The 1984 version with George C. Scott is my favorite. Coincidentally, my wife and I watched it last night and I mentioned the Rich Little version, which my dad loved.
Agreed, The George C. Scott version is my favorite as well. The back and forth between Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Present is something that I think about all the time.
I like a lot of them but probably my favorite is the Jim Carrey version. When Cratchit starts to talk about how tiny Tim, in church, was saying that Jesus made blind men see and lame men walk, it's a very moving scene.
It isn't a direct adaptation, but I do recommend The Man Who Invented Christmas. Dan Stevens plays Charles Dickens while he goes through the process of creating A Christmas Carol. And we get to see Christopher Plummer play as Ebenezer Scrooge during the inception of the tale. It's a fun movie and became part of my holiday watching since release a couple years ago.
It has a scene from the book that always gets cut out. After Marley tells Scrooge of the three Spirits, he takes Scrooge through his bedroom window into his courtyard, where Scrooge is horrified to find that the world is full of ghosts, usually invisible, who are tormented by their ability to witness but not influence events. At one moment, a ghost is seen crying helplessly over a mother and young child freezing to death in the snow, unable to help them.
I'm always amazed how, " Scrooge " (1970) with Albert Finney, and Alec Guinness is always skipped over and is always the hardest to find. I'm glad I finally own a copy of it. I don't know if it's because it's called Scrooge instead of A Christmas Carol or if it's because of copyrights of the two most famous actors who have ever played Scrooge & Marley. I just don't understand it. If anyone has any real information it would be most welcome.
Definitely the best adaptation. Great performances from the leads and great songs as well. Fleshing out the Scrooge/Isabel storyline really hammered home what a pitiful character he was too. They did a great job of giving him a little more dimension and nuance than some other adaptations. We watch Scrooge every Christmas Eve at my house.
My family watches this every year. It's got great songs that get stuck in your head. For many years we watched the VHS that we got from our church video sale (Our church had a video library that was pretty cool). Couldn't find it anywhere until it later popped on DVD on Amazon.
For a minute there, I mistook the actor playing Scrooge in ''Scrooge To See You'' for Dereck Jacobi, but then I couldn't understand how a low budget Christian film company could afford him. Then it occurred to me that it was actually David Ruprecht, the host of the old ''Supermarket Sweep'' gameshow. Other than Supermarket Sweep, Ruprecht's big claim to fame was playing the guy that married Janet in the last season of ''Three's Company''.
I thought he sounded familiar, the scrooge from "Mister Scrooge to see you" is the host os Supermarket Sweep. So weird to see him in something other than a fantastically hideous sweater, but I guess you gotta continue to work. This is a wonderful hodgepodge list of movies. Will have to watch them sometime for fun.
@@DirectorDonP You're talking about six digits in post-production costs there. Do you really think ANYONE wants to spend all that money to fix a terrible made for television film from 1978 that no one liked to begin with? That's like asking for $25,000 to hire a good artist to paint a decent portrait of Scrooge and then another $5,000 to have it digitally superimposed into this scene @13:09 just to fix it more than ten years after it was released.
@@wellesradio "6 digits post-production" this youtuber did it with almost nothing in his spare time, by himself, and did it so well he got poached by Lucas Films. So no, it wouldn't be until you start throwing Hollywood accounting into it and magically make the money disappear. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dHSTWepkp_M.html
@@Channel-gz9hm He/she added filters on top of already existing footage, and did for a “whopping” two minutes and forty-five seconds. As for “doing it for almost nothing”, if the studios rely on unpaid slave labor, sure, why not? Practically free. Ask that RU-vidr how much LucasArts pays for the hours of work they would put in to accomplish this while on the payroll. It’s about $95k-$120k annually per artist. That’s only for the in-house stuff. LucasFilms games licenses properties, so they have to pay a lot more for other designers to being their teams in as well. If I were an architect, just because I’m willing to design my own house in my spare time doesn’t mean that architects are cheap.
I was somewhat raised on Rich Little's Christmas Carol. It is enjoyable for what it was, though I do agree it should have been much shorter, less Dickens more Rich Little.
