Musicals On Streaming - Scrooge: A Christmas Carol

Netflix, 2022

Voices of Luke Evans, Jonathan Pryce, Johnny Flynn, and Fra Fee

Directed by Stephen Donnelly

Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, Stephen Donnelly, and Jeremy Holland-Smith

We head to England for our next story. This is a partial remake of Scrooge, the 1970 British musical with Albert Finney as the title character and Sir Alec Guinness as Jacob Marley. The film's remained relatively popular during the holiday season, especially in it's native United Kingdom, enough for low-mid budget animation company Timeless to try turning the world's most famous Christmas story into an animated musical. How well did they pull it off? Let's begin with Harry Scrooge (Fee) explaining why he loves this time of year while out and about in London and find out...

The Story: Scrooge (Evans) refuses to come to Harry's Christmas dinner party, or have anything to do with him. He resents that his beloved sister Jan (Jemima Lucy Newton) died giving birth to him. He also won't give money to the poor or let his clerk Bob Cratchit (Flynn) have coal or pay him much, and he forces those in debt to him to pay on Christmas Eve. 

The miserly old man learns a lesson when the ghost of his former boss Jacob Marley (Pryce) appears and tells him he'll be haunted by three ghosts. Past (Olivia Coleman) reminds him how he pushed away his fiancee Isabel (Jessie Buckley) after Jan's death and he left his old boss Mr. Fezziwig (James Cosmo) for the higher-paying Marley. Jolly Present (Trevor Dion Nicholas) shows him the wonderful party he's missing at Harry's and Bob's dinner with his beloved family, including his sickly son Tim (Rupert Trumbull). It's the frightening, silent Future that finally gets across to Scrooge what his nastiness is doing to those around him, and what will happen to them and him if he doesn't change his ways.

The Animation: Sometimes, it looks waxier than the Ghost of Christmas Past, with all the sharp angles and even sharper movement. There's some amazing effects here, though. Past's shapeshifting into different characters and Present's amazing "I Like Life" dance routine are especially well-done. Jacob Marley has an awesome icy entrance, too, all blue, frosty, and angular.

The Song and Dance: There's a lot of interesting ideas here that I think are pretty creative. Considering most versions cut or shortchange the subplot with Scrooge's sister, I like how they connect Scrooge's resentment of his nephew to his difficulties with Christmas and how close he was to Jan here. There's also Scrooge having done nothing to stop Marley from closing the bakery belonging to a certain Mr. Cratchit, then wondering why his son chooses to work for him years later. Scrooge's enormous dog Prudence comes off less of an annoying sidekick and more sweet and loyal, especially when she's one of the only mourners at his funeral in the Future segment. 

The Numbers: The rollicking "I Love Christmas" opens things with a huge dance number that encompasses all of London and even includes Harry playing the saxophone. Bob sings to his "Christmas Children" as they make their way home for the holiday. Scrooge asks Prudence to "Tell Me" why everyone is so crazy about Christmas when it only makes him miserable. Sweet Jan sings gently about her "Christmas Wishes" to her brother working on Christmas Eve, before collapsing in his arms. Isabel and Scrooge dance in the stars as she tells him about her "Happiness," but her hopes for marriage are dashed when he falls more in love with making money and "Later Never Comes."

The Ghost of Christmas Present's "I Like Life" also becomes a huge number, with little cute Cheerlings playing instruments surrounding enormous glistening piles of confections. "The Beautiful Day" is Tiny Tim's sweet little solo at his family's Christmas dinner. "Thank You Very Much" is another big chorus number that basically covers all of London. Even Scrooge is singing along, not realizing that toy shop owner Tom Jenkins (Giles Terrera) is literally dancing on his coffin. He happily claims "I'll Begin Again" after he awakens, and everyone reprises "I Love Christmas" at a huge dinner where Scrooge gives to the charity-collectors, promotes Bob, and releases Tom from his debt. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, what's with the additional songs? None of them are as good as the Leslie Bricusse score from the live-action film, nor do they match their style or the time period. Among the missing numbers are the rousing "December the 25th" at Fezziwig's party (which is basically glossed over) and "A Christmas Carol" that opened and closed the original film. And often, the older songs are given orchestrations that render them almost unrecognizable. For something they dedicated to Bricusse (who died during production), they could have used more of his work.

For all the new ideas that work, others are just plain baffling. Why did they change the names of Scrooge's nephew and sister from Fred and Fan to Harry and Jan? Why does Scrooge look like a handsome middle-aged man rather than a decrepit elderly miser? Why did they change Scrooge's backstory to his father being in debtor's prison? It doesn't come off any better here than it did in Christmas Carol: The Musical. Harry is annoying and too pushy, making you understand a bit better why Scrooge would want nothing to do with him. 

Why are all of the  numbers turned up to 11? The opening and the Ghost of Christmas Present's solo lose their intimacy and charm done as huge productions. None of the kids look like sickly urchins, not even Tim. And while Prudence is a good loyal dog, neither she nor the silly little Cheerlings who appear mid-way through are necessary to the story.

