Editing Curious George

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{{Short description|Children's picture book character}}
{{About|the children's book series|other uses}}
{{Infobox character	
| full_name = Curious George
| image = curious George.png
| first = ''[[Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys]]'' (1939)
| creator = [[H. A. Rey|Hans Augusto Rey]]<br>[[Margret Rey]]
| voice = [[Corey Burton]] (1982–1984)<br>[[Frank Welker]] (2006–present)
| species = [[Monkey]]
| gender = Male
}}
'''Curious George''' is a fictional [[monkey]] who is the [[title character]] of a series of popular children's picture books written and illustrated by [[Margret Rey|Margret]] and [[H. A. Rey]]. Various media, including films and TV shows, have been based upon the original book series.

George is described as "a good little monkey, and always very curious". In the [[Curious George (book)|first book]], George is caught by "The Man with the Yellow Hat" and taken from Africa to America where the two live together. George and the Man with the Yellow Hat become friends.

George's first appearance was as a monkey named "Fifi" in the book ''[[Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys]]'', which was first published in [[France]] during 1939 in the late years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-06-16 |title=Curious George. About the Reys {{!}} PBS KIDS |url=http://pbskids.org/curiousgeorge/parentsteachers/program/reys.html |access-date=2022-07-27 |archive-date=2008-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080616051203/http://pbskids.org/curiousgeorge/parentsteachers/program/reys.html |url-status=deviated}}</ref> The popularity of the character led the Reys to feature "George" in his own series.

==History==

=== Creation ===
The original series was written by the husband-and-wife team of [[H.A. Rey|Hans Augusto (H. A.) Rey]] and [[Margret Rey]]. The Jewish couple fled Paris in June 1940, on bicycles they had made themselves, carrying the ''Curious George'' manuscript with them.<ref name="Boston.com News, A Curious Tale of Georges Creators">{{cite news | url=https://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2005/09/17/a_curious_tale_of_georges_creators/ | title=Boston.com News, By Mark Feeney Globe Staff | access-date=2007-10-29 | work=The Boston Globe | date=September 17, 2005}}</ref><ref name="New York Times, How Curious George Escaped The Nazis">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/13/books/13geor.html?_r=1&oref=slogin/ | title=How Curious George Escaped the Nazis
| author=Dinitia Smith | access-date=2007-10-29 | work=The New York Times | date=September 13, 2005 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529181608/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/13/books/how-curious-george-escaped-the-nazis.html | archivedate=29 May 2015}}</ref> They received visas in [[Bayonne]], under instructions from Aristides [[Aristides de Sousa Mendes|Sousa Mendes]], the Portuguese consul in Bordeaux, which enabled them to escape France via Portugal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Visa Recipients |url=https://sousamendesfoundation.org/family/rey}}</ref> At first, only H. A. Rey was credited for the work in order to distinguish the Reys' books from the large number of children's books written by female authors. The first seven books were illustrated by H.A. Rey.<ref>Marcus, Leonard S. "Introduction" in ''The Complete Curious George''. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001.</ref> Later, [[Alan Shalleck|Alan J. Shalleck]] was credited as an editor and Hans Rey and Margret Rey for the writing and illustrating. The Reys produced many other children's books, but the ''Curious George'' series was the most popular. Each book has been in continuous print since it was first published.

=== Literature ===
[[Image:WhiteHouseCuriousGeorge2003.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The [[White House]] 2003 [[Christmas]] decoration using Curious George as the theme with the [[Barbara Bush]] portrait.]]
Margret and H. A. Rey released seven ''Curious George'' books during H. A. Rey's lifetime. Recently, more ''Curious George'' books have been released by [[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]] including board books with scenes from the original books, books adapted from the 1980s telefilm series, and new adventures.

===Original adventures===
''[[Curious George (book)|Curious George]]'' appeared in 1941. This book begins with George living in Africa and tells the story of his capture by the Man with the Yellow Hat, who takes him on a ship to "the big city" where he will live in a [[zoo]]. The second book, ''[[Curious George Takes a Job]]'' (1947), begins with George living in the zoo, from which he escapes and has several adventures before the Man with the Yellow Hat finds him and takes George to live at his house. The remaining five stories describe George's adventures while living at the house of the Man with the Yellow Hat. Although the Man with the Yellow Hat is unnamed in both the original books and telefilm books, he receives his name in the [[Curious George (TV series)|Curious George]] TV series and is known as "Theodore Shackleford".

Sometimes dubbed the "Original Adventures", these original seven titles are completely by the series creators, Margret & H. A. Rey.