I'll admit, I laughed at a lot of the clips of that one, and I thought "this actually sounds awesome!" But when he said it was 50 minutes, I thought "Yeah, that is a LITTLE too long for this concept."
Or less Rich Little and more actors. He plays Cratchit, Scrooge, maybe Marley or Ghost of Christmas Present, but then you have comedians or other contemporaries playing the other characters. And maybe only half an hour since it's a comedy and it doesn't have to atmospheric to get the point across.
@@JamieRobles1 Two problems, first this is a one-man show, and Rich Little is one of the great impressionists possibly of all time, very few stars if any are more qualified then him to act in a one-man show. Secondly while it first aired in the USA on HBO, it aired one year earlier on and was produced by the CBC, so we should forgive it for being cheap. 75% if not more of the special's budget most likely went to Rich Little's salary .
@@dr.burtgummerfan439 You don't have enough faith in young people. They have access to all of the media that's ever been created, and if they don't get a references, they can look it up.
I love that last version, it is exactly my kind of corny and I would never have heard of it but for your video. Adaptations are just such a cool topic tbh. Good video
My father made us suffer through Rich Littles Christmas Carol for years... He laughed away as we counted down the minutes to watch something else. I like Rich Little now, but damn it was torture when i was young haha.
Quick thoughts on each one: -As a Columbo fan, I desperately want to see an adaptation in which Peter Falk actually played the Ghost of Christmas Present. -Making Scrooge/the Scrooge analog more of a jerk is one of my biggest pet peeves when taken too far, as it makes his redemption far less believable. -I don't know why, but when you said the movie was released in 2013, I somehow knew it would be a Christian film.
My favorite version is the 1910 version. It may be silent but it captures a feel that only you the viewer can feel. You feel sadness, and a bit of anger for the old Scrooge. I especially feel Scrooges happiness followed by sudden sadness after his happy moment is suddenly taken from him when he revisits a happy memory, or when his cousin comes to visit but is suddenly left standing in shock and sadness when he is denied and sent out the door. It's a very feely version and that is why I like that version so much.
Funny, I watched American Christmas Carol last night. I got my wife’s attention by telling her it’s the Fonz as Scrooge (huge Happy Days fan). She was too tired to watch. Maybe will watch another time.
I'm new to your channel but I'm loving your interesting takes on pop culture! Keep up the good work. Also - I believe that was Supermarket Sweep's David Ruprecht as Scrooge in "Mr. Scrooge to See You"!
I wouldn't say that An American Christmas Carol is quite that forgotten. It's readily available on both DVD and Blu-Ray in a nicely restored edition. I had completely forgotten about the Rich Little one but I do remember seeing it either at the time or on various repeats on the CBC.
Did you happen to catch 'Christmas Carol Goes Wrong' a few years ago? That was pretty funny! Also have you ever thought about covering the version of 'Hound Of The Baskervilles' featuring Peter Cook & Dudley Moore? It's a shame it's forgotten about these days cause it's a really fun rendition that stands head and shoulders above many others.
Blackadders Christmas Carol and Scrooged are 2 of my favourite versions of the story, blackadders an inverted style which works brilliantly for his character. I personally enjoy the cgi jim carry version too personally, i find myself watching it xmas night every yr, then alastair sim and alec guiness versions, are always classics
I remember seeing an animated version of it (not the Disney one) that was a borderline horror movie. The thing I remember most is the door knocker. Instead of being a ghost and talking to scrooge, it turns into this monster looking thing but it doesn't move or speak. And I remember the ghosts being legit scary too
You might be referring to the version by Hollywood Video Library, Inc. 1989. distributed as a VHS titled: CHRISTMAS CLASSICS, A Christmas Carol by Trans-Atlantic Video, Inc. Freehold, New Jersey VHS color #90001. scary white ghost on the box. I have it, paid 69 cents at a thrift shop.
