Staff Christmas Favorites: Mr. Scrooge

 

Christina:  My favorite TV Scrooge is George C. Scott. He was born in my hometown, even if he doesn’t claim us.

 

 

Christy:  My favorite Scrooge is Jim Carrey's version in Disney's A Christmas Carol. The movie is surprisingly dark which I think works well for the ultimate Christmas ghost story.  Carrey is fantastic in all his roles as well. I feel like it's an underrated gem and a little unfairly maligned.

 

My dad bought the movie when it came out on DVD (all the way back in 2010) despite not having seen it at the time. When I asked why he would buy a movie he's never seen his simple response was, "It's A Christmas Carol. We know it's good."

 

Ashley: Every Christmas Eve, we settle in and watch A Muppet Christmas Carol. A story that's always been a favorite of mine, I have to admit that the Muppets have perhaps ruined me for other versions; no one seems to tell the story quite as well as Gonzo does! Statler and Waldorf as the Marley brothers are our favorites, so much so that it's made me pause in recent years when I remember that the original only has one Marley. Michael Caine is easily my favorite Scrooge, and the seriousness in his performance alongside the Muppets is easily one of my favorite things about the movie. It just doesn't feel like Christmas Eve until we get to sing along with Kermit as he lets us know that there's 'One More Sleep Til Christmas'. 

 

Justin:  The TNT special A Christmas Carol starring Patrick Stewart. Because he can really convey the bitterness, sadness, and regret in Scrooge's character. The entire direction of the movie is marvelous, and really evokes emotion from the viewer. This one left its mark on me growing up. (Bristol Main has it.) 

 

Jeanne:  I have several favorites!  George C. Scott is the one I always think of first, with the wonderful David Warner as Bob Cratchit.   I also love Michael Caine’s performance; not only is he a great Scrooge, but the way he interacts with the Muppets is so natural and realistic that I sort of forget they are Muppets. I also like to make time to watch Mr. Magoo’s version, a childhood favorite.  One more I’ll throw in, but it’s not from A Christmas Carol: it’s Christopher Plummer’s rendition in The Man Who Invented Christmas, about how Dickens came to write his beloved tale.  Having Dan Stevens as Dickens didn’t hurt either.

Selena: My favorite is Reginald Owen.  Don't ask me why!  He just is.

Christmas Movie Memories

Thoughts by Jeanne

As a child, I looked forward to the Christmas specials:  Rudolph, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol, The Little Drummer Boy, It’s a Wonderful Life, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated TV version, of course), and Frosty the Snow Man were favorites, eagerly awaited because they were only broadcast once a year and there were no home video versions available. 

Of course, these days one can just pop in a DVD and watch Frosty in July if the notion strikes, which is convenient but not “special.” I keep up the tradition in my own way by saving the movies to watch while I wrap packages or write Christmas cards.  Here are some of the films that usually find their way into my player these days:

•         A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott as Scrooge.  I’ve seen a number of versions, but I’m most convinced by Scott’s transformation from curmudgeon to philanthropist.  Also I like David Warner as Bob Crachit.

•           Muppet Christmas Carol is another winner as far as I’m concerned. No matter how . . . um, how to put this delicately… unconvincing (*cough* "Jaws:  The Revenge" *cough) the movie’s premise, Caine gives it his all as if he believes every word.  His interactions with the Muppets are, as was Mrs. Crachit’s pudding, a triumph.

•          We’re No Angels, a 1955 comedy caper starring Humphrey Bogart as one of three convicts who are on the lam after escaping Devil’s Island right before Christmas.  The plan is to lay low, steal some clothes and get the heck out of Dodge—er, French Guiana.  They end up befriending a family whose sweetness and gullibility are about to cost them their store and of course our guys decide to stop that from happening the only way they know how.  I’ll leave it at that.