The Big Finale: Not bad if you're prowling around Netflix looking for something to watch with the kids, but there's better versions of this story out there, including the original live-action film. 

Home Media: It's a Netflix exclusive at the moment. 

Netflix

Musicals On Streaming - Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol With a Twist

WitzEnd Productions, 2020

Starring Betsy Wolfe, Clifton Duncan, Lauren Patten, and Megan McGinnis

Directed by John Caird

Music and Lyrics by Paul Gordon

This apparently debuted during the difficult holiday season of 2020, when many productions were canceled or pushed back due to the pandemic. WitzEnd got around this by keeping the cast small, following strict Covid regulations, and filming on computer-generated sets. Oddly, there doesn't seem to be much about this online. I didn't hear anything about it when it came out, but its website trumpets it to the skies. How does this modern version of the most famous holiday story of all time look two years later? Let's start at the glass skyscraper in New York that's the home of Bleak House Insurance and find out...

The Story: Estella Scrooge (Wolfe) is the owner of Bleak House, a hard-hearted businesswoman who lives to please her stockholders and ignores the troubles of her assistant Betty Cratchitt (McGinnis). Estella travels to her hometown of Pickwick, Ohio to foreclose on the Heart House Hotel and build a shopping center in its place. Turns out it's run by her childhood friend Phillip "Pip" Nickleby (Duncan) as a home for misfits and people down-on-their-luck. Estella's insistence that she's shutting them down for the good of the community and to create jobs doesn't go over well with the residents, most of whom have nowhere else to go. 

After she's stranded there during a blizzard, they set her up in the honeymoon suite. No one ever goes up there because it's supposedly haunted. Estella doesn't believe it...until she's visited by four very peculiar and familiar ghosts on Christmas Eve. They teach her a lesson in faith, charity and kindness, and remind her that Christmas is about a lot more than a business transaction.

The Song and Dance: Great music and decent performances liven up this unique take a beloved story. Wolfe starts off better as the frosty businesswoman who thinks she can't let anyone into her life; Duncan is warm and sweet as the kind young hotel manager who used to be her best friend, way back when. Of the remaining cast, Lauren Patten as supremely sarcastic reformed thief Dawkins and Em Grosland as sweet receptionist Smike are by far the funniest and get the best lines. Phoenix Best gets special mention for playing twins Charity and Mercy Peckinsniff and managing to come up with convincing personalities for both. 

And if you're a fan of Charles Dickens' work, this will be a treat for you. There's references to Dickens' stories everywhere, from the name of the hotel and insurance company to the characters' names to who Estella's real parents turn out to be. You could spend a viewing just trying to count all the spoofs of and references to Dickens books and characters. 

Favorite Number: We open with the workers at "Bleak House" explaining what they do and why they're booming during a tough time - they spend the least amount possible on their clients, preferring to save their money for the stockholders. Estella remembers how her mentor Marla Haversham (Carollee Caramello) reminded her to "Never Look Down" or open up her heart to anyone. Phillip reassures the oddball residents of Heart House that they're "Almost a Family," and family takes care of each other. He won't let anything happen to them, "Not On My Watch." Estella tosses out a lot of talk about how tearing down the hotel will allow jobs to "Trickle Down," but no one is buying it. Dawkins, Smike, and the other residents call her a "Barbie Doll" with no heart. 

Marla Haversham wails about how she had been left at the alter and tried to keep Estella from following the same path, only to regret letting her freeze out her relationships. "Do You Believe?" She asks Estella. Estella doesn't, until a British rocker Ghost of Christmas past shows her how a "Minor Character" can become a major force in your life. The original Scrooge himself is the Ghost of Christmas Present, reminding Estella that there's an "Art to Christmas." Phillip admits he had "Great Expectations" for his relationship with Estella, and hopes they aren't dashed again. "The Best and Worst of Times" is Phillip's duet with Estella as they remember good times and Phillip hopes there will be more ahead, because "It's a Beautiful Night." In the end, Estella realizes that "It's a Far, Far Better Thing" to give than to receive...and to change now, before it's too late.

What I Don't Like: First of all, this is more-or-less a rock opera or comic operetta. There's actually very little spoken dialogue. If you're not a fan of musicals or of what amounts to a modern operetta, this probably won't be for you. It's also not for you if you don't know your Bleak House from your Great Expectations. You need to have at least a passing familiarity with Dickens and his books to understand a lot of the references and satire. 

Let's discuss the weird sets. This seems to have been intended for stage productions - the website emphasizes that a stage script is now available. That would explain the cheap and obvious CGI green-screen background and special effects. The actors are supposed to look like they're performing onstage, but it looks as fake as it is and is frankly more than a bit chintzy. There's also the Covid restrictions not allowing for much touching, which just looks kind of weird. And it's way too long. This didn't need to be two hours. Some of the many numbers could have been cut or dropped with none the wiser. 

The Big Finale: Worth checking out at least once if you're a fan of Dickens or stage musicals. 

Home Media: Easily found on many streaming sites. Tubi currently has it for free.