* ''[[Curious George (book)|Curious George]]'' (1941)
* ''[[Curious George Takes a Job]]'' (1947)
* ''[[Curious George Rides a Bike]]'' (1952)
* ''[[Curious George Gets a Medal]]'' (1957)
* ''[[Curious George Flies a Kite]]'' (1958)
* ''[[Curious George Learns the Alphabet]]'' (1963)
* ''[[Curious George Goes to the Hospital]]'' (1966)

Before appearing in his own series, Curious George appeared as a character in another children's book written and illustrated by H. A. Rey, ''[[Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys]]'' (1939).

===Books adapted from telefilms===
A second series of books, based on the [[#Other media|telefilm]] series, was edited by Margret & H.A. Rey and [[Alan Shalleck|Alan J. Shalleck]]. These appeared between 1984 and 1993. They are mostly out of print, though several have been re-released with new cover art as part of the next series, the "New Adventures".

=== "New Adventures" ===
A third series of books, the Curious George "New Adventures", began to appear in 1998, and continues to the present. These books are "illustrated in the style of H. A. Rey" by a variety of credited and uncredited artists including Mary O'Keefe Young, Martha Weston, Anna Grossnickle Hines, Michael Alan Jensen, and Vipah Interactive.{{Citation needed|date = January 2016}}

=== "The Man with the Yellow Hat" ===
[[Image:Yellow Hat (Curious George).jpg|thumb|right|The Man in the Yellow Hat.]]
Aside from George himself, the only recurring character in the original adventures is the Man with the yellow Hat who is George's best friend and caretaker. The Man often facilitates George's adventures by taking him somewhere, and even more often resolves the tension by intervening just in time to get George out of a tight spot. He is always seen wearing a bright yellow [[Suit (clothing)|suit]] and a wide brimmed yellow [[hat]]. The Man is never mentioned by name in the original adventures or in any subsequent content over more than six decades.

He is always referred to as "The Man" or fully "The Man with the Yellow Hat" (abbreviated "TMWTYH"), but aside from those two names, he is unnamed in the original series and telefilm books. When people speak to George about the Man, they often refer to him as "Your friend". In H. A. Rey's book ''See the Circus'', published in 1946, "The Man with the Yellow Hat" was referred to as "Ted". Later, in ''[[Curious George (film)|Curious George]]'' (2006), the Man, who is voiced by [[Will Ferrell]], is also referred to as "Ted" throughout the film; his last name is revealed as being "Shacklefield" in a deleted scene. In the [[Curious George (TV series)|TV series]], he is voiced by [[Jeff Bennett]].

==Other media==
''Curious George'' has been adapted into a television show, magazine, and video game.

===Television===
A set of animated [[Curious George (1980s TV series)|''Curious George'' television films]] were produced from 1979 to 1982; they were first shown in the United States in 1984 on [[Nickelodeon]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 |date=2005 |edition=2nd |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-1476665993 |page=227}}</ref> This series was produced and co-written by [[Alan Shalleck]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Alan Shalleck Dies at 76; a Writer and TV Director |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/09/arts/alan-shalleck-dies-at-76-a-writer-and-tv-director.html |access-date=5 June 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=Feb 9, 2006}}</ref>

The shorts were aired on [[Disney Channel|The Disney Channel]] as a segment on the program ''Lunch Box'' starting in 1989.<ref>''The Disney Channel Magazine'', Vol. 7, no. 5, September/October 1989: p. 41.</ref><ref>''The Disney Channel Magazine'', Vol. 9, no. 6, November/December 1991: p. 34.</ref>

In 1993, Margret Rey successfully sued Lafferty, Harwood, and Partners, the Canadian company that funded the cartoons, for licensing VHS tapes to third-party companies without the Reys' permission. The Reys eventually won the dispute, forcing Lafferty, Harwood, and Partners to pay for all wrongdoing.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hKguqdfT3eMC&q=milktrain+productions+canada&pg=PA357|title=Law and Business of the Entertainment Industries|first1=Donald E.|last1=Biederman|first2=Edward P.|last2=Pierson|first3=Charles J.|last3=Biederman|first4=Martin E.|last4=Silfen|date=10 May 2018|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=9780275992057|via=Google Books}}</ref>

A new ''[[Curious George (TV series)|Curious George]]'' series debuted on September 4, 2006 on [[PBS Kids]] as part of the PBS Kids Preschool Block. Although ''Curious George'' ended its original run on April 1, 2015, the series is still airing on PBS Kids in reruns. It was produced by the Boston affiliate [[WGBH-TV|WGBH]], [[Imagine Entertainment]], and [[Universal Animation Studios]]. A revival of the series was released on the streaming service [[Peacock (streaming service)|Peacock]] on July 15, 2020. It then  ended March 17, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/nbc-peacock-streaming-service-prices-launch-dates-shows-movies-to-expect/|title=Peacock TV: Halloween Kills, Yellowstone, Premier League, NFL and everything else}}</ref>

