Daily Archives: December 6, 2018

Bleeding hearts of the world unite!

Whether you’re a fan of the original TV special or the newer 2000 movie starring Jim Carrey, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without The Grinch.

A story with a sweet message and a curmudgeon you can’t help but love, both versions of How the Grinch Stole Christmas have become beloved classics in homes all over the world. And with the recent release of the 2018 version starring Benedict Cumberbatch, The Grinch as seen a resurgence in popularity…

If you are a fan of the original, the remake or both, you’re going to love this collection of 19 Fun Facts about How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

19 Fun Facts about How the Grinch Stole Christmas

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

The original Grinch from the Dr. Seuss book was black and white with pink eyes. The decision to make him green came from animator and director Chuck Jones when he created the original animated film.

Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel and Jones actually worked together previously on Army training videos. They created an instructional cartoon called Private Snafu, featuring a bumbling protagonist who helped illustrate the dos and don’ts of Army safety protocols.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas almost didn’t get made because it didn’t have a sponsor. However, it finally found support from The Foundation for Commercial Banks…despite the popular line: “Perhaps Christmas doesn’t come from a store”.

The budget for HTGSC was massive, about $300,000 ($2.2 million in today’s dollars). That was almost unheard of for a TV cartoon, especially compared to the popular special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, which had a budget of $96,000 (or $722,000 today).

Though they don’t appear in the book, Geisel also wrote the lyrics to “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch”.

Narrator Boris Karloff is often credited with singing the title song; however, it was actually the voice behind Tony the Tiger, Thurl Ravenscroft. Geisel did not give Ravenscroft credit in the film (which supposedly was an oversight) and wrote a letter to him to apologize.

Geisel thought the illustration of Grinch had a striking resemblance to Jones himself.

The voice of Cindy Lou was provided by June Foray, a legendary voice actress who also voiced Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Lucifer the Cat in Disney’s Cinderella, and Grandmother Fa in Disney’s Mulan.

Karloff also won a Grammy for his narration of the HTGSC story on the vinyl record.

Towards the end of the special, the Grinch’s eyes change from red to blue to match his change of personality from evil to good.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

Eddie Murphy and Jack Nicholson were both considered for the role of the Grinch before Jim Carrey was cast in role.

It took Carrey almost three hours to get all the Grinch makeup on, and about an hour to take it off. He spent a total of 92 days in full makeup.

It was worth it, though. The film took home the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

The film was almost directed by Tim Burton, however it conflicted with Burton’s then project, Sleepy Hollow.

Cindy Lou Who is played by Taylor Momsen, who would go on to be Jenny Humphrey in Gossip Girl.

The actors who played Whos also had to go to Who School to learn movement and facial expressions.

The movie also included a fair number of Cirque de Soleil performers for the acrobatic stunts.

The man who played the young Grinch was Josh Ryan Evans, who was 18 at the time. He had a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia.

Carrey’s Grinch suit was made with yak hair, dyed green, and sewn onto a spandex suit.

Sometimes you just need a little fun in your life! Check back every week for a new “Just Bee-cause” post, where I discuss everything from celebrity news to favorite videos and websites!