Tubi

Amazon Prime

Happy Easter! - Springtime for Roo

Disney, 2003

Voices of Ken Sansom, Jimmy Bennett, Jim Cummings, and David Ogden Stiers

Directed by Elliot M. Bour and Saul Blinkoff

Music and Lyrics by various

We celebrate Easter with the citizens of the Hundred Acres Woods in the only entirely original Pooh holiday movie. Roo gets top billing, but resident bunny Rabbit is really the one in the spotlight. He learns an important lesson about spring and Easter, via a much-loved story that's usually more associated with Christmas than springtime. Let's start with little Roo (Bennett) as he explains to the narrator (Stiers) why he loves Easter so much and find out why Rabbit's more than a little out of sorts about spring this year...

The Story: No one is more excited about Easter than little Roo...which is why he's disappointed when he and his friends arrive at Rabbit's to find no Easter decorations. Rabbit declares it Spring Cleaning Day instead and orders the others to help clean his house. The others try to spruce up his quarters with Easter decorations, but he ends up furious with them for not doing what he told them to and chases them out. 

Roo can't figure out why Rabbit's so upset. He used to love Easter. Tigger goes to talk to him, only for Rabbit to insist even harder that he won't allow anyone to celebrate Easter anymore. The narrator takes things into his own, well, hands when he shows what happened the year before when Rabbit tried too hard to make Roo's first Easter at the Hundred Acre Wood perfect. When even that doesn't make Rabbit relent, he finally reveals how his current behavior is upsetting Roo...and what will happen in the future if he continues trying to control his friends and how they celebrate the holidays.

The Animation: Mostly par for the course for the Winnie the Pooh franchise. It's nothing flashy, but all this franchise needs is for the characters to move well and at least somewhat resemble the ones in the books, which they do here. There are a few decent effects during the "future" segment as well. 

The Song and Dance: This one gets points for originality. As mentioned, first of all, it's the only Pooh direct-to-media holiday film with no added filler from TV specials or The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Second, there's some surprisingly good performances here. This is Samson's best outing as fussy Rabbit outside of the Kessie shorts in New Adventures, Bennett's charming as Roo, and Stiers lends gravity and even a hint of menace as the narrator. 

This also makes better use of Pooh and his friends being in a book than any Pooh media outside of the 2011 Winnie the Pooh film. They flash forwards and backwards in time via turning the pages in the book. Rabbit even gets stuck in the pages at one point.

Favorite Number: Tigger and Roo sing about how "We're Hunting Eggs Today" as they head to Rabbit's, only to find Rabbit has no intention of doing anything like that. "Sniffity Sniff" is Pooh's comic number as he tries to keep from sneezing while sweeping Rabbit's home, only to make a worse mess when he does let it out. Roo and Tigger are glad to share "Easter Day With You" when they help the others put up decorations at Rabbit's house. We see why Rabbit got upset the Easter before when he tries to get the others to play by his rules, because that's "The Way It Must Be Done."

What I Don't Like: Rabbit is such a jerk here, even by his standards, it gives this outing an unusually bitter tinge. The Christmas Carol theme in the second half, with the narrator playing ghost and showing Rabbit what will happen if he continues to alienate his friends, seems like an odd choice for this gentle series. Also, the focus is mainly on Rabbit and Roo, with Tigger bouncing in as well. We don't really get much of Pooh beyond his "Sniffity Sniff" number and complaining about Rabbit keeping his spring honey pot, and even less of Eeyore and Piglet. At least they're in the movie. Gopher, Owl, and Christopher Robin are missing, and aren't even mentioned. 

The Big Finale: The Christmas Carol second half is too weird to make this a favorite of mine, but it does have some things of merit if you love Roo, Rabbit, or the other Pooh holiday films. 

Home Media: Easy to find in all major formats. Disney Plus has it for streaming with a subscription.

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Blu-Ray

Disney Plus

Musicals On TV - Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol

NBC, 1979

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. 

YouTube

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Stingiest Man In Town (1978)

NBC/Rankin-Bass, 1978

Voices of Walter Matthau, Dennis Day, Tom Bosley, and Robert Morse

Directed by Katshuhisa Yamada, Arthur Rankin Jr., and Jules Bass

Music by Fred Spielman; Lyrics by Janice Torre

Given Rankin-Bass did animated specials for pretty much every other holiday-related property in the 60's and 70's, it was probably inevitable that they'd get to A Christmas Carol sooner or later. The soundtrack for The Stingiest Man In Town remained popular, but the live broadcast was long-gone by 1978. NBC commissioned this special in order to preserve their copywrite on the music. How does it compare to the live-action version I reviewed on Thursday? Let's start at Scrooge's counting house this time and find out...

The Story: B.A.H Humbug (Bosley), an insect who lives in Scrooge's (Matthau) counting house, narrates the story of how he met three ghosts on one cold Christmas Eve. Scrooge was once the most miserable man in London. He cheated his clerk Bob Cratchit (Sonny Melendrez) out of holiday bonus money and refused to spend one cent for the poor. Scrooge learns his lesson from the ghost of his former boss Marley (Theodore Bikel) and the ghosts of past, present, and future, who show him what his life holds if he doesn't change his ways.

