Halloween Is Grinch Night

Premiered October 29, 1977.

On an autumn evening in Whoville, Josiah Who (Hal Smith) notices that the sour-sweet wind is blowing.  Josiah tells his family that they need to get indoors and stay there, because the winds are a sign that Grinch Night is about to begin!

At his home on Mount Crumpit, the Grinch (Hans Conreid) hitches his paraphernalia wagon to his dog Max (Henry Gibson) and sets out towards Whoville.  Max doesn’t enjoy working for the Grinch and wonders to himself why he still does it.

Whoville’s Grinch Alarm Warden Sergeant Samuel S. McPherson (Jack DeLeon) watches the Grinch’s movements and promises the Whos that he will keep them posted about his activities.

On his way to Whoville, the Grinch defoliates trees, runs over flowers and chases after the rare wuzzy woozoo.

In the middle of Grinch Night, Josiah’s grandson Euchariah (Gary Shapiro) says he needs to go outside to use “the euphemism.”  Unfortunately, Euchariah is caught by the sour-sweet winds and carried far away to the mountains.  He winds up in the exact same spot as the Grinch.  

The Grinch tells Euchariah he has no time for him and continues towards Whoville.  The young Who realizes that he has to be brave, stall for time and prevent the Grinch from reaching the town. 

Euchariah asks the Grinch to scare him.  The Grinch responds by sending an array of monsters and ghosts at Euchariah.  Can Euchariah stop the Grinch from Grinching Whoville?

J.A. Morris says:

I saw this special back when it first premiered and I recall being very excited that the Grinch was getting a second holiday special.  So I bring some nostalgia to this review.  When I was a kid, I remember being confused because at the end of his Christmas special, it would appear that the Grinch had reformed his ways and become a better person.  I guess this special doesn’t share any continuity with the first (any more than A Charlie Brown Christmas shares any continuity with It’s The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown).  

We should mention that in spite of the title, the word “Halloween” is never mentioned in the special. Nor is trick or treating or anything traditionally associated with All Hallow’s Eve.  I guess in the Who’s universe (Whoniverse?) Grinch Night is their equivalent to Halloween.  

Euchariah is a sympathetic protagonist.  Unlike the adult Whos, he stands up to the Grinch.  The Grinch we see here seems a little more evil than in his previous appearance, striking out not because he finds Christmas annoying, but simply because he feels like it.  

The animation is gorgeous, especially the sequence where the Grinch tries to frighten Euchariah, which is the high point of the special.  It's filled with creepy ghosts and monsters that show off Dr. Seuss' wonderful imagination.   It's a visually stunning sequence.

There's also an amusing scene where the Grinch's eyebrows come to life and chase Euchariah!

The voice cast is also strong.  Hans Conreid takes over the voice of the Grinch from the deceased Boris Karloff and he also narrates the special.  Conreid was a famous voice actor, best remembered for voicing Captain Hook and Snidely Whiplash.  Hal Smith, who has voiced Santa in multiple holiday specials, is good as Josiah Who.  Henry Gibson voices Max the dog and he sings a sweet, sad song which questions why Max continues to do the Grinch’s dirty work for the Grinch.  

This is a solid, entertaining special, but it’s not in the same class as How The Grinch Stole Christmas!, which is probably why it never became an annual holiday TV fixture.  For starters, the songs and dialogue are very vague about what the Grinch will do to Whoville.  Will he cause them actual, physical harm?  Steal from their homes like he did at Christmas?  Or just give them a very intense Grinch Night scare?  

Halloween Is Grinch Night features songs composed by Joe Raposo, who wrote dozens of great songs for Sesame Street and The Electric Company.  The songs are all pretty good, especially Max’s aforementioned song.  However, Raposo's tunes are a step down from the songs featured in the Christmas special.  They won’t stick with you forever like “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” or “Fahoofores Dahoodores.”  

Halloween Is Grinch night is something everyone should watch at least once, but I doubt it’ll be something most will want to watch every October.  

J.A. Morris' rating:

3 jack o'lanterns.

RigbyMel says: 

I remember seeing Halloween is Grinch Night on the Disney Channel sometime in the mid-1980s.  I thought it was ok then and still feel like it's pretty ok now.  

I appreciate the trippy-ness of the sequence where the Grinch attempts to frighten our protagonist. (Side note: on the subject of trippy-ness, it seems to me that some of the graphic design in this sequence owes a lot to the 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine -- just played for creeps as opposed to peace and love.)  

Also the sheer unholy joy the Grinch takes in being his grinch-iest self  is quite fun to watch. 

However, this special doesn't have the magic that makes the 1966 version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas a classic that people come back to year after year.   I think there are a couple of reasons for this.   First,  this special isn't based on a book like its better known sibling.  As a result, although the rhythm and rhyme are fun (how could they not be with Dr. Seuss?),  they're just not quite as catchy and memorable as in the original Christmas classic. 

Secondly, I think the story is not quite as satisfying plot-wise.  What exactly is the Grinch going to do when he descends Mount Crumpit?   Scare anyone foolish enough to be outside?  Prank them?  Steal their apple cider?  It's not really clear.  

