Starring Hoyt Axton, Mel Tillis, Lynn Anderson, and Larry Gatlin
Directed by Marc Daniels
Music and Lyrics by Norman Sacks and Aaron Schroder
Country music was big business in the 70's and early 80's. It's down-home flavor made a refreshing contrast to more urban musical genres at the time like jazz, disco, and funk. Stars like Tillis, Axton, Barbara Mandrell, and The Statler Brothers were everywhere, from the Grand Ole Opry and Hee Haw to The Lawrence Welk Show and American Bandstand. This country-fried version of A Christmas Carol is a reflection of the genre's popularity at the time...but how does it look nowadays? Let's start in a small town in Tennessee as the residents gear up for the holidays and find out...
The Story: Flint City is more-or-less owned by Cyrus Flint (Axton), who owns and runs the town's largest bank. His assistant Dennis Pritchitt (Tillis) has a sick son TJ (Steven Lutz) who needs to see a doctor in Dallas, but he and his wife Laura (Anderson) don't have the money for the trip. Laura's hoping to win a big songwriting contest that'll be just enough to send him. Hoyt doesn't care about that, or that his nephew Roger (Gatlin) asks him over for Christmas dinner every year. He only cares about money...until the ghost of his former partner Jacob Burley (Tom T. Hall) and the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Martha Raye), Present (Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass) and Future (David Bond) show what made him the way he is, and what will happen if he doesn't change his ways.
The Story: If you love the country music from this time, this will be a major treat for you. Axton's certainly having fun as the meanest miser in Tennessee. He's especially cute with the kids in the end, when Flint realizes the error of his ways. Raye is an odd choice for the Ghost of Christmas Past, but she does so well with her number and playing against Axton's gruffness, it's hard to complain.
For all that they add, I'm impressed with how equally well this sticks to the original Christmas Carol. Some lines are lifted directly from the actual Dickens text, especially during the Past and Present sequence.
Favorite Number: We open with the cast's faces superimposed over the townspeople's holiday activities as they introduce us to what we're about to see with "A Country Christmas Carol." The Pritchitts and Larry and his wife Joan (Julie Gregg) each sing about how "Christmas Is Just Around the Corner" and there's so much to do. Axton sings the title number to explain why he prefers to keep his money in the bank and not spread it around at Christmas.
"Honey In the Hive" is the big square dance for Flint's former employer Mr. Abbey (Bryan Webster), his wife (Carol Swarbrick), and their employees. It takes pretty Emmy (Barbara Mandrell) to drag him in with the rest of the festivities. Emmy's not as happy with him later, telling him "You're Free to Go" when she explains how much he's changed. The Ghost of Christmas Past scolds Flint for giving up on Emmy by reminding "Sonny, You're a Dummy."
"Over the River" is the spiritual number for Roger and his family at their home during his Christmas dinner. Tillis sadly performs about his son's "Empty Chair" after he's died in the future segment. "A Dilly of a World" is the other big dance routine in the finale, as Flint joins the town in celebrating the holidays dressed in colorful sweaters and scarves.
What I Don't Like: Obviously, if you're not into country music from the late 70's, forget it. Raye's number is the only non-country song in the bunch...and as funny as she is, it and her performance do stand out like sore thumbs among the actual country stars. Speaking of, most of them are singers first and don't do nearly as well when they're called on to actually act. Mandrell is lifeless in a thankless role, Davis makes a dull Ghost of Christmas Present, and Tillis and Anderson have trouble handling the darker side-plot with the Pritchitts and their ailing son.
While the copy currently on YouTube is in better shape than Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood or Evening Primrose (and still exists in color), it's still obvious this is a cheap made-for-TV production. The sets are cardboard and look like they're leftover from whatever soap opera was being filmed earlier in the day and the costumes were probably pulled off the rack at Grand Ol' Opry.
The Big Finale: Sweet but unspectacular, this is only recommended for really big fans of 70's-80's country music, Raye, or those with fond memories of its sole broadcast in December 1979.
Home Media: This can only be found on YouTube at press time, with some of its original commercials.
No comments:
Post a Comment