A grumpy hermit hatches a plan to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville.
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Title: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (TV Movie 1966)
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
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Storyline
Bitter and hateful, the Grinch is irritated at the thought of the nearby village having a happy time celebrating Christmas. So disguised as Santa Claus, with his dog made to look like a reindeer, he raids the village to steal all the Christmas things. The village is sure to have a sad Christmas this year. Written by Anonymous
Plot Keywords:
generosity | christmas special | change of heart | christmas | compassion |Taglines:
The fabled story world of DR. SEUSS comes to television for the first time in this colorful special for the whole family!Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
18 December 1966 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! See more »Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
|Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)Color:
Color (Metrocolor)Aspect Ratio:
4:3
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Narrator: Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville - did not. The Grinch hated Christmas - the whole Christmas season. Now, please don't ask why; no one quite knows the reason. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. Or it could be that his head wasn't screwed on just right. But I think that the most likely reason of all... may have been that his heart was two sizes too small. But, whatever the reason, his heart or his ...
See more »
(1966) (uncredited)
Lyrics by Dr. Seuss
Music by Albert Hague
Conducted by Eugene Poddany
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Much like the Coca Cola sponsor plugs from "A Charlie Brown Christmas", the original broadcast of "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" was sponsored by the Foundation for Full Service Banks and featured plugs for them at the beginning and end of the special. These have since been edited out of subsequent airings and are quite difficult to find. See more »Goofs
When the Grinch is about to load the sleigh, he loads empty bags in the sleigh. In the shot when the sleigh is falling from Mt. Crumpet, the bags look like that they are full already. In the next shot when the sleigh went down and Max the dog running, the bags are then empty. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Narrator: Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville - did not. The Grinch hated Christmas - the whole Christmas season. Now, please don't ask why; no one quite knows the reason. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. Or it could be that his head wasn't screwed on just right. But I think that the most likely reason of all... may have been that his heart was two sizes too small. But, whatever the reason, his heart or his ...
See more »
Crazy Credits
The complete credit for Boris Karloff in the opening credits reads as follows: "the sounds of the Grinch are by Boris Karloff... and read by Boris Karloff too!" See more »Alternate Versions
Beginning in 1986, the full version was shown though it was time compressed. See more »Soundtracks
Welcome Christmas (Christmas Morning)(1966) (uncredited)
Lyrics by Dr. Seuss
Music by Albert Hague
Conducted by Eugene Poddany
See more »
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This is one of the few Christmas shows that deserves its reputation. It never dips into mawkishness and yet makes its point. Chuck Jones gives us a Grinch who has the madcap qualities of Bugs Bunny (and even looks a bit like the waskely wabbit).
The narration and voice of the Grinch are by Boris Karloff, a wonderful choice. The music is clever, and the animation is excellent.
This classic certainly will withstand not only the test of time but also the competition of the live-action version which is unfortunately an example of a big budget and tons of FX burying a sweet, touching, and simple story. Go ahead and see the live-action version -- it has its moments. But definitely see this cartoon version.