Plus, unlike in the 1966 Christmas special, there is no "heart grew three sizes" type transformation in this  -- meaning the Grinch remains a rather flat character in Halloween Is Grinch Night. Maybe this has something to do with Halloween being less codified than Christmas as a holiday.  Christmas changes of heart are common -- a la Ebenezer Scrooge and the Grinch himself.   Perhaps I am reading too much into an animated special aimed at entertaining children? 

As J.A. Morris mentions,  the special makes no mention of Halloween other than in the title.  However, the setting is definitely autumnal and definitely spooky.   

All in all, Halloween is Grinch Night is enjoyable enough, but not a perennial classic special. 

RigbyMel's rating: 

2 jack o'lanterns.

The Flintstones: "Christmas Flintstone"

Premiered December 25, 1964.

Needing extra money for Christmas, Fred Flintstone (Alan Reed) takes an extra job.  He works in the gift wrap department and the stockroom at Macyrock's department store.

Fred is easily distracted and clumsy, which causes him to drop a cart full of merchandise down an elevator shaft.  The store's owner, Mr. Macyrock (Mel Blanc) fires Fred.

Fred doesn't have much luck working in Gift Wrapping either

However, Fred gets a second chance.  Macyrock's Santa Claus is ill and unable to continue, so Fred is hired to play Santa.  

Fred turns out to be the best Santa Macyrock's has ever had.  He sings Christmas songs to the children, tells them stories and has a natural rapport with kids.

He goes home in his Santa suit and fools his wife Wilma (Jean Vander Pyl) and daughter Pebbles (also voiced by Vander Pyl)  into thinking he's the real Mr. Claus. Their friends Barney (Blanc) and Betty Rubble (Gerry Johnson) are also fooled at first.

Fred works as Santa through Christmas Eve. When his shift ends, he's exhausted and falls asleep.  He's woken up by two elves named named Twinky (Dick Beals) and Blinky (Don Messick).  

They tell Fred they are two of Santa elves and take him to a sleigh driven by flying "reindinos." 

Fred learns that the real Santa (Hal Smith) is too sick to make his deliveries and that Fred will serve as his replacement. Fred is reluctant, but Santa assures him that Twinky and Blinky will help him deliver the gifts.

Will Fred be able to deliver all the presents and save Christmas?  

J.A. Morris says:

Syndicated reruns of The Flintstones were part of my weekly (sometimes daily) TV diet when I was a kid, but I don't recall seeing this episode very often.  

It's a fun episode with a familiar plot.  I can think of multiple specials and episodes where Christmas is about to be cancelled because Santa is unable to deliver presents.  However, "Christmas Flintstone" is (as far as I know) and early example of this trope and it's enjoyable.  Alan Reed, who voices Fred, carries this episode and makes us believe that Fred loves playing Santa for kids and that he's still a "big kid" himself. 

Macyrock's toy department carries dolls that look like Pebbles and Bam-Bam!

"Christmas Flintstone" features two new songs sung by Reed, "Christmas Is My Fav'rite Time Of Year" and "Dino The Dinosaur's Christmas Tree."  I'm not sure who wrote these songs.  Some sources say they was written by series creators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, others say its author is John McCarthy.  Both songs are good and full of holiday spirit.  I'd love to see a famous recording artist cover "Christmas Is My Fav'rite Time Of Year."  

It's worth noting that Santa Claus is voiced by character actor Hal Smith, who is probably best remembered for his portrayal of Otis Campbell on The Andy Griffith Show.  Smith made a career out of playing Santa in both animation and live action productions.  His IMBD page shows Smith played Santa eighteen times!  

A publicity photo of Hal Smith during his time on The Andy Griffith Show.

Like every episode of The Flintstones, this one features funny interactions between the characters and cool "modern stone age" gadgets and vehicles.  I especially liked the dinosaur escalator at Macyrock's. 

"Christmas Flintstone" is a great holiday episode of a classic series.  It features a familiar story but the songs and the voice actors elevate the material and it gets my highest rating.  

J.A. Morris' rating:

4 candy canes!

RigbyMel says:

"Christmas Flintstone" is a charming holiday offering from the original 1960s prime time run of The Flintstones. Like J.A. Morris, I have fond memories of watching The Flintstones when I was growing up, but this Christmas episode is relatively new to me.  (To be honest, I hadn't seen it until I started blogging about holiday programming!)  

Fred even gets to be Santa on a live TV broadcast!

The helping an incapacitated Santa out plot line is definitely a trope, but it's well executed here.  It's probably also important to remember that these programs are - to some extent - aimed at children, so this may well be the actual introduction to the trope for many young viewers.  

Of course, The Flintstones series also holds the distinction of being the first animated series to hold a prime time slot on television, so it needs to appeal to adults as well as to children.   Parents can appreciate the notion of helping Santa with his duties from a different perspective while watching "Christmas Flintstone". 

It's also amusing that there's a small sight gag thrown in for attentive adults in this episode.  Dino has pinup dino-girl pictures on the wall near his bed! 

Note Bettie Page-esque dino wall art.