It's only been out a year, so it remains to be seen if the 2019 FX-BBC dark revision is forgotten, or if it gains a cult following, in spite of or because of its creepiness. (I liked it & I'm generally a purist on ACC adaptations, but I can also understand how many found it off-putting.)
There was an SNL sketch about the year after A Christmas Carol, where Scrooge spent all of his money and now the ghosts are there to tell him not to give away so much to charity. It had Danny DeVito and Phil Hartman. It was a funny premise, but wasn’t executed very well.
I regularly watched Rich Little & Henry Winkler growing up. These were my faves. Hokey, but I never was into the story much after the first time I heard it as it was. Though, it was obvious when I was young that Rich Little wasn't doing anything but his normal cast of characters, but with new names. Sorta cheating. Yet, as a wannabe actor it got my interest. Horribly filmed though.
While I will agree that Dickens’ original point of A Christmas Carol was not to promote religion, but rather the spirit of the season, there is a scene the draws direct attention to that fact in that the Cratchit Family is portrayed as Christian seeing as there is the line about Tiny Tim hoping that people would remember “He who made lame beggars walk and blind men see.” That being said the adaptation you showed at the end was beyond mediocre and mistakes the message that Charles Dickens tried to outline. I do hope that in the Christmas Season of 2022 that you do a retrospective on the FX Christmas Carol as I view that as a Forgotten Failure for sure seeing as how it missed the entire point of its source material.
An American Christmas Carol was actually filmed in the town I grew up in. According to folks in town, Henry Winkler was incredibly kind & super respectful. They had nothing but great things to say about him.
The George C. Scott Christmas Carol was filmed in my home town and my dad's friend actually worked on the film. I've visited the filming locations many times.
I can't believe that I took the time to research that Scrooge, would infact, know what ketchup was. Maybe not the EZ squeeze bottles made from plastic though.
Albert Finney was 34 when he starred in Scrooge (the 1970 musical), and played the old man so convincingly that you forget he's not really an old man. And keep in mind, that's while singing and dancing as an old man. The one thing that really gives him away are his fat, young fingers. By the time you see him as young Eb, you may forget that it's the same actor.
Scrooge isn't supposed to be elderly, anyway. In the chronology of the novel, he should be early 50s at most. Finney played him correctly, and his "old" Scrooge looks to be reasonably in his 50s, which is correct.
You mentioned that you're surprised there weren't more Christmas Carol sequels. There is one I can think of. The 1985 Anthology series "George Burns Comedy Week" had for its second to last episode "Christmas Carol II: The Sequel". The series itself would be worthy of an episode as it was from Steve Martin and Carl Gottlieb and was riding the brief anthology tv series craze of the mid 80s.
Ah, so I’m not the only one who remembers that TV series and that particular episode. (I couldn’t name or describe any other episode from GBCW if you forced me to try.)
My least favorite adaptation is Christmas Carol: The Musical starring Kelsey Grammar! The one version I liked the best is Scrooged starring Bill Murray.
Noooo the gritty reboot they did last year was the absolute worst. A Christmas Carol doesn’t need to be part of the me to movement or anything else for that matter - it has a message for social change.
That movie was mostly singing (too much to be a standard musical, but not enough for an opera), which is a bad idea if the songs aren't half way decent.
My favorite versions are a tie between A Muppet Christmas Carol with Michael Caine and Scrooge with Albert Finney. My least favorite is probably the Disney animated version with Jim Carey, it's an uncanny valley nightmare.
Yeah I'm not a fan of the Jim Carrey version either, funnily enough I'm also not a fan of the Jim Carrey Grinch which is another movie where Jim Carrey plays a character who hates christmas. Btw I also love The Muppet Christmas Carol and Scrooge with Albert Finney.
I'm so glad you included the Henry Winkler version, which came out when I was a (very media-aware) 11-year-old. He was at peak popularity then -- he could write his own ticket, and I think he chose this project to get as far away from The Fonz as he could. I watched at least some of it and remember thinking, "Huh, he pulled it off pretty well."
My favs are Albert Finney, Rowan Atkinson and Bill Murray, though I like George C Scott and Alistair Sim too. To be fair its a great story so any version is usually worth a watch.
