How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)....

[Warped9]

After picking it up today this evening I sat down to watch the original 1966 animated How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

I just flat out LOVE this animated feature. And I've loved it since first seeing it in the mid to late '60s when I was small. When I was young I always made a point of catching it when rerun during the holidays. But as I got older there were quite a few years when for one reason or another I'd miss it. When I started collecting DVDs for my own little library I promised myself that I'd collect all those Christmas treasures I enjoy to make sure I never miss them. And How The Grinch Stole Christmas is finally in my collection. I've only a few more to get now (should have them all by the end of the week) and then my collection will be complete.

I can't help but reflect that like most Christmas music pretty much all the best holiday specials date back several years to some decades. It's like they just can't seem to put these things together anymore with that same cleverness and wit and feeling. In the '60s and early '70s we got A Charlie Brown Christmas, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty The Snowman, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town and The Little Drummer Boy. Before that we had the live-action films that were treasures even then such as It's A Wonderful life, The Bells Of St. Mary's, The Bishop's Wife, Remember The Night, the 1951 A Christmas Carol and the original Miracle On 34th Street. The only ones that came after that that I still think are good are The Homecoming, The Christmas Story (the kid wants a red rider BB gun) and The Man Who Saved Christmas. Okay, I gotta admit the first Home Alone was rather funny. And any sequels to these usually weren't anywhere near as good as the originals.

But the animated Grinch rocks. Over forty years old and it's still light years superior to the overblown Jim Carrey version.

Bring on Christmas! And welcome the Grinch!

[Gil T.Azell]

Agreed

[Kelso]

Yup. I'll be watching it with my girlie this year.

[Mr. Adventure]

I love the Grinch but for classics I'm looking forward to watching Bad Santa with my sister again this year.

[Rush Limborg]

I actually love the Jim Carrey film...but of course, it owes its existence (and its best parts, to be frank) to the animated version. Case in point: The Grinch's "sick" mannerisms, the reluctant Max, and of course...The Song. "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch..."

(Shame...the Carrey film only has the first three verses. The complete song has even MORE gags and laughs in it!)

The new film built on the old one. The old one laid the foundations.

[Warped9]

I watched the Jim Carrey version when my brother got the DVD for his kids when it was released, and we watched it Christmas Day. I just found the whole thing overdone. Did we really need to see the Grinch growing up and why he hated Christmas? No, we didn't. For me it was totally devoid of charm for much the same reasons as trying to do a live-action Flintstones or Scooby-Doo. Some things just work better in animation.

[Admiral_Young]

I used to be terrified of the Grinch's scowling face he makes. My brother and I still watch this every Christmas. We also have the album on CD as well. I didn't really like the Jim Carey film.

[auntiehill]

I LOVE the original. I watch it every year. I love the humor and wonderful Karloff narration. It's just so charming and quirky. Nothing tops it at Christmas time.

[Emh]

Let's see here...Chuck Jones + Boris Karloff + Dr. Seuss = Bloody brilliant.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas is always a must watch every Christmas along with A Charlie Brown Christmas and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

[Kirkman1987]

I love the grinch, with Rudolph a close second.

I think It's A Wonderful Life is great cinema, but it's rare that I watch it around christmas oddly enough.

[Keith1701]

Warped9 wrote:

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I watched the Jim Carrey version when my brother got the DVD for his kids when it was released, and we watched it Christmas Day. I just found the whole thing overdone. Did we really need to see the Grinch growing up and why he hated Christmas? No, we didn't. For me it was totally devoid of charm for much the same reasons as trying to do a live-action Flintstones or Scooby-Doo. Some things just work better in animation.

I really like both shows. They are very funny.

[McCoy]

To me, Grinch is second only to Charlie Brown.

[Misfit Toy]

For my family it's Grinch, Rudolph and Charlie Brown, in that order. Those three are the must-sees each year. I also try to squeeze in It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation too.

[the G-man]

Rush Limborg wrote:

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I actually love the Jim Carrey film...

I'm sorry, but the Carrey version completely SHITS on the entire point of the cartoon and the book.

The whole point of the original was how the Grinch hated Christimas because his heart was too small and how he needed to learn from the Whos the meaning of Christmas.

The Grinch THOUGHT (in the original) that the meaning of Christmas was gifts and parties. He believed that was all the Whos cared about. Then, after he steals their toys and decorations he learns that's not true. The spirit in their heart--the LOVE--is what they believe in. And he learns to love in return.

That's a great message about the holiday.

Conversely, in the Howard/Carrey version the Grinch hates Christmas because he's been a victim of discrimination by the Whos, a group of shallow people who, in fact, DO care more about the toys and parties. It's only after he steals their stuff do they repent. And, then, the Grinch gets to join their parties (in other words, exactly the opposite of what Dr Suess intended).

Basically, its as if Howard and Carrey decided to rewrite Dickens to make everyone an asshole until Ebeneezer and some ghosts lay down divine justice.

[B.J.]

I love the Grinch and Charlie Brown! But most of the stop motion stuff just makes me cringe these days. Not because of how it looks, but mostly because of the writing.