This article is about the animated special. For the book, see How the Grinch Stole Christmas!.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas is an animated special directed by Chuck Jones. It is based on the popular children's book by Dr. Seuss, the story of The Grinch trying to take away Christmas from the townsfolk below. The short is now considered by most to be a timeless classic today. Chuck Jones in 1976 Charles Martin Chuck Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. ... Robert (Bob) Joseph Ogle (December 24, 1928 – April 1, 1998) was a Roman Catholic priest, broadcaster and Member of the Canadian House of Commons. ... Theodor Seuss Geisel (March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991) was an American writer and cartoonist best known for his classic childrens books under the pen name Dr. Seuss, including The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and One Fish Two Fish Red... Boris Karloff (born William Henry Pratt) (London, November 23, 1887 – February 2, 1969) was an English actor, who immigrated to Canada in the 1910s, best known for his roles in horror films and the creation of Frankensteins monster in 1931s Frankenstein. ... June Foray (born September 18, 1917) is an extremely versatile voice actor who has worked for most of the studios which produced animated films since the 1940s. ... Albert Hague (Born October 13, 1920 in Berlin, Germany, Died November 12, 2001) was a German-born songwriter and composer. ... “WB” redirects here. ... is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1966 in television involved some significant events. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... This article is about the Dr. Seuss book. ... The Grinch is a popular cartoon character created by Dr. Seuss. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ...

Synopsis

It's Christmas Eve down in Whoville, and everyone's decorating for the big day tomorrow. Everyone, that is, but The Grinch (Boris Karloff), who lives on Mt. Crumpit with a sour attitude. He absolutely hated everything about Christmas because of the noise surrounding the entire town on Christmas Day. The Grinch tries to come up with a plan of taking Christmas away. Just then, he notices his dog, Max, covered in snow in a Santa Claus-like way. The Grinch then gets the notion of diguising himself as Santa and taking the entire loot of presents that the town has. So, The Grinch gets to work. The Christmas Eve (1904-05), watercolor painting by the Swedish painter Carl Larsson (1853-1919) Christmas Eve, the evening of December 24th, the preceding day or vigil before Christmas Day, is treated to a greater or a lesser extent in most Christian societies as part of the Christmas season. ... Boris Karloff (born William Henry Pratt) (London, November 23, 1887 – February 2, 1969) was an English actor, who immigrated to Canada in the 1910s, best known for his roles in horror films and the creation of Frankensteins monster in 1931s Frankenstein. ... Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at the first Christmas Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... A typical depiction of Santa Claus. ...

First, he cuts out a coat & a hat and sews some fluff onto them. Next, he takes a reindeer horn and ties it to Max. Finally, the Grinch brings out a big stack of bags, loads it onto the sled, and starts down on his journey to Whoville in a very comical way.

Down in Whoville, the Grinch starts to steal everything in the first house. Cindy Lou Who (June Foray) wakes up and asks him why he's taking the Christmas tree. The Grinch lies and tells her that something is wrong with this tree and he'll fix it up. After Cindy's gone, The Grinch stuffs up the tree, takes the log for their fire, and goes up "the chimney himself, the old liar." He does the same thing for every house afterwards. June Foray (born September 18, 1917) is an extremely versatile voice actor who has worked for most of the studios which produced animated films since the 1940s. ...

Loaded with everything the Whos owned, the Grinch and Max takes up the loot to Mt. Crumpit. Feeling joyous at the moment, the Grinch prepares for a sad cry. Instead, the Whos were still happy, even though everything had been taken away from them. That's when the Grinch realizes the true meaning of Christmas. The Grinch barely retrieves the sled from falling over the edge of the mountain. He brings everything back to the Whos.

Reaction

Critics gave the film positive reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it an 100% "fresh" rating on its website. Many people enjoy the show every year as it airs on TV. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Releases to Video

How the Grinch Stole Christmas was released to home video in 1995 and in 2000. It was also released on DVD format in 2001 (with a bonus short, Horton Hears a Who) and in 2006. Horton Hears a Who! (1954) is a rhyming story by Dr. Seuss. ...