Whether we call him Mr. Scrooge or the Grinch, each of us could be found guilty of having something in common with these characters (whether we admit it or not). And that may be why we are sympathetic to such dastardly scoundrels.

A recluse in a mountaintop cave, the odd creature was born in the writings of Theodor Geisel--better known as Dr. Seuss--in 1957. A few years later, under the direction of animation legend Chuck Jones (the hand behind Bugs Bunny and associated characters), Geisel's work was brought to television as a one-shot Christmas special.

For the few of you who have lived in caves even further away from civilization than the Grinch, the story focuses on the "Whos," the residents of a strange little town called "Who-ville." Each year they busy themselves with Christmas preparations. However, as their enthusiasm for the season boils up the mountainside towards his cave, all that reaches the Grinch is "Noise! Noise! Noise!"

Unwilling to be the acoustic absorption for their frolicking any longer, the Grinch masterminds a diabolical plan with his one lone companion... his dog Max. With some basic sewing and carpentry skills the Grinch dons a red suit and turns Max into a reindeer. Following in Santa's footsteps on Christmas Eve, he packs up the Whos' gifts, trees, and the sacred roast beast, and totes them up the highest mountain peak to dump them.

But being robbed of their holiday trappings doesn't bring the response that the Grinch anticipated. Breaking into a grateful chorus the Whos sing, "Christmas day will always be, just as long as we have we," and the Grinch discovers (and we remember) that the spirit of Christmas isn't dependent on presents or turkey dinners. Perhaps that is why this animation has endured.

The recent re-release of this title on DVD and VHS includes another Dr. Seuss classic, Horton Hears a Who. My favorite of all the Seuss films, Horton captures the infinite possibilities of the universe and reminds us "a person is a person, no matter how small". The DVD also contains a couple of additional documentaries that, although not overly insightful, will at least provide answers to obscure entertainment trivia questions like what Tony the Tiger and Rocky the Squirrel have in common with the Grinch.

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Boris Karloff, best known for his 1931 portrayal of Frankenstein, narrated and provided the voice in the 1966 version of Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas. But the classic solo of You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch (and all other musical numbers attributed to the Grinch) were performed by Thurl Ravenscroft, the same voice who gives Tony the Tiger his Grrrreeeeaat! sound. Ravenscroft was overlooked when the credits for the movie were added, causing concern for Theodor Geisel, who made a personal attempt to publicly note the error.

And remember Cindy Lou Who? Voiced by June Foray, she also provided the sound of Rocky the Squirrel in both the 1960's cartoon series and in the recently released live action movie.

Follow this link if you're interested in the modern remake of Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas starring Jim Carrey.

Rod Gustafson

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