Theft' A Charming Hour \|newspaper=Beaver County Times \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DrQiAAAAIBAJ&pg=4759,3878898&dq=rick-du-brow+grinch&hl=en \|access-date=December 23, 2012}}</ref> John Heisner of '']'' called the special a "fascinating bit of fantasy with a simple message".<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Heisner \|first=John \|date=December 19, 1966 \|title=Dr. Seuss' 'Christmas' Is Fun \|pages=44 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/137005456/?terms=the%20grinch&match=1 \|access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref> Hal Humphrey of '']'' called the special a "disappointment". Though Humphrey described the result as "much too mild", he praised the animation and music.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Humphrey \|first=Hal \|date=December 19, 1966 \|title='Grinch' Disappointing Christmas Special \|pages=102 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/382362119/?terms=how%20the%20grinch%20stole%20christmas&match=1 \|access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref> Jack Gould of '']'' praised the animation, but criticized the result as a "creation that should be left undisturbed on the printed page." He further stated that it is "one of the rare children's shows that are really interesting to adults."<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Gould \|first=Jack \|date=December 19, 1966 \|title=TV Review \|pages=75 \|work=] \|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1966/12/19/archives/tv-review.html \|access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref> Barbara Delatiner of '']'' criticized the special as "more elusive" and a "disappointment", describing the characters as " half as funny ".<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Delatiner \|first=Barbara \|date=December 19, 1966 \|title='Grinch' Fails To Steal Hearts \|pages=78 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/715513164/?terms=the%20grinch&match=1 \|access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref> A 1970 "Top View" survey of viewers published by Clarke Williamson ranked the show with a 70.2 "good" score, ahead of ''Frosty the Snowman'' but lower than ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'', '']'' and ''Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer''.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Williamson \|first=Clarke \|date=January 28, 1970 \|title=Top View \|pages=40 \|work=] \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/272948692/?terms=grinch&match=1 \|access-date=December 12, 2023}}</ref>

	Throughout the years, it has since been regarded as a ] classic. The special has an ] based on {{Rt data\|count}} professional reviews, with an average rating of {{RT data\|average}}. The critical consensus reads: "''How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' brings an impressive array of talent to bear on an adaptation that honors a classic holiday story – and has rightfully become a yuletide tradition of its own."<ref name=":3">. '']''. Retrieved December 16, 2023. {{Rt data\|edit}}</ref> Jeffrey Westhoff of '']'' rated the special a perfect five out of five, stating that "Christmas isn't Christmas without the Grinch."<ref name=":3" /> Derek James of '']'' called it a "seasonal classic".<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite news \|title=How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) \|work=] \|url=https://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/72355/how_the_grinch_stole_christmas.html \|url-status=dead \|access-date=December 16, 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071216143517/https://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/72355/how_the_grinch_stole_christmas.html \|archive-date=December 16, 2007}}</ref> '']'' stated that the special "works because of its surprisingly sentimental climax".<ref>{{Cite news \|last1=Adams \|first1=ErIk \|last2=Murray \|first2=Noel \|last3=James \|first3=Emily St. \|date=December 8, 2011 \|title=TV Christmas Specials \|work=] \|url=https://www.avclub.com/tv-christmas-specials-1798229191 \|access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref>		Throughout the years, it has since been regarded as a ] classic. The special has an ] on ] based on {{Rt data\|count}} professional reviews, with an average rating of {{RT data\|average}}. The critical consensus reads: "''How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' brings an impressive array of talent to bear on an adaptation that honors a classic holiday story – and has rightfully become a yuletide tradition of its own."<ref name=":3">. '']''. Retrieved December 16, 2023. {{Rt data\|edit}}</ref> Jeffrey Westhoff of '']'' rated the special a perfect five out of five, stating that "Christmas isn't Christmas without the Grinch."<ref name=":3" /> Derek James of '']'' called it a "seasonal classic".<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite news \|title=How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) \|work=] \|url=https://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/72355/how_the_grinch_stole_christmas.html \|url-status=dead \|access-date=December 16, 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071216143517/https://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/72355/how_the_grinch_stole_christmas.html \|archive-date=December 16, 2007}}</ref> '']'' stated that the special "works because of its surprisingly sentimental climax".<ref>{{Cite news \|last1=Adams \|first1=ErIk \|last2=Murray \|first2=Noel \|last3=James \|first3=Emily St. \|date=December 8, 2011 \|title=TV Christmas Specials \|work=] \|url=https://www.avclub.com/tv-christmas-specials-1798229191 \|access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref>

	== Home media ==		== Home media ==
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	* {{IMDb title\|0060345\|How the Grinch Stole Christmas!}}		* {{IMDb title\|0060345\|How the Grinch Stole Christmas!}}
			* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}

