Posted in: Movies | Tagged: Boris Karloff, chuck jones, dr seuss, How The Grinch Stole Chrismtas, HRL, Lauren Looks Back, Thurl Ravenscroft

Lauren Looks Back: How The Grinch Stole Christmas – and My Heart

Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas is timeless. The book has been used in classrooms and nursery's across the globe, and the 1966 animated movie — narrated by Boris Karloff — is arguably one of the most-watched holiday specials of all time.

Legendary director Chuck Jones brought the book to life in 1966 with his just 26-minute film. The animation is bright, colorful, and honors Dr. Seuss's art perfectly. But getting the short up and running wasn't easy. Seuss wasn't interested in his books becoming animated shorts, but Jones (who had an established relationship with Seuss) managed to persuade him to let the Grinch be brought to life. Seuss was also opposed to Karloff as the narrator and voice of the Grinch out of fear he would make the character too scary. His voice was altered during the Grinch's speaking lines, giving him the voice we all know today.

Thurl Ravenscroft provided the deep baritone voice for 'You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch'. However, he received no on-screen credit, so Seuss went out of his way to make sure people knew. As I said before, this short became a classic, and it shown every Christmas season. There were two sequels for the Grinch (and a few remakes), but nothing really beats the original.

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