Though the film pushes aside the mainline Muppet characters, save for Gonzo in the role of Charles Dickens and Rizzo the Rat as his sidekick, the film feels in line with previous Muppet movies. More importantly, it feels in line with the best of the Christmas Carol adaptations, thanks to Michael Caine’s committed performance as Scrooge. Even when talking with pigs and frogs and rats and whatevers, Caine never breaks, never winks at the audience. Thanks to his dedication and the fantastic imagery of the story, Muppet Christmas Carol feels both magical and transformative.
3. A Christmas Carol (1984)
On one hand, the 1984 A Christmas Carol stars an American as Scrooge, namely George C. Scott. On the same hand, the production is yet another made-for-TV movie, not originally intended for big screen release. But those factors melt away as soon as the movie begins, revealing a lush and bustling vision of 19th century London. Director Clive Donner strikes a balance between silliness and solemnity, a skill he learned while working as editor on the 1951 film Scrooge.
Like the best adaptations of A Christmas Carol, the 1984 version has a cast full of great character actors. David Warner takes a break from playing excellent baddies to be a proud Bob Cratchit, Joanne Whalley appears as Scrooge’s sister Fan, and Edward Woodard adds a bit of menace to the Ghost of Christmas Present. If the 1984 A Christmas Carol has a weakness, it’s in the lead, George C. Scott. Scott excels at playing the bitter, cutting version of Scrooge, but he doesn’t sell the redemption at the end. At least, not as well as the Scrooges of the best two adaptations.
2. Scrooge (1935)
1935’s Scrooge isn’t the first time that A Christmas Carol came to film. It isn’t even the first time that Seymour Hicks portrayed Scrooge, having played the miser on stage and in a 1913 silent film. However, it is the first sound feature adaptation. And a good thing too, because Hicks puts in an outstanding, powerful performance as Scrooge. Hicks’s Scrooge almost seems baffled by the hangers-on who inundate him, better reflecting the miserly 18th century Parliamentarian John Elwes, on which Dickens based the character. That confusion fades away after Scrooge’s repentance, replaced by a sure smile, reflecting the peace and happiness he feels at the end.
Even better, however, are the movie’s visuals. Director Henry Edwards takes a cue from German Expressionism, filling the frame with extreme angles and heavy blacks. The approach suits the dreamlike nature of the tale, breaking the story from the confines of the Victorian Era. When combined with writer H. Fowler Mear’s faithful adaptation of the Dickens novel, the 1935 Scrooge makes for a nightmarish, delirious take that feels fresh and relevant, even in 2023. Just be sure to watch the black-and-white version, not the easier-to-find colorized version.
1. Scrooge (1951)
It’s all about the ending. Every one of the Scrooges on this list excels at playing a grumpy old miser who spits out invectives at his employees. Few do it better than Alastair Sim, star of the 1951 adaptation, titled simply Scrooge. With his long face and sunken eyes, Sim’s Scrooge looks all the world like a man rotting from the inside, a ghoul who haunts Cratchit (Mervyn Johns) long before the ghosts arrive. Director Brian Desmond Hurst uses Sim to great effect, knowing just how to position the expressive actor against his great supporting cast, which includes Michael J. Dolan, Francis de Wolff, and Czesław Konarski as the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, respectively.
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