	{{Dr. Seuss}}		{{Dr. Seuss}}

Latest revision as of 20:52, 27 December 2024

1966 American animated television special based on the book by Dr. Seuss

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Print advertisement
Genre	Christmas Family Comedy Slapstick
Based on	How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss
Developed by	Chuck Jones
Screenplay by	Dr. Seuss
Directed by	Chuck Jones Ben Washam
Voices of	Boris Karloff June Foray Thurl Ravenscroft Dallas McKennon
Narrated by	Boris Karloff
Composers	Albert Hague (songs) Eugene Poddany (additional music)
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Producers	Chuck Jones Ted Geisel
Editors	Lovell Norman John O. Young
Running time	25 minutes
Production companies	The Cat in the Hat Productions MGM Animation/Visual Arts MGM Television
Budget	$315,000
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	December 18, 1966 (1966-12-18)
Related
Halloween Is Grinch Night The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (also known as Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!) is a 1966 American animated television special, directed and co-produced by Chuck Jones. Based on the 1957 children's book of the same name by Dr. Seuss, the special features the voice of Boris Karloff (also a narrator) as the Grinch. It tells the story of the Grinch, who tries to ruin Christmas for the townsfolk of Whoville below his mountain hideaway.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! was produced by The Cat in the Hat Productions in association with the television and animation divisions of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (the company that Jones was under contract at the time). The special completed production in a year and originally aired in the United States on CBS on Sunday, December 18, 1966. The special is considered a perennial holiday special.

Plot

The Grinch is a surly, antisocial green creature with a heart "two sizes too small" who lives alone in a snowbound cave atop Mt. Crumpit, located above the village of Whoville. He especially hates Christmas and has always been annoyed by the town's Christmas celebrations. One Christmas Eve, he finally decides to stop Christmas Day from coming to Whoville by disguising himself as Santa Claus, his dog Max as a reindeer and, in a reversal of Santa's visit, stealing all presents, decorations, and symbols of Christmas. Once loaded, he plans on dumping the bags of stolen goods. He is noticed by a girl named Cindy Lou Who, but is otherwise undetected.

As the Grinch reaches the icy summit of Mt. Crumpit, ready to dump the bags, he discovers that the citizens of Whoville, despite having no gifts or decorations, have gathered in the middle of town to sing as Christmas Day dawns. Realizing that Christmas means more than just material possessions, the Grinch's heart grows three sizes. He saves the sleigh, returns the presents and the other belongings to the Whos, and joins in the town's Christmas celebration by carving the roast beast, giving Max the first slice.

Voice cast

Boris Karloff as the Grinch / Narrator
June Foray as Cindy Lou Who
Dallas McKennon as Max
Thurl Ravenscroft as Vocalist (You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch)
MGM Studio Chorus as Citizens of Whoville

Production

Development

Animation and cartoon director Chuck Jones and children's-book author Ted Geisel (Dr. Seuss) had worked together on the Private Snafu training cartoons at Warner Bros. Cartoons during World War II. Jones was interested in adapting one of Geisel's books into a television special and approached him to turn How the Grinch Stole Christmas! into one in time for the holiday season. According to Jones, when he first read the book, his comment was that the Grinch was the best Christmas villain since Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol. Although Geisel was initially reluctant, he agreed with Jones' idea.

During the process of storyboarding, Geisel and Jones worked closely at the MGM studio and Geisel's glass-enclosed eagle's nest in the neighborhood of La Jolla in San Diego, California. It took approximately two months to be finished. After storyboarding was finished, Jones went to New York City to sell the special to a sponsor. He presented the idea with the storyboard and acted all the parts 28 times. The special was bought by the Foundation For Full-Service Banks. CBS gave Jones and MGM a $315,000 budget (equivalent to $2,958,000 in 2023), more than four times what Bill Melendez was offered to produce A Charlie Brown Christmas. According to The Daily Herald-Tribune in 1992, it was a record for a cartoon at the time.

Voice cast

Chuck Jones and Ted Geisel cast Boris Karloff to narrate the special because of his "beautiful, rhythmic, caring" voice and the poetic quality of the way he read the script. He also voiced the Grinch to ensure the voices of the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who were well received by fans. Jones described Karloff as "the only one " because of his establishment of Rudyard Kipling's stories and others. Prior to its production, Karloff was eager to do the special since he had been a Dr. Seuss fan for several years. After recording, the sound engineers removed Karloff's high pitches to create the "gravelly grunt" of the Grinch's voice. June Foray provided the voice of Cindy Lou Who. She listened to Karloff's reading on earphones to maintain the same poetic quality.

Designs and animation

Since the special did not have a script, the special was presented visually. Chuck Jones and MGM assured Ted Geisel that there would be no limit of quality on its animation. The animation for the special was followed carefully by sixteen rules on the guidelines of "good animation", which was applied to most of Chuck Jones' films. Most of the fully animated characters have implied skeletal structural and muscle movements. Approximately 15,000 drawings and cels, 250 background drawings, 4,500 dispensable and unusable character layout drawings, and 1,200 character layout drawings were created for the special. Jones worked on more than 1,500 sketches to "bring to life" and changed their physical appearances, although their personalities remained the same. Animators Ken Harris, Abe Levitow, Ben Washam, and Dick Thompson animated the special respectively.