I love An American Christmas Carol. I saw it for the first time on The Family Channel when I was a kid. Now I have it on Blu-ray. My favorite Christmas Carol has to be the Patrick Stewart version
The '51 version with Alastair Sim is still to this day the definite and best one. Scrooged is a personal favorite of myself and my wife. You forgot to mention the 1997 movie Ebenezer with Jack Palance as Scrooge, I've never seen anyone even remotely remember it being made
The Alistair Sim version is great, although some of the changes made to the story aren't so great - like having Marley repent on his death bed but still be damned, which makes no sense, and isn't in the original story for a reason: he was damned because he _didn't_ repent in life. (Which I guess means after a redeemed Scrooge dies and goes to Heaven, Marley will still be trudging around on Earth as a ghost. Kind of a raw deal.)
I also love the Patrick Stewart version. I also love The Muppet Christmas Carol, Mickey’s Christmas Carol, and the 2009 animated movie with Jim Carrey as Scrooge.
Our family favorite is the 1970 British, musical version titled Scrooge. A young Albert Finney does an excellent job as Scrooge. From the Smith family, we wish everyone a very merry Christmas 🎅 🎄 ♥
Obviously, the most underrated version of A Christmas Carol is the one that the All Dogs Go To Heaven TV series did. Ernest Borgnine as Scooge? Dom DeLuise, Sheena Easton and Steven Webber as the ghosts? And they're ALL DOGS?? Inspired! :P
Sort of a side note comment: I’ve yet to bring myself to watch the CGI Christmas Carol. Mostly an “Uncanny Valley” thing. Generally I feel you can’t go wrong with any version in black and white though
Yeah the CGI is uncanny but todate I think it might be the most accurate to the book I’ve ever seen. They even include the children of want and ignorance which is usually left out. Plus a mostly accurate depiction of past as a old man baby candle YES that is what past looks like.
Anyone else get a weird Back To the Future 2 vibe from that last movie? "It's Bob Cratchit's kids, Ebenezer! Something's gotta be done about his kids!"
I taught this in college English class--we would read the Dickens text in class, and I would show four versions: 1951 (Alastair Sims), "Scrooged,," the George C. Scott (1984) version, and Patrick Stewart (1999) version. Patrick Stewart's version received about 75% of the votes over a ten-year period of teaching this curriculum.
Out of those, Stewart's is the worst - partly because it's a sanitized Disney production, but because it's only shortly after Star Trek TNG ended it just seems like Picard playing on the Holodeck.
@@thewkovacs316 Actually not. You may be confounding the many film, stage and TV adaptations of the story with Dickens' novella itself. Dickens made several references to Christianity, including when Scrooge slyly mentions the "blue laws" which mandated closing shops and businesses on Sundays, and chides the Ghost of Christmas Present for thereby depriving so many poor people of a chance to earn a few extra pennies. The Spirit denies any complicity in this, stating flatly that such laws are enacted by humans themselves. And Bob Cratchit tells Mrs Cratchit that Tiny Tim didn't mind people staring at him in church, as it might remind them of He Who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see. (That speech I am certain is in the 1951 Alastair Sim film.) I think there are more in the book, but I can't think of any at the moment. Dickens scatters references to Christianity as an underpinning of English life throughout his work, but very rarely refers to God or Christ directly (as in Tiny Tim's words to his Dad). He was usually much more forthcoming about the myriad ways that Christianity, and the most prominent persons in its story, were hijacked and exploited for commercial gain, political power and social control. Um... sorry. Lecture over.
Scrooge not knowing what ketchup is doesn't make much sense since tomato ketchup since it was around since at least 1817 and the novel came out in 1848.
About Mr. Scrooge to See You, the one time he went to the future it was comparatively close to his own starting point when everything was still recognizable. Getting chucked a full two centuries beyond his time makes a big difference.
I remember a Christian film called Scrooge and Marley from 2001 starring Dean Jones, where Marley's ghost takes Scrooge to court as he is trying to ban a manger setting from a school or something.