The Animation: Like 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, the character designs here were done by Paul Coker Jr., who did illustrations for MAD Magazines for years. While slightly less cartoon-y than the shorter special, it still shows Coker's hand, with large heads and huge, rounded eyes. The colorful backgrounds here, especially during the "Golden Dreams" fantasy number, are also quite nice.

The Song and Dance: Some of the Rankin-Bass specials made after about 1975 can get pretty bizarre, but this is one of the better ones. Already-strong material makes all the difference here. They keep the entire original score (save a few reprises), and even manage to do better by a few of them. Day makes a jolly Nephew Fred, Morse and Shelby Flint are an appealing pair of lovers in the past sequence, Bikel brings gravity to an especially spooky Marley, and Melendrez is a charming Bob Cratchit.

Favorite Number: Bosley joins the stray animals of London to complain about Scrooge's lack of charity as he bilks everyone around him in the title song. Day joins Matthew to bark about how Christmas is a "Humbug" and explain why "An Old-Fashioned Christmas" is worth enjoying. Young Scrooge's "Golden Dreams" has him and Belle waltzing in a fantasy palace, but she prefers the simple comforts and family of "It Might Have Been." "The Christmas Spirit" is still performed by toys under the Ghost of Christmas Present's tree, but this time Humbug and a shrunken Scrooge get to dance along. Scrooge also joins The Ghost of Christmas Present to learn why "One Little Boy" can mean the world to his family and friends. 

Trivia: Charles Matthau, who did the voice of Tiny Tim, is Walter Matthau's son (adding an extra layer of poignancy to "One Little Boy").

This was Dennis Day's last TV appearance.

What I Don't Like: Much of the original story was compressed for time and a younger audience, even from the live-action version. Of the three ballets, only the "Christmas Spirit" toy ballet was even remotely carried over. The Future segment is barely hinted at; we only see a few minutes of the Ghost leading Scrooge to his tomb before he converts. Those who preferred the Four Lads in the original may find Bosley's "Humbug" to be too cutesy and maybe seen a little too much. Day's Nephew Fred might have been used a bit more. The segment with Scrooge's sister Fan is cut, and "The Birthday Party of the King" is now sung by Bosley.

The Big Finale: This is one of the rare times I'm equally happy with the original and its remake. I admit to be a bit biased as I recall occasionally seeing this one on cable as a child. Whether you go for live-action and animation, they're both worth checking out for fans of Christmas Carol, Rankin-Bass, or the casts. 

Home Media: Currently only on DVD as part of two collections of Warner Bros-owned Christmas specials; the second includes How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Year Without a Santa Claus.

DVD - Rankin/Bass TV Holiday Favorites Collection

DVD - Classic Christmas Favorites

Musicals On TV - The Stingiest Man In Town (1956)

NBC, 1956

Starring Basil Rathbone, Robert Weede, Johnny Desmond, and Martyn Green

Directed by Daniel Petrie

Music by Fred Spielman; Lyrics by Janice Torre

Here's a true "lost Dickens treasure." This broadcast from the live show The Alcoa Hour vanished after its initial showing despite being a huge hit. It existed only in a 1978 animated remake (which we'll get to on Saturday) and a rare soundtrack album. The kinetoscope was recovered about a decade ago from the home of a retired executive for Alcoa Aluminum, and it was released on DVD in 2011. How does this version compare to other TV Christmas Carols, including the one from two years earlier with Fredrick March? Let's start, not with Scrooge, but on the street as the Four Lads tell us "A Christmas Carol" and find out...

The Story: Scrooge (Rathbone) is a nasty old miser who refuses to give one cent to the poor, chases children who sing at his door away, and barely pays his clerk Bob Cratchit (Green) enough for him and his family to survive. After the ghost of his former partner Jacob Marley (Weede) turns up, showing other spirits who never did any good, he claims Scrooge will be visited by three more spirits. The ghosts of Christmas Past (Ian Martin), Present (Robert Wright), and Yet-to-Come (Keith Harrington) shows Scrooge how he lost the love of his life (Patrice Munsel) to his gradual stinginess...and what will happen in the future if he doesn't change his ways.

The Song and Dance: I've done very well with vintage TV musicals this year, and Stingiest Man In Town is no exception. Rathbone is an excellent Scrooge, especially when he's grumbling and ranting about how Christmas is a "humbug" in the first half. Johnny Desmond has a lot of fun as Nephew Fred, and Green makes such a lovely Cratchit, you wish he had more to do. The special effects are surprisingly well-done for early television, especially when Marley shows Scrooge the wandering spirits. Even The Four Lads and their narration are well-integrated into the story. 