The special was produced in color (as virtually all prime time television programs on major American networks were by 1966); in discussing possible colors for the Grinch, Jones and Dr. Seuss mutually agreed that there was no other choice except green. The job for animators was to animate the Grinch's movement in believability. Due to the lack of Grinch's skeletons, the Grinch's sketches were carefully drawn with Dr. Seuss's academic drawings. His movements were done by identifying the Grinch anatomically. Jones redesigned Cindy Lou Who as the "great-granddaughter" of the Grinch in appearance and pared her role down. According to Jones, the character Max was set up as an observer and victim in the same way as Porky Pig and Daffy Duck in Duck Dodgers or Robin Hood Daffy. Jones also added honesty, decency, and drama for the character to be relatable. The identity source for Max was Jones' childhood dog who was a young fox terrier. Animation production designer Maurice Noble established Whoville, the Whoville homes, the Grinch's hideaway, and the icy slopes of Mt. Crumpit. Because the book ran up to 12 minutes, additional scenes were created to extend the adaptation.

Music

The score consists of 60 musicians playing a 34-piece orchestra with a 12-voice choir. They worked for a total of eight hours. It included three songs: "Trim Up the Tree", "Welcome Christmas", and "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch". Jones questioned how to make a Christmas special without typical Christmas elements. Jones' answer: "Write our new carols in Seussian Latin. After all, 'Fahoofores, Dahoodores' seems to have as much authenticity as 'Adeste Fideles' to those unauthored in Latin." The song "Trim Up the Tree" was written in a Polka square-dance type form by Albert Hague.

Because Thurl Ravenscroft was not credited in the closing credits as the singer of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch", it is sometimes attributed to Boris Karloff. In his interview in TNT's In the Making Of: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1994), Ravenscroft revealed that Ted Geisel neglected his screen credit. After becoming aware of this oversight, Seuss called Ravenscroft to apologize, and later wrote letters to columnists nationwide telling them that it was Ravenscroft who provided vocals for the musical number.

Soundtrack

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Soundtrack album by various artists
Released	December 18, 1966 (1966-12-18)
Genre	Christmas
Length	31:08 (original release)
Label	Leo The Lion Records
Producer	Jesse Kaye

On December 18, 1966, MGM released a soundtrack LP record in conjunction with the television special. In the recorded version, Boris Karloff does all voices including Cindy Lou Who. The song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch", which comically describes the level of the Grinch's despicable nature, includes all verses with their original rhyming lyrics and the isolated song tracks have different durations due to being re-recorded. On October 3, 1995, Mercury Nashville released the soundtrack on CD.

On October 5, 1999, Rhino Entertainment released a new CD soundtrack (which included the soundtrack for another Dr. Seuss cartoon, Horton Hears a Who!). Both story collections contain selected dialogue and music numbers. The "isolated music tracks" in this edition are taken from the television soundtrack and are not the re-recorded tracks from earlier versions. The dialogues are the originals, being voiced by Boris Karloff for "Grinch" and Hans Conried for "Horton".

Original version (1966)

Side one

No.	Title	Performer	Length
1.	"How the Grinch Stole Christmas"	Boris Karloff	21:36
Total length:			21:36

Side two

All lyrics are written by Dr. Seuss; all music is composed by Albert Hague

No.	Title	Performer(s)	Length
1.	"Welcome Christmas"	MGM Studio Chorus	1:41
2.	"Trim Up The Tree"	MGM Studio Chorus	1:18
3.	"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"	Thurl Ravenscroft	2:56
4.	"Welcome Christmas (reprise)"	MGM Studio Chorus	3:35
Total length:			9:30

Television soundtrack (1999)

All tracks were narrated by Boris Karloff and performed by the MGM Studio Orchestra. Most of the songs were performed by the MGM Studio Chorus, with the exceptions of "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" and "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch (Reprise)", performed by Thurl Ravenscroft.

The Story

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Opening"	1:29
2.	"Trim Up The Tree"	0:45
3.	"Tomorrow Is Christmas, It's Practically Here"	4:11
4.	"Welcome Christmas"	0:46
5.	"I Must Stop Christmas"	0:59
6.	"You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch"	5:15
7.	"You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch (Reprise)"	5:15
8.	"A Quarter of Dawn"	1:43
9.	"Welcome Christmas (Reprise)"	2:52
10.	"Finale"	3:06

Isolated Music Tracks

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Opening"
2.	"Trim Up The Tree"
3.	"Welcome Christmas"
4.	"You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch"

Broadcast

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! was originally telecast in the United States on CBS on December 18, 1966. The original broadcasts from 1966 to 1970 were sponsored by the Foundation for Full Service Banks, whose sponsor plugs within the special were edited out for subsequent broadcasts after 1970. In 1971, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! was sponsored by Nabisco Inc. and Reynold Metals Company.

