A Who’s Who Christmas

Then he slunk to the icebox;

He took the Who’s feast.

He took the Who pudding ...

He took the roast beast!

He cleaned out the icebox,

quick as a flash.

Why that Grinch even took the

last can of Who-Hash.

It’s been just a hair past 25 years since that despicable green Grinch first emerged at Christmas and stole our hearts.

The animated half-hour is a sprite adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ popular children’s book. It turned out to be the perfect blend of Seuss inventiveness and flickery lyrics, all complimented by Chuck Jones’ animation style.

The project was at first doomed: MGM was hesitant to gamble on a Dr. Seuss story and the premise was too turbulent, some complained.

As the show’s producer, animator Jones ran amok trying to find a TV sponsor to air the ghoul out. Neither Nestle nor Hasbro wanted to touch him, nor did 40 cereal or toy companies who read the treatment. Imagine Jones’ plea: “It’s a heartwarming children’s special about an impish ugly Scrooge-like thing that steals Christmas from a blissful town.” Hosted by Boris Karloff.

Yet, like an answer to a prayer, the story’s theme caught on: “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store.” Worshiping that notion, a banking foundation sponsored the Grinch’s premiere on CBS because of that very line in the script.

Remember the harmonious village of Who’s in Who-ville and tiny Cindy Lou Who (“who was no more than two”)? The tot witnesses the green scrooge, dressed as Santa, looting Who-ville by tippy-toe. More than anything, the Grinch despised Christmas, you see, with the noise of the toys and the truffles and fuzzles! So he robbed them of everything. He loaded up his sleigh with all the Who’s treasures and whisked away quickly with Max, the cute, innocent reindog who remained loyal--yes, even to Grinch.

The deed was done, but Christmas came anyway. Seuss provided fodder for young, imaginative minds by his sheer lunacy with words. One of the best songs, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” became a highlight in the career of baritone Thurl Ravenscroft (best known as the voice of Tony the Tiger). The voice of Cindy Lou is provided by June Foray (voice of Rocky Squirrel).

They may not know it at the time, but for many youngsters, “Grinch” is their introduction to the classic voice of the master of horror films, Karloff. He was the original Frankenstein’s monster and the first film Mummy. He was a devilish Captain Hook in Broadway’s “Peter Pan.” And near the end of his career he narrated the Grinch Christmas tale with that soft, English accent touched with a pleasant lisp.

“I chose him personally,” says Jones, who also directed the TV special and etched the storyboards--some 1,200 drawings. “It never occurred to me that there was anyone else to narrate ... with that magnificent voice that was so deep and sweet.”

By then, Karloff had long been attempting to scare off his villainous image by reading Mother Goose stories on New York radio and recording Rudyard Kipling fables on LPs. Christmas was a celebrated season for Karloff, who occasionally zipped up a Santa suit for appearances at orphanages. He delighted in the “Grinch” success for the few years before his death in 1969. Jones, creator of the Road Runner and Wyle E. Coyote, is proud to point out the universal appeal of the half-hour holiday program: “It’s one of the few Christmas specials, I think, that does not specify any particular religion. We never thought it would be an annual favorite,” he admits. “No more so than we thought Bugs Bunny might last.”

“The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” airs Sunday at 4 p.m. on TBS and Saturday at 5 p.m. on TNT; Dec. 20 at 4:30 p.m. on TNT and 5:05 p.m. Dec. 24 on TBS.