Favorite Number: The Four Lads open the show with "A Christmas Carol," which they reprise several times throughout the story as Scrooge heads out with the ghosts. The waltz "An Old-Fashioned Christmas" is also performed several times, notably by Desmond and the chorus after he talks to Scrooge and as an instrumental chorus number at the Fezziwigs' party. The Four Lads return as beggars who complain about how Scrooge is "The Stingiest Man In Town." Bob Cratchit's daughter Martha assures her brother Tim that "Yes, There Is a Santa Claus," and there is generosity in this world. 

We even get two ballets. The first appears as part of Scrooge and Belle's ballad medley, "Golden Dreams" and "It Might Have Been." Men dance as they help build up Scrooge's business...and build a wall between Belle and Scrooge that can never be torn down. "The Devil Ballet" comes in the future segment, as wraiths glide around Scrooge, bringing him to his doom.

Trivia: This was broadcast in color, but the kinetoscope survives in black and white. 

What I Don't Like: Damone and Munsel sing "Golden Dreams" and "It Might Have Been" beautifully, but they're otherwise a bit wooden as the lovers torn apart by his greed. There's times when this being a live broadcast comes to the fore, especially with the occasionally stagey and cramped production. 

The Big Finale: I'm so glad they finally found this one. Fine music and a mostly wonderful cast really bring this Charles Dickens classic to life.

Home Media: Only on DVD from VCI Entertainment.

DVD

Animation Celebration Saturday - Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol

NBC/UPA, 1962
Voices of Jim Backus, Joan Gardner, Jack Cassidy, and Morey Amsterdam
Directed by Abe Levitow
Music by Jules Styne; Lyrics by Bob Merrill

This was one of the earliest animated specials made for television, and the first time Merrill and Styne worked together. Mr. Magoo, the goofy blind-as-a-bat old codger, was one of the most popular characters at limited animation specialists UPA during the 1950's. How does he fit into this adaptation of one of the the most beloved pieces of Christmas literature? Let's join Magoo (Backus) as he's making his rather haphazard way to a theater in New York and find out...

The Story: Mr. Magoo plays the Ebeneezer Scrooge role in a Broadway musical version of A Christmas Carol, when he finally manages to get to the theater after a series of mishaps. The curtain does finally come up on Scrooge doing his ledgers in his counting house. He refuses to give any money to two men collecting for the poor, and his clerk Bob Cratchit (Cassidy) has to coax him into closing the office on Christmas Day.

That night, Scrooge is visited by four ghosts, starting with his former partner Jacob Marley (Royal Dano). Marley is weighed down by chains of his sins, showing him other wandering spirits who can no longer aid their fellow man. The Ghost of Christmas Present (Les Tremayne) takes Scrooge to the small but loving dinner of the Cratchit family and their razzleberry dressing-loving son Tiny Tim (Gardner). Youthful Past (Gardner) shows him his childhood as an unloved boy, and how he lost the love of his fiancee Belle (Jane Kean). It takes a spooky Future and watching three pickpockets who steal from the dead to make Scrooge understand the importance of charity...and what his own future holds if he doesn't change.

The Animation: If you've ever seen any of the other UPA cartoons of the 1950's and early 60's, you know what to expect here. The animation is slanted and stylized, all straight lines, geometric shapes, and pastel colors. The movement is fairly limited, but it works with the sharp lines and simple but elegant designs.

The Song and Dance: Mr. Magoo (and Jim Backus) may have been born to play Ebeneezer Scrooge. Backus really throws himself into the role, especially in the past sequence as Scrooge sadly recalls how he lost his Belle, and in the finale when he's begging for his life. He's backed by a great cast that includes Broadway star Cassidy, fellow sitcom ham Amsterdam, and radio favorites Les Tremayne as a booming Ghost of Christmas Present and Gardner as the Ghost of Christmas Past and a sweet Tiny Tim.

Favorite Number: The special kicks off with the dynamic "Back on Broadway," Magoo's opening song as he explains about the play he's in... and his antics actually getting to it. As someone who's been a loner since childhood, Young Scrooge's "Alone In the World" touches a deep chord with me. Cassidy and the Cratchit family get the rousing "We'll Have the Brightest Christmas" as Bob explains that, even if they can't have the holiday of their dreams, they still have each other. Kean introduces the special's sole ballad, the ravishing "Winter Was Warm" for Scrooge's fiancee as she sadly recalls their relationship. The scavengers in the Future segment revel in the ultimate villain song, "We're Despicable."

What I Don't Like: I have no idea why they felt the need to reverse the Past and Present sequences; for some reason, the Present sequence comes first here. (I'm guessing they wanted to put more emphasis on Tim and the Cratchits.) Most TV prints nowadays tend to cut the "Back On Broadway" opening, which loses a great number and the explanation of what's going on with Magoo being in a play.

The Big Finale: This and Mickey's Christmas Carol are my favorite animated versions of this timeless story. Give it a try - even if you're not a fan of Magoo. The music and cast alone are worth checking out.

Home Media: Re-released last year on DVD and Blu-Ray by current owner NBC/Universal. It's also available on several streaming services.