CBS repeated it annually during the Christmas season until 1988. After Turner Broadcasting System bought the pre-May 1986 MGM library in 1986, it was transferred to its cable network TNT, which debuted on the network on December 9, 1989. It was also broadcast on TBS and Cartoon Network. The WB returned it to broadcast television by adding its own annual screening in 2001. ABC took over the special after The WB ceased operations in 2006. NBC acquired the rights in 2015; its deal with Warner Bros. Television Studios allows two broadcasts per season. The Christmas night broadcast has been later followed by the airing of the 2000 film of the same name. In 2022, the second airing of the special was aired on December 23 instead of Christmas Day due to a National Football League (NFL) game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals. Both TBS and TNT continue to air the special many times presently during the holiday season annually too as well. After its initial airing, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! was ranked at No. 6 on television during the period between December 5–18, 1966, by Nielsen Media Research. A year later, it was ranked at No. 2 (behind a rerun of A Charlie Brown Christmas) during the period between December 4–17, 1967. The special continues to be popular in Nielsen ratings, with its 2010 airing (the last of many times it had aired that year) winning its time slot among persons 18 to 49 and finishing second in overall viewers.

Reception

Upon its initial broadcast, it received generally positive but muted reviews from critics. Roy Shields of The Toronto Star called the special "perfect", praising it as "faithful to the artistry of Dr. Seuss". A review on The Macon Telegraph recommended the program, describing it as a "superb, delightful, and tender animated presentation of Dr. Seuss's beloved children's book." Syndicated columnist Rick Du Brow, while taken aback at the special's cost compared to others in its genre, admitted that it was "as good as most of the other holiday cartoons" and found the special's optimistic ending to be "reassuring", stating "I can't see why anyone would dislike it." John Heisner of Democrat and Chronicle called the special a "fascinating bit of fantasy with a simple message". Hal Humphrey of The Los Angeles Times called the special a "disappointment". Though Humphrey described the result as "much too mild", he praised the animation and music. Jack Gould of The New York Times praised the animation, but criticized the result as a "creation that should be left undisturbed on the printed page." He further stated that it is "one of the rare children's shows that are really interesting to adults." Barbara Delatiner of Newsday criticized the special as "more elusive" and a "disappointment", describing the characters as " half as funny ". A 1970 "Top View" survey of viewers published by Clarke Williamson ranked the show with a 70.2 "good" score, ahead of Frosty the Snowman but lower than A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Little Drummer Boy and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Throughout the years, it has since been regarded as a Christmas classic. The special has an approval rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 28 professional reviews, with an average rating of 9.1/10. The critical consensus reads: "How the Grinch Stole Christmas brings an impressive array of talent to bear on an adaptation that honors a classic holiday story – and has rightfully become a yuletide tradition of its own." Jeffrey Westhoff of Northwest Herald rated the special a perfect five out of five, stating that "Christmas isn't Christmas without the Grinch." Derek James of Time Out called it a "seasonal classic". The A.V Club stated that the special "works because of its surprisingly sentimental climax".

Home media

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! was first released as part of the Dr. Seuss Video Festival on VHS, CED, Laserdisc, and Betamax in 1982. It was reissued several times throughout the '80s and '90s. The special was released to the VHS and DVD formats in 1999 and 2000 by Warner Home Video, which acquired the pre-May 1986 MGM library in the 1996 via their purchase of Turner Entertainment Co. MGM had earlier released it on DVD in 1997. The 1997 DVD release featured another Seuss-based special, Horton Hears a Who!, while the 2000 DVD also added an audio commentary by lead animator Phil Roman and June Foray, interviews with Albert Hague and Thurl Ravenscroft, and the "Special Edition" documentary which aired alongside the special on TNT in 1994. The DVD was well-received for these bonus features, but also criticized for its sub-par picture quality; many critics pointed out that the Grinch looked yellow, not green, in this release.

The special was re-released on DVD in 2006 and labeled as a "50th Birthday Deluxe Edition". That labeling refers to the 1957 date of the book's publication rather than to the date of the 1966 TV special. This DVD release featured a new retrospective featurette and contained all the bonus features from the previous release, except for the audio commentary, and the Grinch was restored to his original green color. This edition is also available as part of the four-disc Classic Christmas Favorites box set. The special was again re-released on DVD with Phil Roman's and June Foray's audio commentary replacing the Horton Hears a Who! bonus special. The special was released on high definition Blu-ray Disc in 2009 with the title changed to Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. It contained all the bonus features from the 2000 DVD, except for Horton Hears a Who!, and also included a DVD of the special and a Digital Copy. On October 18, 2011, It featured on the Dr. Seuss: Holidays On The Loose! DVD set, along with Halloween Is Grinch Night and The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat.