Personally, I also really like the mid-20th-century holiday color palette in this episode.  The pink and pastel trees at Macyrock's make me think of other specials (like A Charlie Brown Christmas) that were produced around the same time and share a similar aesthetic.

The songs in this episode are adorable and well-delivered by Alan Reed as Fred.  I agree with J.A. Morris that "Christmas Is My Fav'rite Time of Year" is worthy of being a holiday standard. 

"Christmas Flintstone" definitely stands up to repeated viewing and is well worth including in your holiday programming rotation. 

RigbyMel's rating:

4 candy canes

The Thanksgiving That Almost Wasn't

Premiered November 21, 1972.

On Thanksgiving Day, a squirrel tells his son the story of Jeremy Squirrel and the first Thanksgiving.

British settlers arrive in Plymouth, MA in 1620.  The first year is a difficult one, many settlers die. But with help from the resident Native Americans, the colony manages to make it through that first year and the settlers and the natives plan a big harvest feast.

On the morning of the first Thanksgiving, a boy named Johnny Cooke goes out to play "hunter" in the forest.

He's hunting for a turkey when he encounters an Indian boy named Little Bear.  They quarrel over which one is the better hunter.  Jeremy Squirrel arrives and tells the boys they should be friends rather than rivals.  Johnny and Little Bear agree and shake hands.

Peacemaking squirrel. 

The day of the Thanksgiving feast arrives and everyone is working hard to prepare the food.  Little Bear and Johnny go to play in the woods.  Jeremy realizes they'll get lost and he chases after them.

Their parents grow worried.  A search party of pilgrims and Indians sets out to find the boys.  Johnny and Little Bear try to find their way home in the dark, but go in the wrong direction. Luckily, Jeremy finds them and leads them on the correct path.  He gets some of his animal friends to accompany the boys on their journey homeward.

Everything seems to be okay until the boys encounter a wolf!  It chases Johnny and Little Bear with deadly intentions.

Will the boys be saved?  Or will the wolf turn the boys into his Thanksgiving Dinner?

J.A. Morris says:

This is special aired in syndication in the 1970s and 1980s.  But I only recall seeing it once, so I don't bring a lot of nostalgia to this review.   

The Thanksgiving That Almost Wasn't isn't a great special, but it's okay if you're seeking light holiday entertainment aimed at kids.

The voice acting credits don't really tell you who voiced which character, but this special features some of the greatest voice actors of all time.  It's always nice to hear the voice work of June Foray, Don Messick and Hal Smith.  I'm pretty sure we hear the voice of Thurl Ravenscroft (most famous for singing "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" and Tony the Tiger). Some of the background music here is easily recognizable from other Hanna-Barbera productions.  The "chase music"  heard near the end was used in countless episodes of Scooby Doo and it's used well here.

Goofy wolf.

But The Thanksgiving That Almost Wasn't has problems.  Jeremy and the other animals are cute and likeable, but the human characters aren't particularly interesting.  The wolf that threatens the boys is more goofy looking than scary.

The special also relies too much on recycled animation.  I expect to see some of that in old cartoons, but it's ridiculous in this case.  Sometimes we see the exact same scene a few seconds after we've just seen it.  The special's theme song is catchy, but  it's overused.  We get to hear it three times during the special's 25-minute running time.

The Settlers and the Indians search for the boys.

On a positive note, American Indians aren't portrayed in an ugly stereotypical manner, which is often the case in depictions of the first Thanksgiving.  It's also worth noting that the character Johnny Cooke is based on a real person and his father Francis was among those who signed the Mayflower Compact.

This special is available on dvd.  You can find it as a supplement on Casper's Halloween Special.  In recent years, it's been shown on Cartoon Network and it's sister channel Boomerang, so check your local listings.

The Thanksgiving That Almost Wasn't is okay, worth watching at least once.  Fans of the aforementioned voice actors will want to check out this special. 

J.A. Morris's rating:

2 and a half pumpkin pies.


RigbyMel says:

This animated special has its heart in the right place, but just doesn't gel for me. As J.A. Morris says above, there is a lot of recycled animation used.  A LOT!  This wouldn't be as big of a deal if the story was better.    There is plenty of drama in the real interactions between early British settlers and the Native Americans -- even if some of it wouldn't make for warm and fuzzy family viewing.

The talking squirrel angle, which is intended to be cute and appeal to the child audience this special is aimed at, feels tacked on instead.  It's also inconsistent.   Why can Jeremy the squirrel be understood by the two boys, but not by the adults looking for them?

Why aren't Johnny and Little Bear more surprised by the talking squirrel?    Why on earth should we care about the silly framing device with modern squirrel and human families that have no interaction to speak of?   It just doesn't quite work for me!  I have no problem with talking animals in cartoons generally, but this just feels unnecessary.

Then there is the song ... which is grating in the extreme,  yet the lyrics are oddly unmemorable.  It's mildly annoying the first time they use it in this special, but the annoyance factor ratchets up as it is repeated.  I think we hear it 3 or maybe even 4 times!

I don't remember ever seeing this special before and I wouldn't recommend seeing it unless you are a huge fan of the voice actors.

RigbyMel's rating:

1 and a half pumpkin pies