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Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime

Musicals On TV - A Christmas Carol (1954)

CBS, 1954
Starring Fredric March, Ray Middleton, Basil Rathbone, and Sally Fraiser
Directed by Ralph Levy
Music by Bernard Herrmann; Lyrics by Maxwell Anderson

This was the very first musical Christmas Carol made for television. Originally part of an anthology series called Shower of Stars, it proved to be such a hit, it was repeated at Christmas for the next two years and had a popular soundtrack album. How does this piece of holiday TV history stack up to other versions of this beloved tale? Let's join Scrooge (March) in his counting house to find out...

The Story: Ebeneezer Scrooge is the miserly owner of a loan company who hates Christmas and everything it stands for. He refuses to go to Christmas dinner with his nephew Fred (Middleton) or let his clerk Bob Cratchit (Bob Sweeney) have even a little bit of coal for stove. That night, the ghost of his former partner Marley (Rathbone) appears, insisting that two more ghosts will come to change his ways. The Ghost of Christmas Past (Fraiser) and Present (Middleton) takes him into his youth and to current London to visit Bob and his family, including his sickly son Tim (Christopher Cook). It's not until he realizes that the sweet boy may not live to see another holiday that he considers changing his views on charity and the holidays.

The Song and Dance: The most interesting thing about this one is the sheer history on display. The copy I have comes complete with the original commercials for Chrysler cars and the intros by William Lundigan and Mary Costa. Considering how many programs from the early years of television are gone for good, just having this in any shape is probably a treat, especially if you remember the original broadcasts or have any interest in the history of the mid-20th century. March isn't bad as Scrooge; Sweeney and Queenie Leonard are even better as the Cratchit parents.

This is also the only version of this story I've seen go the unique route of having Nephew Fred do a double turn as the Ghost of Christmas Present - and Scrooge does comment that the ghost resembles him.

Favorite Number: The chorus song "The Spirit of Christmas" is performed several times, including in the opening sequence and before the commercials. Belle (Fraiser, dubbed by Marilyn Horne) and Young Scrooge (Craig Hill) get a decent duet at Fezziwig's ball, "What am I Giving My Love For Christmas?"

Trivia: That's a young Bonnie Franklin as Martha Cratchit in the present segment.

This was originally broadcast in color, but the kinetoscopes currently available are only in black and white. It proved to be so popular, it would be rebroadcast in 1955 and 1956.

Basil Rathbone would play Scrooge in another TV musical two years later, The Stingiest Man In Town.

What I Don't Like: The story has been compressed to fit in an hour slot. The segment with the Ghost of Christmas Future has been eliminated all together - a bird leads Scrooge not to his own gravestone, but Tiny Tim's. The past is just Fezziwig's party, and Belle rejects him almost directly after their duet - frankly contradicting most of the song. Ironically, considering Fred's importance to the opening segment, his party is missing from the Present sequence. Despite that hit soundtrack, the music is really very boring (and March sings none of it).

The Big Finale: Only of interest to fans of March, A Christmas Carol, or early broadcast history. There are frankly much better versions of this story - including musical versions - out there.

Home Media: As a public domain film, it's easy found on DVD (the 1955 broadcast is also available).

DVD

Scrooge (1970)

Paramount, 1970
Starring Albert Finney, Sir Alec Guinness, David Collings, and Dame Edith Evans
Directed by Ronald Neame
Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

We're returning to the Christmas Carol well one more time for this retelling from the early 70's. I remember seeing this one frequently on cable and independent stations throughout the holiday season during my childhood. Does it live up to those fond memories? Let's once again return to London and Scrooge's counting house to find out...

The Story: Ebeneezer Scrooge (Finney) is the meanest, stingiest man in all London. He's so mean, every street kid in the area either avoids him or mocks him. He won't give one cent to the poor, refuses to go to his nephew Fred's (Michael Medwin) Christmas dinner, and has to be coerced into giving his clerk Bob Cratchit (Collings) the holiday off. He thinks he's the smartest, quietest guy around, and it's everyone else who is a problem. His late partner Jacob Marley (Guinness) would disagree. He shows up in chains and insists that Scrooge has to change, or his chains will be even heavier. Scrooge follows the Ghost of Christmas Past (Evans), Present (Kenneth More), and Future (Paddy Stone) as they show him how he came to be the way he is, what he's missing by being so miserly...and what will happen to him if he doesn't reform in the years to come.

The Song and Dance: You'd think Finney would be out-of-place as Scrooge. He was only in his 30's when he made this movie, at the tail end of his swinging Tom Jones popularity. He's actually not bad, especially in the beginning when he's being a grouchy old jerk. More makes a particularly robust Ghost of Christmas Present, and Collings is charming Cratchit. The period-accurate costumes and sets add a lot to the story's authenticity - they were Oscar-nominated. There's some surprisingly decent special effects for the time period as well, especially when they show the older and younger Finney together during the past sequence.

Favorite Number: The catchy "Thank You Very Much," performed by the street kids in the Future segment to celebrate Scrooge's demise, also got an Oscar nomination and is probably the film's best song. I also like "Christmas Children" for Bob and his kids as they shop for their goose, "December the 25th" for the Fezziwigs at their party, and The Ghost of Christmas Present's philosophy "I Like Life."