Legacy

In 2004, TV Guide ranked the special No. 1 on its 10 Best Family Holiday Specials list. In 2022, Fatherly included the special on its list of the 100 best family-friendly films widely available to the public, one of only two productions made for television (A Charlie Brown Christmas being the other).

Prequels and follow-ups

A television special called Halloween Is Grinch Night, created by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, aired on ABC in 1977, eleven years after the Christmas special. This special involved a tale of the Grinch coming down to haunt the Whos every Halloween. Though less successful than the original, it was awarded an Emmy. A later cartoon, The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (alternatively titled The Cat in the Hat Gets Grinched), aired on ABC in 1982. Though credited to DePatie–Freleng, it was produced by Marvel Productions, which had taken over DePatie–Freleng in 1981.

Notes

Two reliable sources say that 25,000 drawings were created for the special; it is uncertain which of the two figures is the more accurate.

References

Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962–1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 121–122. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
^ Jones 1996, p. 278.
Jones 1996, p. 263.
^ Humphrey, Hal (December 12, 1966). "Seuss Menagerie to Star on Sunday". The Los Angeles Times. p. 92. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
^ "'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'– Best Villain Since Old 'Scrooge!'". The Daily Record. December 7, 1966. p. 17. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
^ In the Making of: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1994). TNT
^ Jones 1996, p. 267.
^ Jones 1996, p. 275.
^ Jones 1996, p. 276.
1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
Stephen, Jacob (2011). Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster. Tomahawk Press. p. 478.
Barrington, Stephen (December 23, 1992). "The Grinch remains a venerable part of Christmas". The Daily Herald-Tribune. p. 14. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
^ Jones 1996, p. 272.
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"Color Revolution: Television In The Sixties – TVObscurities". tvobscurities.com. March 14, 2009. Archived from the original on January 3, 2015.
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McCracken, Elizabeth (December 25, 2005). "Our Cereal Hero". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
"Country Music" (PDF). Cash Box. October 7, 1995. p. 32. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
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"UPDATE / Lee Margulies". Los Angeles Times. November 27, 2016. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
Delugach, Al (March 4, 1986). "Way Cleared for Turner's MGM Deal". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
Hughes, Mike (December 9, 1989). "Turner turns Grinch; show only on TNT". Battle Creek Enquirer. p. 11. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
"Seuss' 'Grinch' Returns to TV on The WB this December". Zap2It. December 1, 2001. Archived from the original on December 1, 2001.
"'How The Grinch Stole Christmas' Animated Special Moves To NBC – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. August 13, 2015. Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
"Bonanza and NBC Head Nielsen Lists". The Los Angeles Times. p. 77. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
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TV ratings: CBS reruns dominate, ABC's double-'Grinch' wins demo Archived December 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Zap2It. Retrieved December 26, 2010
Shields, Roy (December 19, 1966). "'Grinch' stole more than just Christmas". The Toronto Star. p. 19. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
"TV Preview". The Macon Telegraph. December 18, 1966. p. 32. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
Rick Du Brow (December 19, 1966). "Christmas 'Theft' A Charming Hour". Beaver County Times. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
Heisner, John (December 19, 1966). "Dr. Seuss' 'Christmas' Is Fun". Democrat and Chronicle. p. 44. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
Humphrey, Hal (December 19, 1966). "'Grinch' Disappointing Christmas Special". The Los Angeles Times. p. 102. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
Gould, Jack (December 19, 1966). "TV Review". The New York Times. p. 75. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
Delatiner, Barbara (December 19, 1966). "'Grinch' Fails To Steal Hearts". Newsday. p. 78. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
Williamson, Clarke (January 28, 1970). "Top View". Fort Lauderdale News. p. 40. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
^ "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)". Time Out. Archived from the original on December 16, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
Adams, ErIk; Murray, Noel; James, Emily St. (December 8, 2011). "TV Christmas Specials". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
"Diversity, Depth Characterize Prerecorded Video Releases" (PDF). Billboard. September 4, 1982. p. 27. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
"DVD Movie Guide: Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas/Horton Hears A Who!: Special Edition (1966) review". Dvdmg.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
"DVD Movie Guide: Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas/Horton Hears A Who!: 50th Birthday Deluxe Edition (1966) review". Dvdmg.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
"WHV Press Release: Seasonal Family Classics Combo Packs (Blu-ray)". Hometheaterforum.com. July 14, 2009. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
TV Guide Guide to TV. Barnes and Noble. 2004. p. 574. ISBN 978-0-7607-5634-8.
"These Are The 100 Best Kids Movies Of All Time. Fight Us". Fatherly. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
"Primetime Emmy® Award Database | Emmys.com". Cdn.emmys.tv. Archived from the original on August 31, 2016. Retrieved December 15, 2011.

Sources

Jones, Chuck (1996). Chuck Reducks: Drawing From the Fun Side of Life. Warner Books. ISBN 0-446-51893-X.