•          The Man who Invented Christmas is a new entry on my list as the movie just came out in 2017.  Dan Stevens stars as Charles Dickens at a time when the writer desperately needed a hit book to provide some much needed cash to keep the family afloat.  It’s based on the book of the same title by Les Standiford; of course, I read the book first and was pleased at how well the movie followed.  Artistic license is taken by having Dickens imagine conversations with some of his soon to be famous creations, most notably Scrooge (delightfully played by Christopher Plummer). 

•          I might as well confess now:  I am the person who loved Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever. Yep, I’m the one.  I don’t have a lot of patience with the sappy, cookie cutter Christmas movies that seem to flood the airwaves this time of year.  Most of them feature shiny actors with shiny teeth and shiny hair who rediscover the Spirit of Christmas in under two hours and live Happily Ever After.  Sure, Grumpy’s movie rather follows the formula but it has the ever adorable Grumpy and a dose of snark supplied by Aubrey Plaza aka Voice of Grumpy.  I think it’s fun.  Sue me.

Of course, everybody has his or her own “must-see” films.  I know two people who both love The Shop Around the Corner and another whose holiday isn’t complete without a viewing of White Christmas.  What are your favorite holiday films?

It's a Wonderful Christmas Carol

Jeanne:

I'm going to be very traditional and choose "A Christmas Carol" as a favorite film for the holidays, though "It's A Wonderful Life" and "Amahl and the Night Visitors" are also contenders.

My choice of the particular film versions "A Christmas Carol" may be a little different, though. I love “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol.” I remember first seeing it as a very small child; I probably remember it from the first time it aired (no, I am not going to tell you the year.) I don’t know why this particular version appealed to me so much. Part of it may have been seeing a funny character whom I already knew and loved (Mr. Magoo was right up there with Top Cat and Beany and Cecil) doing something so different and serious. I know the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Be scared me more than a little. I also liked the catchy music. "Ringle, ringle, coins as they jingle. . . "

Sorry, I told you earlier that I can't sing.

I was utterly delighted this year when a DVD copy of this show was added to our collection. I’ve already watched I once so far, and may view it once or twice more as I address Christmas cards, just to get into the mood.

My other favorite version is the one with George C. Scott as Scrooge. It’s better-rounded than many. The tendency is to cut out large parts of the story to focus on Tiny Tim and Scrooge. This one looks more at Scrooge’s life as a whole: we see the devotion between Ebenezer and his sister, his failed romance with Belle, and – most importantly—the social conditions of the time. The Crachitts aren’t the only ones in need, and Scrooge’s limited outlook isn’t confined to mistreating one employee. It’s his entire life that needs re-evaluating, from his relationship to his dead sister’s son to his view of himself as a clever, practical man who should be respected, not realizing that others see him in an entirely different light.

Although he didn’t physically resemble Ebenezer, Scott managed to make that role his own. The most difficult part of the story is to have a Scrooge who is both believably hard and grasping and believably transformed. The supporting cast was also unusually fine. Edward Woodward is a very robust Ghost of Christmas Present, just as one would expect from “The Equalizer.” He and Scott have a great rapport, and their scenes together almost steal the movie. David Warner is another excellent piece of casting. He gives Bob Crachitt a lot of depth. Crachitt is usually such a colorless character, a total doormat. In this version, we see him as a stronger character, willing to endure dreadful working conditions in order to feed his family. The Crachitts are a devoted couple, still very much in love. Mrs. Crachitt (Susannah York) isn’t the shrew she is in some versions though she still has a bit of a sharp tongue. Instead, she’s a woman who loves her husband and resents the way his employer treats this good man.

Finally, there is Ebenezer’s nephew, a character often overlooked in filmed versions. He’s a sprightly, good-natured fellow, very much like his mother. He shares a name with one of my favorite cats, so I noticed every time Fred was mentioned which was fairly often.

So warm up the DVD/VCR player, make some hot chocolate and gather the family around for a trip back to Victorian London. I would join you, but I’m still working on my Christmas cards from 2005.

Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol DVD MR. Main

A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott Video 1944 Family or Video 6169 Family, both Main