===Film===
The 2017 film ''Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George's Creators'' documents the lives of Hans and Margret Rey including their flight from [[French Third Republic|France]] during the 1940 invasion by [[Nazi Germany|Germany]], their life in the United States, and their creation of the ''Curious George'' children's books.<ref>{{cite web |title=Five Questions With... Ema Ryan Yamazaki, Director of Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George's Creators |url=http://nantucketfilmfestival.org/blog/2017/6/22/five-questions-with-ema-ryan-yamazaki-director-of-monkey-business-the-adventures-of-curious-georges-creators |website=Nantucket Film Festival |access-date=5 June 2020 |date=June 23, 2017}}</ref>

====Animated====
A minimal-animation [[16 mm film]] called ''Curious George Rides a Bike'' was produced by [[Weston Woods Studios]] in 1958<ref>{{WorldCat|oclc=82840185|name=''Curious George rides a bike.''}}</ref> and later released on DVD.<ref>{{ISBN|0-439-69687-9}}</ref>

In 1982, animator John Clark Matthews produced a 16 mm [[stop-motion]] animated short called ''Curious George Goes to the Hospital'' based on the [[Curious George Goes to the Hospital|book of the same name]]. In 1984, they created [[Curious George (1984 film)|another short]], again based on the [[Curious George (book)|book of the same name]]. Produced by [[Churchill Films]], the films were created with puppet-figures.<ref>{{cite web|date=June 10, 2018|title=John Clark Matthews' The Adventures of Curious George (1982)|url=https://stopmotionmagazine.com/john-clark-matthews-adventures-curious-george-1982/|access-date=5 June 2020|website=Stop Motion Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.jcm51.com/filmography | title=Filmography}}</ref> Matthews would later use a similar technique for his ''[[Frog and Toad]]'' films.<ref>See [http://www.johnclarkmatthews.com/movies.php samples on John Clarke Matthews' website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531171803/http://johnclarkmatthews.com/movies.php |date=2010-05-31 }}, also available as a DVD / VHS, including the Frog and Toad animations - "Curious George Comes To America" ASIN: B00062J0OE</ref>

An animated film, ''[[Curious George (film)|Curious George]]'', was released on February 10, 2006, featuring [[Will Ferrell]] as the voice of the originally unnamed Man with the Yellow Hat. In the film (in which The Man is referred to as "Ted"), Curious George secretly follows The Man onto the ship to the city on his own accord. [[Frank Welker]] provided the vocal effects of Curious George. [[Ron Howard]] serves as the film's producer.

A direct-to-video sequel to the film was released on March 2, 2010, titled ''[[Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey!]]'', which featured [[Jeff Bennett]] replacing Ferrell as the voice of the Man. Bennett also provides the Man's voice in the television series. The second direct-to-video sequel, ''Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle'', was released on June 23, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle|date=21 March 2015|url=http://www.uphe.com/movies/curious-george-3-back-to-the-jungle|publisher=Universal Studios Home Entertainment|access-date=May 7, 2015}}</ref> ''Curious George: Royal Monkey'' was released on September 10, 2019, while ''Curious George: Go West, Go Wild'' was released on [[Peacock (streaming service)|Peacock]] on September 20, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/curious-george-movie-peacock-all-tv-show-seasons-1234758022/|title=New 'Curious George' Movie Hitting Peacock, Along with Seasons 1-9 of TV Series|date=3 September 2020}}</ref> A sixth and final film, ''Curious George: Cape Ahoy'', was released on [[Peacock (streaming service)|Peacock]] on September 30, 2021. A Christmas film, ''[[Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas]]'', was released in 2009 on [[PBS]]. "Curious George Swings Into Spring" and "Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest" were released in 2013. On Monday, August 6, it began to re-run on [[Cartoonito]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2019}}

====Live-action remake====
A live action/animated film was in development at [[Illumination (company)|Illumination Entertainment]] in the beginning of the 2010s.<ref>{{cite news |first=Steven |last=Zeitchik |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/07/curious-george-illumination-movie-book-universal.html |title=With 'Curious George', Illumination looks to make more animation mischief |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=July 30, 2010 |access-date=July 31, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Debruge|first1=Peter|title='Minions' and Illumination Create a Blockbuster Animation Unit for Universal|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/spotlight/universa-illumination-minions-animation-1201641899/|access-date=November 20, 2015|work=Variety|date=November 17, 2015}}</ref> In August 2016, [[Andrew Adamson]] was in negotiations to direct, co-write, and executive produce a live action film for Universal Pictures, along with [[Ron Howard]], [[Brian Grazer]], [[David Kirschner]], Jon Shapiro and Erica Huggins producing it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/08/andrew-adamson-to-direct-live-action-curious-george-for-universal-1201800317/|title=Andrew Adamson To Direct Live-Action 'Curious George' For Universal|publisher=Deadline|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.|date=August 8, 2016}}</ref>