External links

Dr. Seuss

Characters

Bibliography

Adaptations

Television series	The Gerald McBoing-Boing Show (1956–1957) The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss (1996–1998) Gerald McBoing-Boing (2005–2007) The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! (2010–2018) episodes Green Eggs and Ham (2019–2022)
Television specials	Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) Horton Hears a Who! (1970) The Cat in the Hat (1971) The Lorax (1972) Dr. Seuss on the Loose (1973) The Hoober-Bloob Highway (1975) Halloween Is Grinch Night (1977) Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You? (1980) The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (1982) The Butter Battle Book (1989) In Search of Dr. Seuss (1994) Daisy-Head Mayzie (1995)
Film	Horton Hatches the Egg (short; 1942) Gerald McBoing-Boing (short; 1950) How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) The Cat in the Hat (2003) Horton Hears a Who! (2008) The Lorax (2012) The Grinch (2018)
Video games	Dr. Seuss' Fix-Up the Mix-Up Puzzler (1984) The Grinch (2000) The Cat in the Hat (2003) Dr. Seuss: Green Eggs and Ham (2003) Dr. Seuss: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (2007)
Other media	Welcome (Russian short film) Seussical (musical) Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" (song) The Cat in the Hat (play) The Lorax (musical) Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical Live! (musical) Dr. Seuss's ABC (musical) Green Eggs and Ham (musical) The Cat in the Hat (musical)

Other works

as "Theo. LeSieg". Posthumous.

v t e Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Characters	The Grinch
Book	How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957)
Adaptations	How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966 TV special) How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical (1994) How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 live-action film) The Grinch (2018 animated film) The Grinch Musical Live! (2020 TV special)
Video games	The Grinch (2000) Dr. Seuss: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (2007) The Grinch: Christmas Adventures (2023)
Spin-off stories	Halloween Is Grinch Night (1977 TV special) The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (1982 TV special)
Music	"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" (1966) "Green Christmas" (2000) "Lonely Christmas Eve" (2000) "Where Are You Christmas?" (2000) Soundtrack and score (2018) Music Inspired by Illumination & Dr. Seuss' The Grinch (2018)
Related	Whoville Dr. Seuss Memorial How the Sith Stole Christmas (2002) Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss The Mean One (2022)
Category

v t e Grammy Award for Best Children's Music Album
1958−1974	"The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" – Ross Bagdasarian Sr. (1958) Peter and the Wolf – Peter Ustinov (1959) Let's All Sing with The Chipmunks – Ross Bagdasarian Sr. (1960) Prokofiev: Peter and The Wolf – Leonard Bernstein (1961) Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals/Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra – Leonard Bernstein (1962) Bernstein Conducts for Young People – Leonard Bernstein (1963) Mary Poppins: Original Cast Soundtrack – Dick Van Dyke & Julie Andrews (1964) Dr. Seuss Presents: "Fox in Sox" and "Green Eggs and Ham" – Marvin Miller (1965) Dr. Seuss Presents - "If I Ran the Zoo" and "Sleep Book" – Marvin Miller (1966) Dr. Seuss: How The Grinch Stole Christmas – Boris Karloff (1967) No Award (1968) Peter, Paul and Mommy – Peter, Paul and Mary (1969) Sesame Street – Joan Cooney & Thomas Z. Shepard (producers) (1970) Bill Cosby Talks to Kids About Drugs – Bill Cosby (1971) The Electric Company – Bill Cosby & Rita Moreno (1972) Sesame Street Live! – Joe Raposo (producer) (1973) Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too – Paul Winchell, Sebastian Cabot & Sterling Holloway (1974)
1975−1992	The Little Prince – Richard Burton (1975) Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf / Saint-Saëns: "Carnival of the Animals" – Hermione Gingold & Karl Böhm (1976) Aren't You Glad You're You – Christopher Cerf & Jim Timmens (producers) (1977) The Muppet Show – Jim Henson (producer) (1978) The Muppet Movie – Jim Henson & Paul Williams (producers) (1979) In Harmony: A Sesame Street Record – David Levine & Lucy Simon (producers) (1980) Sesame Country – Jim Henson & Dennis Scott (producers) (1981) In Harmony 2 – David Levine & Lucy Simon (producers) (1982) E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones (producer) (1983) Where the Sidewalk Ends – Shel Silverstein and Ron Haffkine (producer) (1984) Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird – Jim Henson & Steve Buckingham (producers) (1985) The Alphabet – Jim Henson, Geri Van Rees & Kathryn King (producers) (1986) The Elephant's Child – Bobby McFerrin & Jack Nicholson (1987) Pecos Bill – Robin Williams and Ry Cooder (1988) The Rock-A-Bye Collection, Volume 1 – Tanya Goodman (1989) The Little Mermaid: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack – Alan Menken & Howard Ashman (songwriters) (1990) A Cappella Kids – Clifford "Barney" Robertson (producer) (1991) Beauty and the Beast: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Alan Menken & Howard Ashman (songwriters) (1992)
2011−present	All About Bullies... Big and Small – Gloria Domina, James Cravero, Kevin Mackie, Patrick Robinson & Steve Pullara (producers) (2011) Can You Canoe? – The Okee Dokee Brothers (2012) Throw a Penny in the Wishing Well – Jennifer Gasoi (2013) I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World – Neela Vaswani (2014) Home – Tim Kubart (2015) Infinity Plus One – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (2016) Feel What U Feel – Lisa Loeb (2017) All the Sounds – Lucy Kalantari & The Jazz Cats (2018) Ageless Songs for the Child Archetype – Jon Samson (2019) All the Ladies – Joanie Leeds (2020) A Colorful World − Falu (2021) The Movement – Alphabet Rockers (2022) We Grow Together Preschool Songs – 123 Andrés (2023)
From 1993–2010, the category was split into Best Musical Album for Children and Best Spoken Word Album for Children.

