How the Grinch Stole Christmas! of "Redbook" magazine. Dr. Seuss began work on "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" a couple of years later, around the beginning of 1957. He had recently completed "The Cat in the Hat" and was in the midst of founding Beginner Books with Phyllis and Bennett Cerf and his wife, Helen Palmer Geisel. Helen, who had ongoing medical problems and had suffered a small stroke in April 1957, nevertheless acted as an unofficial editor, as she had with previous Dr. Seuss books. Dr. Seuss wrote the book quickly and was mostly finished with it within a few weeks. Biographers Judith and
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 film) Phillips and John Davis in attendance, in which Jack Nicholson was in mind to play the Grinch. Additionally, the Farrelly brothers and John Hughes pitched their own separate versions. Universal Pictures held its pitch presentation with Brian Grazer and Gary Ross in attendance, but Geisel refused such offer. Grazer then enlisted his producing partner Ron Howard to help with the negotiations. At the time, Howard was developing a film adaptation of "The Sea-Wolf", and did not express interest in "Grinch", but Grazer talked Howard into traveling to Geisel's residence for the pitch meeting. While studying the book, Howard became interested