12 Reviews of Christmas - How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, we're nearly done with the 12 Reviews of Christmas. So, with that in mind, let's take a look at the 1966 classic: How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Based on the book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. this half-hour animated classic was produced by Looney Tunes' creator Chuck Jones and narrated by the Frankenstein monster himself, Boris Karloff. The story tells of how after years of suffering through the annual celebration of Christmas, the Grinch, who resides in a cave atop Mt. Crumpit, wants to keep Christmas from happening. In a surprise decision, he puts together a Santa Claus hat and coat, ties an antler onto the head of his dog Max, and rides in a sleigh down the mountain to Whoville, the home of the Whos. As the Whos sleep, and await Christmas morning, the Grinch goes house-by-house and steals the Whos' presents, stockings, decorations, food, and Christmas trees. During his first stop, he is spotted by little Cindy Lou Who, who confuses him for Santa Claus, and proceeds to ask why he's taking the Christmas tree. The Grinch fools her into thinking he's taking the tree up to the North Pole to be fixed.
After taking every single present, decoration, and Christmas tree from Whoville, the Grinch ride his full sleigh all the way up to the top of Mt. Crumpit to dump his load, destroying the Whos' Christmas...or at least that's what he thinks anyway. On Christmas morning, instead of hearing sounds of sadness, the Grinch instead hears the joyful singing of the Whos. It turns out that, despite him stealing all of the presents, decorations, trees, and food, the Grinch didn't really stop Christmas from coming, as it still came. Christmas arrived despite all the Grinch did. After contemplating this turn of events, the Grinch comes to a realization: "Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." After this realization, the Grinch's heart, which was said to be two sizes too small, grew three sizes that Christmas morning, and he saves the sleigh from going over the edge, and rides it back to Whoville, returning the Whos' presents and food. Joining them for Christmas dinner, the Grinch himself carves the Whos' prized Roast Beast.
This special is a staple of the holiday season, often receiving airplay on television every year. I enjoy popping this one on every year with the copy of it that I have on Blu-ray. The animation still holds up, even more than fifty years later. Boris Karloff as the narrator, as well as the voice of the Grinch, is terrific and still as iconic today as he was when the special first aired. There have been two feature film adaptations of Dr. Seuss' classic book released in 2000 and 2018, respectively, which I will cover in the future as part of the 12 Reviews of Christmas, but in truth, this one is the definitive version of the story. This is a tried and true Christmas classic, and with its iconic song and memorable message, it's no wonder why so many enjoy it year after year, myself included. I'm going to go ahead and give How the Grinch Stole Christmas! a rating of 5/5. This is Chuck signing off. See you guy tomorrow as we conclude the 12 Reviews of Christmas.
Based on the book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. this half-hour animated classic was produced by Looney Tunes' creator Chuck Jones and narrated by the Frankenstein monster himself, Boris Karloff. The story tells of how after years of suffering through the annual celebration of Christmas, the Grinch, who resides in a cave atop Mt. Crumpit, wants to keep Christmas from happening. In a surprise decision, he puts together a Santa Claus hat and coat, ties an antler onto the head of his dog Max, and rides in a sleigh down the mountain to Whoville, the home of the Whos. As the Whos sleep, and await Christmas morning, the Grinch goes house-by-house and steals the Whos' presents, stockings, decorations, food, and Christmas trees. During his first stop, he is spotted by little Cindy Lou Who, who confuses him for Santa Claus, and proceeds to ask why he's taking the Christmas tree. The Grinch fools her into thinking he's taking the tree up to the North Pole to be fixed.
After taking every single present, decoration, and Christmas tree from Whoville, the Grinch ride his full sleigh all the way up to the top of Mt. Crumpit to dump his load, destroying the Whos' Christmas...or at least that's what he thinks anyway. On Christmas morning, instead of hearing sounds of sadness, the Grinch instead hears the joyful singing of the Whos. It turns out that, despite him stealing all of the presents, decorations, trees, and food, the Grinch didn't really stop Christmas from coming, as it still came. Christmas arrived despite all the Grinch did. After contemplating this turn of events, the Grinch comes to a realization: "Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." After this realization, the Grinch's heart, which was said to be two sizes too small, grew three sizes that Christmas morning, and he saves the sleigh from going over the edge, and rides it back to Whoville, returning the Whos' presents and food. Joining them for Christmas dinner, the Grinch himself carves the Whos' prized Roast Beast.
This special is a staple of the holiday season, often receiving airplay on television every year. I enjoy popping this one on every year with the copy of it that I have on Blu-ray. The animation still holds up, even more than fifty years later. Boris Karloff as the narrator, as well as the voice of the Grinch, is terrific and still as iconic today as he was when the special first aired. There have been two feature film adaptations of Dr. Seuss' classic book released in 2000 and 2018, respectively, which I will cover in the future as part of the 12 Reviews of Christmas, but in truth, this one is the definitive version of the story. This is a tried and true Christmas classic, and with its iconic song and memorable message, it's no wonder why so many enjoy it year after year, myself included. I'm going to go ahead and give How the Grinch Stole Christmas! a rating of 5/5. This is Chuck signing off. See you guy tomorrow as we conclude the 12 Reviews of Christmas.
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