Chuck Jones

Short subjects

1930s	The Night Watchman (1938) Dog Gone Modern (1939) Robin Hood Makes Good (1939) Prest-O Change-O (1939) Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur (1939) Naughty but Mice (1939) Old Glory (1939) Snowman's Land (1939) Little Brother Rat (1939) The Little Lion Hunter (1939) The Good Egg (1939) Sniffles and the Bookworm (1939) The Curious Puppy (1939)
1940s	Mighty Hunters (1940) Elmer's Candid Camera (1940) Sniffles Takes a Trip (1940) Tom Thumb in Trouble (1940) The Egg Collector (1940) Ghost Wanted (1940) Stage Fright (1940) Good Night Elmer (1940) Bedtime for Sniffles (1940) Elmer's Pet Rabbit (1941) Sniffles Bells the Cat (1941) Joe Glow, the Firefly (1941) Porky's Ant (1941) Toy Trouble (1941) Porky's Prize Pony (1941) Inki and the Lion (1941) Snow Time for Comedy (1941) The Brave Little Bat (1941) Saddle Silly (1941) Porky's Midnight Matinee (1941) The Bird Came C.O.D. (1942) Porky's Cafe (1942) Conrad the Sailor (1942) Dog Tired (1942) The Draft Horse (1942) Hold the Lion, Please (1942) The Squawkin' Hawk (1942) Fox Pop (1942) The Dover Boys at Pimento University; or, The Rivals of Roquefort Hall (1942) My Favorite Duck (1942) Case of the Missing Hare (1942) To Duck or Not to Duck (1943) Flop Goes the Weasel (1943) Super-Rabbit (1943) The Unbearable Bear (1943) The Aristo-Cat (1943) Coming!! Snafu (1943) Wackiki Wabbit (1943) Spies (1943) The Infantry Blues (1943) Fin'n Catty (1943) Inki and the Minah Bird (1943) Point Rationing of Foods (1943) Tom Turk and Daffy (1944) Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears (1944) Private Snafu vs. Malaria Mike (1944) The Weakly Reporter (1944) A Lecture on Camouflage (1944) Going Home (1944, unreleased) Gas (1944) Angel Puss (1944) Outpost (1944) From Hand to Mouse (1944) Lost and Foundling (1944) Hell-Bent for Election (1944) Odor-able Kitty (1945) Private Snafu in The Aleutians—Isles of Enchantment (Oh Brother!) (1945) Trap Happy Porky (1945) It's Murder She Says (1945) Hare Conditioned (1945) Fresh Airedale (1945) No Buddy Atoll (1945) Hare Tonic (1945) Secrets of the Caribbean (1945) Quentin Quail (1946) Hush My Mouse (1946) Hair-Raising Hare (1946) Fair and Worm-er (1946) Roughly Squeaking (1946) Scent-imental Over You (1947) Inki at the Circus (1947) A Pest in the House (1947) House Hunting Mice (1947) Little Orphan Airedale (1947) A Feather in His Hare (1948) What's Brewin', Bruin? (1948) Rabbit Punch (1948) Haredevil Hare (1948) You Were Never Duckier (1948) Daffy Dilly (1948) My Bunny Lies over the Sea (1948) Scaredy Cat (1948) So Much for So Little (1949) Awful Orphan (1949) Mississippi Hare (1949) Mouse Wreckers (1949) The Bee-Deviled Bruin (1949) Long-Haired Hare (1949) Often an Orphan (1949) Fast and Furry-ous (1949) Frigid Hare (1949) For Scent-imental Reasons (1949) Bear Feat (1949) Rabbit Hood (1949)
1950s	The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950) The Ducksters (1950) Dog Gone South (1950) 8 Ball Bunny (1950) The Hypo-Chondri-Cat (1950) Homeless Hare (1950) Caveman Inki (1950) Rabbit of Seville (1950) Two's A Crowd (1950) Bunny Hugged (1951) Scent-imental Romeo (1951) A Hound for Trouble (1951) Rabbit Fire (1951) Chow Hound (1951) The Wearing of the Grin (1951) Cheese Chasers (1951) A Bear for Punishment (1951) Drip-Along Daffy (1951) Operation: Rabbit (1952) Feed the Kitty (1952) Little Beau Pepé (1952) Water, Water Every Hare (1952) Beep, Beep (1952) The Hasty Hare (1952) Going! Going! Gosh! (1952) Mouse-Warming (1952) Rabbit Seasoning (1952) Terrier Stricken (1952) Orange Blossoms for Violet (1952) Don't Give Up the Sheep (1953) Forward March Hare (1953) Kiss Me Cat (1953) Duck Amuck (1953) Much Ado About Nutting (1953) Wild Over You (1953) Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953) Bully for