Hi again! I’ve got kind of a quick one on tap tonight! I’ll be looking at the beloved half- hour TV special ‘Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas.’ Made in 1966 by the great Chuck Jones (Creator of the Looney Tunes) and of course based on the Dr. Seuss book of the same title, it has Boris Karloff acting as both the general narrator and as the voice of the Grinch. I won’t be looking at the full- length 2000 live- action film made of it, both because I don’t have the time at the moment, and because people have always been very mixed about whether it’s good or not (Though I’ve always liked it). Maybe next year.
By now, everyone should know the story. The Whos down in Whoville love Christmas, but the Grinch, who lives atop a mountain just North of Whoville, hates it. Part of the reason why may just be that the Grinch has sensitive ears, as he goes into a long rant about how noisy the Whos are around Christmas. He of course gets the idea to dress up as Santa Claus (While at the same time dressing up his dog Max to look like a reindeer), break into all the Whos’ houses, and steal all their presents, food, and decorations. Once he’s gotten all of them, he goes to the top of his mountain to dump it all, but just then, he gives a listen down to see how the Whos react. Rather than lamenting what they’ve lost, the Whos are still joyously singing to welcome Christmas. As the story says, “He didn’t stop Christmas; It came just the same.†Hearing this helps the Grinch realize that maybe there’s more to Christmas than just presents and trees, so his tiny heart grows 3 sizes, and he brings everything back and is gladly welcomed by the Whos.
One thing I didn’t like about this version is that a couple times during the scene when the Grinch is taking everything from the houses, it repeatedly uses the same animation clip of the same four sacks being thrown up out of the chimney and landing on the roof. Considering that this special was made by the animation legend Chuck Jones, you’d think he’d avoid using such repetitive footage.
This is one special which definitely still holds up today. It captures the spirit of the book nicely, makes you laugh, and ultimately leaves you feeling really good inside.
You really feel bad for the Grinch’s dog Max. He’s put through a lot of pretty painful- looking stuff (i.e. when going downhill, the sled catches up to him and runs him over at least once), yet he still remains loyal to his master.
The songs are great, especially of course ‘You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.’ It’s a VERY well- written song if you listen just to some of the terms used to describe the Grinch, and the montages in which the song is played are fun to watch, as well.
The animation by Chuck Jones is mostly top- notch. Amid all the CG specials I’ve seen this year, seeing a hand- drawn one, especially one done by a great like Chuck Jones, is quite refreshing
And there you have ‘Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas,' wonderful special which is still fun t0 watch. See you guys tomorrow!
