# Overthinking Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 23, 2014, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overthinking-mr-magoos-christmas-carol/708063 "2014-12-23T23:16:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overthinking-mr-magoos-christmas-carol/708063/21 "2014-12-27T16:17:03Z")
This is my favorite version of Dickens’ tale. So glad to hear others still like it too. Love the songs. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overthinking-mr-magoos-christmas-carol/708063/22 "2014-12-27T16:49:57Z")
> [@dba\_Fred](#): > > [We’re Despicable (Plunderer’s March)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOJBU95pVmw) > La! La! Laaaa-Laaaa-Laaa-La-La! +1 I came here to post this! ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overthinking-mr-magoos-christmas-carol/708063/23 "2014-12-27T17:10:34Z")
One good thing about miser Scrooge: although the Cratchits weren’t eating well on what he paid Bob, he was probably eating worse. His own health might improve, now that he’s willing to spend more money. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2014, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overthinking-mr-magoos-christmas-carol/708063/24 "2014-12-27T17:36:00Z")
> [@Zorkmid](#): > > This version of Tiny Tim is my favorite because he’s an impish scene stealing kid who gets all up in the razzleberry dressing instead of some pure innocent tragic waif. I know Dickens meant him as a symbol of innocence and goodness, but I like kids to be kids. In contrast to Tim in the Alastair Sim version, who’s a strapping bruiser, practically the size of Bob, and looks ridiculous riding on his shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overthinking-mr-magoos-christmas-carol/708063/25 "2014-12-28T10:44:03Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > the technology was available in 1962, so I stand by my response. 🙂 Yeah, but it would look weird, having Scrooge’s scene be video, while the other scenes are all live action. Though recording his voice to play over it would be good. Using video for flying over London would be a good idea. Rear projection and using a flight harness would work pretty well. (At the one done at my church, the Christmas angels and Scrooge would just go backstage talking the whole time. It easily allowed them to get from set to set. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overthinking-mr-magoos-christmas-carol/708063/26 "2014-12-28T18:43:56Z")
Another thing to overthink: Considering what Scrooge now knows about the characters of his char and laundress, will he fire them? Or will he figure that his nephew and the Cratchits probably won’t want his sheets, bed curtains, etc. so let them take them when Scrooge dies. (Note: the char and laundress don’t seem to have swiped any of the cash Scrooge had at home, because I bet he’d know if any went missing.) Really overthinking: Maybe he’ll leave what they’d take anyway to them in his will. Really, really overthinking: Will he specify a different undertaker in his arrangements? Or just let him have his pen and pencible? Man, I gotta get back to editing my novel. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overthinking-mr-magoos-christmas-carol/708063/27 "2014-12-28T21:09:08Z")
> [@Zorkmid](#): > > This version of Tiny Tim is my favorite because he’s an impish scene stealing kid who gets all up in the razzleberry dressing instead of some pure innocent tragic waif. I know Dickens meant him as a symbol of innocence and goodness, but I like kids to be kids. I’m with you, there. One of the great virtues of the Mr. Magoo version of the story is the way it declines to linger overmuch on the maudlin and sentimental (no dead Scrooge sister, for example). > [@Andy\_L](#): > > It’s amazing how scary ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is, even in this production. :eek: Not only scary, but apparently being doubled by an actor playing one of the other roles—he doesn’t appear in the curtain call! ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overthinking-mr-magoos-christmas-carol/708063/28 "2014-12-29T16:25:03Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > I’m with you, there. One of the great virtues of the Mr. Magoo version of the story is the way it declines to linger overmuch on the maudlin and sentimental (no dead Scrooge sister, for example). I like to compare-and-contrast all the various versions I’ve seen, noting the different adaptation choices made. For instance: Magoo shows up at the Cratchit’s on Christmas Day, since he doesn’t have a nephew to spend the day with. And they omit Ignorance and Want. Alastair Sim cuts the post-conversion meeting between Scrooge and the 2 fundraisers. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overthinking-mr-magoos-christmas-carol/708063/29 "2014-12-29T22:07:27Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > I like to compare-and-contrast all the various versions I’ve seen, noting the different adaptation choices made. For instance: Magoo shows up at the Cratchit’s on Christmas Day, since he doesn’t have a nephew to spend the day with. And they omit Ignorance and Want. > Alastair Sim cuts the post-conversion meeting between Scrooge and the 2 fundraisers. I find that a fascinating pastime, too. In fact, seeing the various versions as a child probably sparked my interest in narrative structure, if you’ll pardon the pomposity. \*“Why does Mr. Magoo see the Ghost of Christmas Present first and the Ghost of Christmas Past second?”\*and that sort of thing. Dickens’ story being one of those that have grabbed the modern imagination by its metaphorical throat, the changes on it get rung, repeatedly, in every medium. Possibly only Ambrose Bierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” rivals “A Christmas Carol” as a plot we seem compelled to rehearse over and over again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overthinking-mr-magoos-christmas-carol/708063.md?page=1)