Trivia: This is another holiday movie musical with a stage version, though it seems to have mainly played in England. Tommy Steele starred in the most recent revival in 2012.

What I Don't Like: While Dame Edith Evans was a decent Ghost of Christmas Past, why was she dressed like a normal old woman in a Victorian gown? They couldn't pull off the effects to make her look more like the ethereal light ghost in the book?

Was it really necessary to have Scrooge end up in literal hell in the end? The sequence down below seems more like filler and them trying to give Guinness more to do than any real necessity to the plot. It was strange when Disney did it in Mickey's Christmas Carol, and it's even weirder here.

The Big Finale: The nitpicks with the weird finale and Evans aside, this may be my favorite musical version of A Christmas Carol. Finney and a delightful cast have a lot of fun with one of Leslie Bricusse's best solo scores.

Home Media: For some reason, Paramount's current Blu-Ray version doesn't come with the film's overture that can be found on my DVD, and it's not seen on most streaming platforms, either. Otherwise, this is fairly easy to find, usually for under ten dollars.

DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime

Family Fun Saturday - The Muppet Christmas Carol

Disney, 1992
Starring Michael Caine; Voices of Brian Henson, Dave Golez, and Frank Oz
Directed by Brian Henson
Music and Lyrics by Paul Williams

This was the first Muppet film made after the death of Jim Henson in 1989; Richard Hunt, the long-time voice of Scooter and Janice, had also passed away in the interim. No one was sure whether to go forward with it. It was only did mildly well during December 1992 (competitors that holiday season included Home Alone 2 and Aladdin), but has since become popular with families and fans of both the Muppets and A Christmas Carol. Let's once again head to Victorian London, this time populated by more than a few unusual creatures, to see how well this version holds up now...

The Story: Once again, we have Ebeneezer Scrooge (Caine) throwing around evictions like they're water on Christmas Eve. His staff includes several rats and Bob Cratchit (Kermit the Frog), who can't talk Scrooge into more coal, but do manage to get him to give them Christmas off. A blue furry Charles Dickens (Gonzo) and his rat buddy Rizzo follow Scrooge as he returns home, where he first encounters his former partners Jacob and Robert Marley (Statler and Waldorf). They're laden with chains and cash boxes from their years of greed, and tell him that three ghosts will haunt him that night to help him avoid their fate. Dickens and his rodent friend follow Scrooge through his sad past and a happier present...but even they won't venture into a spooky Christmas Yet to Come. Scrooge finally realizes just how important friendship and family is, whether your friends are human or felt.

The Song and Dance: Michael Caine makes a fine Scrooge here. He works well with the Muppets, never looking down on them or seeing them as anything less than real. Gonzo and Rizzo are hilarious as the story's narrators and have most of the movie's best lines. The running gag with Rizzo and food is cute, especially in the beginning, when he and Gonzo have to jump a fence, and then he goes back for his jelly beans. Piggy makes a perfect Mrs. Cratchit, too. Her piglets Belinda and Bettina are just too adorable - like mother, like daughters!

I've always loved the mix of CGI and practical effects in this one. The Ghost of Christmas Past still looks incredible. In fact, I think it's one of, if not my favorite version of the first ghost. In the book, Dickens describes the Ghost of Christmas Past as a changing, flowing, timeless being of light, and that certainly describes the ethereal creature they came up with. Even today, it's still quite impressive. The Marley Brothers are the appropriate mix of goofy and menacing, as are the spiders who stand in as the scavengers in the Future segment. The London sets and Muppets on the streets are appropriately grungy and dirty for the time period, and the costumes, on felt and humans alike, are spot-on as well.

Favorite Number: Kermit's best moment is the sweet "One More Sleep 'Til Christmas," first as he and the rats close the counting house, then as he heads home. He, Robin, and the Cratchit family also get to sing the lovely "Bless Us All." The Ghost of Christmas Present leads my favorite song from this film, the boisterous "It Feels Like Christmas," as he leads Scrooge through a London that's alive with good will and some fun dancing.

What I Don't Like: I own the DVD release with the extended fullscreen version, and that's the one that was released on video as well. I have no idea why the bosses at Disney cut the solo ballad for Scrooge's fiancee "When Love Is Gone." They claimed it was too slow for kids, but it didn't bother me in 1992, and it doesn't now. If anything, it gives more meat to a scene that seems too rushed without it, not to mention the song is heard again in the finale.

In fact, I kind of wish they'd done more with the past sequence. Both Scrooge's back story as a neglected child and his relationship with Belle are given short shrift, probably because they couldn't find room for Muppets in them.

The Big Finale: Even in it's cut general release version, this is still a charming musical Christmas Carol that the whole family can enjoy. If you have young kids who aren't up to darker retellings of this story or are a big Muppet fan, this is one of the better Muppet movies and is highly recommended.