===Video game===
A [[Curious George (video game)|''Curious George'']] video game was released on February 2, 2006, published by [[Namco]] and developed by [[Monkey Bar Games]], a division of [[Vicious Cycle Software]] for [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]], [[GameCube]], [[PlayStation 2]], and [[Game Boy Advance]]. It is the based on the 2006 animated film. A version for the [[Nintendo DS]] was also planned, but was cancelled.{{Citation needed|date=April 2019}}

===Other===
A children's bookstore in [[Harvard Square]] in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]] was known as Curious George and Friends (formerly Curious George Goes To Wordsworth) and carried a considerable amount of licensed ''Curious George'' merchandise. It was the last remaining property of Wordsworth Books, a former local general interest bookstore that closed in the beginning of the 2000s. This store was closed in June 2011.<ref>[http://bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1343599&position=0 Curious George story ending as Harvard Square shop loses lease], Boston Herald, June 7, 2011</ref> A new store, the World's Only Curious George Store, opened in 2012 at the same address and closed permanently in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cho |first1=Emmy M. |last2=Hsu |first2=Carrie |title=Comedy Club to Move Into Vacant Curious George Store Space in 2022|url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/12/3/comedy-club-harvard-square/ |access-date=13 January 2022 |work=Harvard Crimson}}</ref>

From 2009 to 2011, a musical stage show based on the [[Curious George (TV series)|TV series]], ''Curious George Live!'', toured the United States and Canada. In the show, George heads to [[Rome]], [[Italy]] to help Chef Pisghetti win a meatball eating contest there. The show was produced by [[VEE Corporation]], the producer of ''[[Sesame Street Live!]]''. As of 2024, the show continues to be performed in several community theaters and has been retitled ''Curious George: The Golden Meatball''. 

''Curious George'' is used as the theme for children's play areas and some of the children's entertainment on the Stena Line ferries.<ref>[http://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry/routes/curious-george/ Stena Line Curious George] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001163008/http://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry/routes/curious-george/ |date=2011-10-01}}</ref> On some peak time sailings, this includes a Curious George [[costumed character]]. ''Curious George'' merchandise is also provided with children's meals and is available to purchase in the on-board shop.

A ''Curious George''-themed water play area, [[Curious George Goes to Town]], opened at [[Universal Studios Florida]] in 1998 and was removed in 2023. The attraction was also featured at [[Universal Studios Hollywood]] until its removal in 2013.

In February 2006, the ''Curious George'' brand partnered with [[Welch's]] jelly for a collection of six jars. In the latter part of that decade (when the new film and the new television show were released), licensing deals for the character generally involved less upscale, more kid-focused products.<ref name=Kilday>{{cite web |url=http://www.macondaily.com/news.asp?id=13266 |title=The curious saga of George's big-screen gig |first=Gregg |last=Kilday |date=2006-02-03 |publisher=The Macon Daily (article from The Hollywood Reporter) |access-date=2010-05-10 }}{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> Earlier, Vivendi Universal (now [[NBCUniversal]]) had—for a short time—embraced the use of the character in a series of 2001 adverts for the company, but the character never officially became a corporate mascot.<ref name=Kilday/>

=== In popular culture ===
In the 1994 film ''[[Forrest Gump]]'', one edition of ''Curious George'' is featured as Forrest's favorite book, which his mother reads to him. Forrest later reads it with his son, with a Curious George plush also shown on his shelf. In the opening scene, a feather comes floating down to Forrest's feet and he stores it in this book. At the end of the film, it falls out of the book and rises floating through the air again.

Jarrod, the protagonist of the NBC series ''[[The Pretender (TV series)|The Pretender]]'', reads ''Curious George'' books in season one and develops a fascination with them. He likens himself to George and Sydney Green to the Man with the Yellow Hat.

The books have inspired other derivative works, including ''Bangkok Bob'' (written by Sasha Alyson and published by the [[Laos|Lao]] publishing project [[Big Brother Mouse]]).

==See also==
{{portal|Children's literature}}
* [[Curious George Brigade]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Curious George}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Official website|http://www.curiousgeorge.com/}}
* [https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20100326170144/http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/exhibitions/curiousgeorge "Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H.A. Rey" Exhibition] in The Jewish Museum New York
* [http://www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110007907 Wall Street Journal on Curious George]
* Curriculum material for educators [https://web.archive.org/web/20110813162123/http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/core/uploaded/pdfs/CuriousGeorgeCurriculumFINAL.pdf Curious George Saves the Day]
* [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHPXim63jJfZt7xN8Jz3UpJc44pB3XhYg 1980 Television Series]

{{Curious George}}
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[[Category:Curious George| ]]
[[Category:Series of children's books]]
[[Category:Fictional immigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Fictional monkeys]]
[[Category:Literary characters introduced in 1939]]
[[Category:Book series introduced in 1939]]