Boris Karloff may be well-known for voicing the green, furry, pot-bellied Grinch in the 1966 animated special How the Grinch Stole Christmas, but he surprisingly wasn’t the voice behind one of the beloved holiday classic’s most iconic songs. Serving as an explanation as to why the Grinch wants to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” was actually sung by Thurl Ravenscroft, an actor and bass singer whose voice echoed through several corners of pop culture throughout the mid- to late 20th century.
Ravenscroft’s involvement in the now-iconic holiday classic, based on Dr. Seuss’ 1957 children’s book of the same name, began in 1966 when he took a studio job for just a couple hours of work, according to The New York Times. That job would see him signing a song about a creature so “vile” that the narrator wouldn’t touch him with a “39-and-a-half foot pole.” The song also sings of a Grinch who is “a monster” and whose “heart’s an empty hole” and has “garlic in your soul,” with other memorable lyrics including, “You’re as cuddly as a cactus/ You’re as charming as an eel.”
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The song was an instant hit and has gone on to be one of the best-remembered moments from the Christmas classic. The soundtrack for the special not only won the Grammy Award for Best Album for Children at the 10th Annual Grammy Awards, but “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” has since been featured in most adaptations of the Dr. Seuss book, with Jim Carey singing it in the 2000 live-action remake and Tyler, the Creator performing an updated version in the 2018 CGI animated film.
Despite the lasting success of the song, though, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” is often miscredited, with many believing that Karloff sang it. The confusion stems not only from the fact that Karloff voiced the Grinch throughout speaking parts in the special — and also voiced the narrator — but also because Ravenscroft was not credited in the closing credits of the special. Instead, the credits to How the Grinch Stole Christmas only say, “the sounds of the Grinch are by Boris Karloff. . .and read by Boris Karloff too!”
Although Ravenscroft’s voice is often overlooked by viewers of the annual holiday classic, most people still know his voice, even if they don’t realize it. The singer, who died at the age of 91 in 2005, sang “No Dogs Allowed” in Snoopy Come Home and did voice-over work and singing for Disney in numerous films and Disneyland attractions — including The Haunted Mansion, Country Bear Jamboree, Mark Twain Riverboat, Pirates of the Caribbean, and more. Most notably, he is best remembered as the voice behind Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes animated spokesman Tony the Tiger, having voiced the character for 53 years and in more than 500 commercials.
You can hear Ravenscroft’s voice this year when How the Grinch Stole Christmas airs as part of TV holiday programming, most likely airing on TNT and TBS. The special is also available to stream on Peacock.
