Doubleshot Tuesday: How The Grinch Stole Christmas/A Charlie Brown Christmas

[Today: Enduring characters from Christmas past...]

Dr. Seuss created many memorable characters in his decades as a cartoonist and author, but his most enduring invention might be the pea-green, pear-shaped mope who plots to steal Christmas from Who-ville. Driven mad by good cheer and caroling, The Grinch, (whose shoes and heart are both two sizes too small) sneers that “I MUST find some way to keep Christmas from coming!” To that end he builds a giant sleigh, puts reindeer antlers on his little dog Max, dresses up as Santa Claus, and proceeds to clean out Who-ville in a string of spectacular cat burglaries. The Grinch’s heart may be “full of unwashed socks” and his soul “full of gunk” but he’s a character I relate to more as I get older. If I lived next door to Who-ville, I’d probably want them to turn down the volume too (and yes, I’m talking to you, Cindy Lou Who). But of course, The Grinch goes soft at the end, returns all the presents and trees and fandanglers, and comes to the realization that “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store – maybe it means a little bit more.” Boris Karloff narrates with venom, and this is a Christmas special that gets more special with each passing year.

If Mr. Grinch represents a cynical, adult take on the spirit of the season, then A Charlie Brown Christmas conveys the magic of the holidays through the innocence of children. Charlie Brown has to pick out a tree for the school Christmas pageant, and by choosing the scrawniest little sapling available, helps everyone understand the true, non-commercial meaning of Christmas. The plot’s a little thin, and frankly the characters kind of annoy me (my inner Grinch flairs up!), but there’s a magical sequence midway through where Snoopy goes ice-skating alone. His revelry in twirling across the ice evokes the joy of the holidays, and saves this special from the doldrums (as well as Charlie Brown’s incompetence, Linus’ thumb-sucking, and Lucy’s bitchiness). But the best part of all is the soundtrack, courtesy of the Vince Guaraldi Trio. The music has become indelibly associated with the images, but this is a jazz album that swings and sways, and far outshines the television special it was created for. In fact, it’s one of the very few holiday albums that sounds great all year ’round.

Listen: You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch [Boris Karloff]

Listen: Skating [Vince Guaraldi Trio]

Tags: A Charlie Brown Christmas, Boris Karloff, Dr. Seuss, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Snoopy, Vince Guaraldi, Vince Guaraldi Trio