Patrick Stewart for me. Scrooge is such an archetype now with the “Bah! Humbug!” that when the character is is depicted now it’s almost always bordering on parody. Stewart really showed the guy as the sad old man he is and made you understand how he came to be that way.
From the text, Stave One:
“You’ll want all day tomorrow, I suppose?” said Scrooge.
“If quite convenient, sir.”
“It’s not convenient,” said Scrooge, “and it’s not fair. If I was to stop a half crown for it, you’d think yourself ill used, I’ll be bound?”
The clerk smiled faintly.
"And yet, " said Scrooge, “you don’t think me ill used when I pay a day’s wages for no work.”
The clerk observed that it was only once a year.
“A poor excuse for picking a man’s pocket every twenty-fifth of December!” said Scrooge, buttoning his greatcoat to the chin. “But I suppose you must have the whole day. Be here all the earlier next morning.”
The clerk promised that he would; and Scrooge walked out with a growl.
Finney for me - Alec Guinness’ Marley is superb.
Finney - by far for me. His portrayal is splendidly perfect. And the ghosts in that version! Exactly how I pictured them - I watch it every year on the longest day of the year!
For me it has to be Scrooge. I have seen the movie so many times it’s not even funny, and now it’s out on DVD!! I’m going to find one tonight!
Just heard one on the radio, it’s a commercial for the Simon Giftcard.
I love the Scott version, he is perfect as Scrooge. He is never evil or malicious, just uncaring and heartless. His transformation is very believable and moving. This version also seems to stick closer to the book and never tries to gild the lily.
Stewart has never done anything for me as an actor. I never bought him as old. Cratchit is the only thing in it that is better than the Scott version.
The Sim version just adds to much that is not in the book. Especially the screwing of Fezziwig. If Scrooge was always such a bad guy, what does showing him his younger self accomplish?
Caine is great and Finney was good but their versions, esp. Finney’s, just add to much that takes away from the story.
WHat are you talking about? There is a telling of Christmas Carol other than the Muppets!
There is no way that anyone could ever do a better rendition than the Muppets.
Is George C. Scott a muppet?
George Finney a muppet?
I don’t recognize these Muppet charactors. I think some of you have had too much eggnog.
A Christmas Carol begins and ends with Muppets. I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough to enjoy the Muppets, I can watch the only version of A Christmas Carol (Muppets) with her.
Muppets, Muppets, Muppets!
How many versions have Christmas Present with Ignorance and Want clinging to him? I know it’s in Scott, and not in Sim. Jettisoned from all the musical versions, I believe.
The Sim version has the best wrap-up, IMHO. The scene where he tries a headstand and sends his housekeeper screaming from the room cracks me up. And his reconciliation with Fred brings a tear to my eye, every damn time (and the maid who opens the door is a hottie, too). OTOH, the Sim version spends way too much time in the Past.
It is in the Sim version. Also Stewart. The Owen version too, I think, but I haven’t seen this one since last year and am not certain.
I know I’m in the minority here, but although most of the “serious” adaptations (in which I include the Muppets, because it’s relatively faithful) I enjoy, my favorite is still Scrooged. The brilliance of the television network that Bill Murray runs doing a live telecast of A Christmas Carol. I love the Ghosts/Spirits of Christmas Past and Present. Oh, that brutal fairy (“Don’t vex me, Frank, or I’ll fix your mouth so it won’t hold soup!”). And John Forsythe as his old boss (“I was a legend in this business! Feared by men, and adored by women!” “Oh, c’mon, you paid for the women!”) bursting through the door looking like he’s been in the ground for seven years.
I just love that movie.
[A follow-up message from Mrs. CaptMurdock]
While I know that was the first Christmas movie we bought on dvd (Scrooged) and have happily watched, I still think that Muppets will be the one we will watching more with our whole family. That’s its strength. All of us watched it and loved it. From our 6 year old to even my wonderful husband Captmurdock. Even our 17-year-old watched it.
Plus it reminds you who wrote it. It quotes the source novel nicely and at the narrator (Gonzo) tells you to read the book.
I have bought no less than 5 different C.C. this year and love them.
Has anyone seen an Anime version of it?
God Bless us everyone!
Mrs CaptMurdock
for you ACC experts: all of the film versions of the story show London coverd in heavy snow at Christmas…was this true in the 1840’s? Seems snow at Christmas in London is pretty rare (in modern times). Were the 1840’s a lot colder than today?
This might answer your question regarding London winters in 1840 :-
http://www.booty.demon.co.uk/metinfo/snowxmas.htm#G
The Sim version is my favorite.
When I was younger, I liked the Owen version (except for that awful scene with the toy carousel at the end). That may have been because the Sim version came out in the year I was born and probably hadn’t made its way to TV till I was older. Of course, Leo G. Carroll as Marley’s ghost was great. That’s a bit funny now because he went on to star in the TV series of “Topper” where he was being haunted instead of doing the haunting.
I’m pretty sure the Owen version doesn’t show Want and Ignorance because I’m certain that Scrooge is laughing when the Christmas Present scene changes to CYTC.
Having read the book as a child(really, I did!!)
there are certain scenes I like to see in A Christmas Carol
The children Want and Doom
Ghost of Christmas past being extinguished like a candle
The showing of the other spirits like Marley
The bad pun involving grave and gravy
Scrooge’s comeback Christmas being like hearing a Cricket in the Hearth(a referencen no doubt to the other story in the Dicken’s christmas trilogy) that Christmas is therefore a humbug!!
etc.
I’m amazed that so much info about this exists? I asked the question, beciase on business trips to London, I was always amazed by how mild the winters there seemed to be! For example, I left Boston one snowy February, to find London full of spring flowers! Daffodils and tulips had just bloomed-while in Boston, we were digging out of 12" of snow!
I am glad you find the information useful. From that web site it appears that Dickens was remembering winters from his childhood instead of writing about the actual weather during the 1840’s. For about 60 years ,up to about 1810 ,England experianced what was called the “little ice age” when even the very polluted Thames used to ice up every year.
Rayne Man, that was very interesting.
For anyone who wants a whole compendium of notes about “A Christmas Carol”, try to find “The Annotated Christmas Carol” by Michael Patrick Hearn. Lots of info like [ul][]It was widely “adapted” and pirated immediately after it appeared. Dickens did try some lawsuits, which he won, but he didn’t even recover the cost of the suits. At least now it’s public domain.[]His regular publishers were reluctant to take the new book because of the poor return on “Martin Chuzzlewit” (which was partially the result of its negative portrayal of America which depressed sales there). He published it himself, contracting with a printer/binder. He lost money on the book due in part to his insistence on a medium price for the book and fine materials and multi-colored illustrations.[/ul]
I’m no expert on all of the various versions, but I remember watching An American Christmas Carol (1979) and liking it very much. You would think that Henry Winkler protraying an Americanized Scrooge in the middle of his Fonzie heyday would be a stretch, but I thought he did a good job and that the movie was very well done. Worth watching if you ever come across it on cable.