Home Media: As one of the most popular Muppet movies and a holiday favorite of many, this is easily found in most formats, both disc and streaming.

DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime

Musicals on TV - A Christmas Carol: The Musical

Hallmark Entertainment/NBC, 2004
Starring Kelsey Grammer, Jane Krakowski, Edward Gower, and Jesse L. Martin
Directed by Arthur Allen Sederman
Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Lynn Aherns

The early years of television coincided with the Golden Age of Stage Musicals in the 1950's and 60's. Barely a year went by between roughly 1950 and 1969 without at least one new musical appearing on TV, either a live adaptation of a Broadway show, or more rarely, an original work. While this died down by the early 70's, musicals began to turn up more frequently again about a decade ago. This one was adapted from a long-running mid-90's hit that ran at the theater at Madison Square Garden in midtown New York and made into NBC's big holiday event for 2004. Let's head to the London Exchange to see how Scrooge is getting on...and how different this retelling is from other versions of this story...

The Story: Ebeneezer Scrooge (Grammer) is the most miserly man in London. He refuses to help a poor family, only grudgingly gives his clerk Bob Cratchit (Gower) Christmas Day off, and tells his nephew Fred (Julian Ovenden) that he will not dine with him on Christmas. He doesn't want anything to do with the holiday, charity, or people. A female lamplighter, a barker for a pantomime, and a beggar woman all warn Scrooge that he needs to change his ways. He doesn't consider it...until the ghost of his late partner Jacob Marley (Jason Alexander) turns up with a group of ghouls who insist that Scrooge will become one of them if he doesn't change soon.

The Ghost of Christmas Past (Krakowski) arrives first, showing Scrooge his troubled days as a poor youth whose father was arrested for his debts. He insists that his son make a fortune and hang onto it. Scrooge finally makes his way to old Fezziwig's (Brian Bedford) bank, where he falls in love with the beautiful Emily (Jennifer Love Hewitt). After the death of his mother, and then his sister, he throws himself into his lending business...at the expense of his relationships. He buys Fezziwig out and loses Emily, and then Marley when he dies at the office.

The boisterous Ghost of Christmas Present (Martin) has a happier vision for Scrooge. He takes him to see his nephew Fred's party and the Cratchit family's tender and happy meal. Scrooge is especially taken by their small cripped son Tim (Jacob Collier). He's shocked when the ethereal Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Geraldine Chaplin) shows him a future that's less than pleasant - if he doesn't reform, he'll die, unmourned and unloved. But perhaps there's hope for Scrooge after all..

The Song and Dance: I really like some of the ideas on display here. The Wizard of Oz-like use of the lamplighter, barker, and beggar to double as the ghosts and reveal Scrooge's feelings of guilt actually works pretty well with the story. Jesse L. Martin has a blast as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Gower and Linzi Hateley are lovely as the Cratchit parents. I also like that they work in some details that other family-oriented adaptations leave out, like the ragged Want and Ignorance children under the Ghost of Christmas Present's cloak, the ghouls appearing with Marley, and the emphasis on Scrooge's sister.

Favorite Number: The Cratchit family gets two good ones. Tim and Bob sing the charming "You Mean More to Me" as they shop for Christmas dinner, and the family sings "Christmas Together" when they're having their much-anticipated meal.  The best of the chorus numbers is the well-choreographed "Mr. Fezziwig's Annual Christmas Ball," with it's leaping dancers and whirling couples.

What I Didn't Like: First of all, other than the songs I just mentioned, the score just isn't that memorable. The opening chorus number "Jolly Good Time" is especially bland. "Abundance and Charity," with Martin and the Rockettes, is basically there to give the dancers something to do. Marley's "Link By Link" is actually pretty good...until we get to the dancing ghouls, with rattling chains and rolling heads. They look like six dancing Beetlejuices. What was wrong with the book version, with Scrooge staring out the window and seeing wandering ghosts?

For that matter, what was wrong with the book version of Scrooge's past? Scrooge being a child neglected by his father because his mother died giving birth to him suits the story far better. It feels like they gave Scrooge Charles Dickens' real-life back story instead, and it's just too much. And I know Jane Krakowski is quite attractive, but did her number really need to involve pole dancing around Scrooge's bed, and what was with the skimpy costume? She didn't look like a Ghost. She looked like she got lost on the way to Las Vegas.

The Future segment is even more off. It feels rushed, like they just wanted to get the whole thing out of the way in three numbers or less. Geraldine Chapman looks more like the book Ghost of Christmas Past than Future. (Admittedly, Grammer, who pretty much sleepwalks through this movie, does seem to wake up for this segment; his performance of "Yesterday, Tomorrow, and Today" is truly impassioned and is by far his best moment.)

The Big Finale: Might make nice background music while working on your Christmas cookies if it's on TV or online, and it's not bad for fans of Grammer or the songwriters. Otherwise, it's nothing you need to go out of your way to see.

Home Media: It's currently out-of-print on disc; your best bet is likely digging it up on cable or on streaming services like Amazon Prime (where it's free with the service).

DVD
Amazon Prime