Bugs (1953) Zipping Along (1953) Lumber Jack-Rabbit (1953) Duck! Rabbit, Duck! (1953) Punch Trunk (1953) Feline Frame-Up (1954) No Barking (1954) The Cat's Bah (1954) Claws for Alarm (1954) Bewitched Bunny (1954) Stop! Look! And Hasten! (1954) From A to Z-Z-Z-Z (1954) My Little Duckaroo (1954) Sheep Ahoy (1954) Baby Buggy Bunny (1954) Beanstalk Bunny (1955) Ready, Set, Zoom! (1955) Past Perfumance (1955) Rabbit Rampage (1955) Double or Mutton (1955) Jumpin' Jupiter (1955) Knight-mare Hare (1955) Two Scent's Worth (1955) Guided Muscle (1955) One Froggy Evening (1955) 90 Day Wondering (1956) Bugs' Bonnets (1956) Broom-Stick Bunny (1956) Rocket Squad (1956) Heaven Scent (1956) Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z (1956) Barbary Coast Bunny (1956) Rocket-Bye Baby (1956) Deduce, You Say! (1956) There They Go-Go-Go! (1956) To Hare Is Human (1956) Scrambled Aches (1957) Ali Baba Bunny (1957) Go Fly a Kit (1957) Boyhood Daze (1957) Steal Wool (1957) What's Opera, Doc? (1957) Zoom and Bored (1957) Touché and Go (1957) Drafty, Isn't It? (1957) Robin Hood Daffy (1958) Hare-Way to the Stars (1958) Whoa, Be-Gone! (1958) To Itch His Own (1958) Hook, Line and Stinker (1958) Hip Hip-Hurry! (1958) Cat Feud (1958) Baton Bunny (1959) Hot-Rod and Reel! (1959) Wild About Hurry (1959)
1960s	Fastest with the Mostest (1960) Who Scent You? (1960) Rabbit's Feat (1960) Ready, Woolen and Able (1960) Hopalong Casualty (1960) High Note (1960) Zip 'N Snort (1961) The Mouse on 57th Street (1961) The Abominable Snow Rabbit (1961) Lickety-Splat (1961) A Scent of the Matterhorn (1961) Compressed Hare (1961) Beep Prepared (1961) Nelly's Folly (1961) A Sheep in the Deep (1962) Zoom at the Top (1962) Louvre Come Back to Me! (1962) Martian Through Georgia (1962) I Was a Teenage Thumb (1963) Now Hear This (1963) Hare-Breadth Hurry (1963) Mad as a Mars Hare (1963) Transylvania 6-5000 (1963) To Beep or Not to Beep (1963) Tom and Jerry (cartoon shorts, 1963–1967) War and Pieces (1964) The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics (1965) The Bear That Wasn't (1967)
1980s	Spaced Out Bunny (1980) Soup or Sonic (1980)
1990s	Chariots of Fur (1994) Another Froggy Evening (1995) Superior Duck (1996) Pullet Surprise (1997) From Hare to Eternity (1997) Father of the Bird (1997)

Television
specials

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
The Pogo Special Birthday Special (1969)
Horton Hears a Who! (1970)
The Cat in the Hat (1971)
The Cricket in Times Square (1973)
A Very Merry Cricket (1973)
Yankee Doodle Cricket (1975)
The White Seal (1975)
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (1975)
Mowgli's Brothers (1976)
Bugs and Daffy's Carnival of the Animals (1976)
Bugs Bunny in King Arthur's Court (1978)
Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Great Santa Claus Caper (1978)
Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile (1979)
Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales (1979)
Bugs Bunny's Bustin' Out All Over (1980)
Daffy Duck’s Thanks-for-Giving Special (1980)
A Chipmunk Christmas (1981)
Peter and the Wolf (1995)

Feature films

Gay Purr-ee (1962, screenplay)
The Phantom Tollbooth (1970)
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie (1979)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988, animation consultant)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990, animation sequences)
Stay Tuned (1992, animation sequence)
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993, animation supervisor)

Television series

The Bugs Bunny Show (1960-1962, new animated sequences)
Off to See the Wizard (1967-1968, animated sequences)
Curiosity Shop (1971-1972)

Books

Daffy Duck for President (1997)

Characters

Other works

Categories:

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