# What's Your Favorite 'A Christmas Carol' and Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 21, 2011, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828 "2011-07-21T08:45:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/21 "2011-07-21T17:01:34Z")
> [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](#): > > Truthfully, my one and only is the musical _Scrooge_. My family and I have been watching it on Christmas eve for at least the last 10 years. Yep, except it’s been more like 25 years for me. Finney was brilliant in that, and Guinness was delightful. Thank you very very very much. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/22 "2011-07-21T19:44:18Z")
Another vote for Mr. Magoo. Not only my favorite Christmas Carol, but favorite Christmas show period. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/23 "2011-07-21T19:49:08Z")
I don’t think I ever made it all the way through the musical version. Guess I gotta give it another chance since it is so beloved. I like the story alot, and liked all the versions. If I had to pick, I like the George C. Scott version ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/24 "2011-07-21T20:02:15Z")
> [@Khendrask](#): > > Live - [Patrick Stewart’s one man show](http://www.sheeplaughs.com/scrooge/stewart.htm). I loved that one most of all. One of the best Christmas presents I ever got was being taken to see this in NYC. I think it remains my favourite, and it’s managed to pretty much drive remembrance of all the others out of my head, except for Edward Woodward as the Ghost of Christmas Present. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/25 "2011-07-21T20:05:39Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Aliastair Sim. Thread over. > > Sim is the best because his bad Scrooge was so evil – like a spider contemplating a fly in his web – while his good Scrooge was so filled with delight that you can’t help but smile. His scene from the window when he asks the boy to buy the turkey has never been equaled, even when the same dialog is used. I agree. My favorite was when he was sitting at the desk saying “I don’t deserve to be so happy…_but I can’t help it_”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/26 "2011-07-21T20:20:33Z")
_Mr. Magoo,_ for the song where the kid obsesses about razzleberry dressing. But _Scrooged_ is a close second. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/27 "2011-07-21T20:27:35Z")
I like the Alastair Sim version because of a few added scenes which help to show how Scrooge became so messed up: a deathbed scene with his sister, who died from giving birth to his nephew Fred, and scenes where he and young Jacob Marley blackmail and buy out other businessmen and take over Fezziwig’s business and drive him out. And also, Michael Hordern as Marley’s Ghost. I love Michael Hordern. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/28 "2011-07-21T21:39:16Z")
For fun and music, the best is definitely Mr. McGoo’s (even if he gets the order of the ghosts mixed up). I was working for IBM in 1984 when they sponsored the George C. Scott version, which I thought was wonderful. I have a hard-cover book of the special that includes the script. IBM made it available to their employees; it even has IBM on the back cover (I wonder if it’s worth anything). ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/29 "2011-07-22T04:01:51Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > George C. Scott. Thread over. Not by a _long_ shot! (Here we go again! 🙂 ) > [@](#): > > Scott is the best because he’s not ‘evil’. He’s a lonely, bitter old man. But Sim does that, too. I have no idea what you mean here. > [@](#): > > With Scott, we can _see_ why he does what he does. You can with Sim, too. Dickens _shows_ you why. > [@](#): > > His delivery of ‘Every idiot who goes about with “Merry Christmas” on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart!’ is the best ever. It not only shows his disdain for Christmas, but also shows that he still has a sense of humour. When Sim says it, he’s just nasty. I think it’s the **worst** ever. Seriously. Dickens did not want overt humor there. It’s SUPPOSED to be nasty. As I’ve argued before, Scott unsubtly hits you in the face with the humor, whereas Dickens intended the humor to be almost totally hidden by the nastiness. The success of the story depends on the fact that is it NOT a character study. It’s more of a fable, painted in broad strokes and vivid colors. Scrooge’s early nastiness is a dramatic necessity for us to feel how he changes. I did watch the Scott version again, and I thought it was just incoherent. Scott is a confident Scrooge, almost completely at ease with himself. On his journeys with the spirits, he seems more bewildered than regretful or fearful. Even at the end of the GOCYTC episode, Scott releases all his trademark anger and determination (impressive on its own, but WRONG here) with an inadequate show of fear. Scott’s version is dramatically wrong, wrong, wrong. Now I did note a good, subtle interpretation by Scott as he’s leaving the office on the first day and talking to Cratchit. Just a touch nastier overall and Scott would have been a lot better. I’m truly puzzled why people regard this version so highly. There’s one thing I did notice. In the script there are a number of lines added which hit the idea of helping the poor **much** harder. Everyone agrees that’s good. But the main story was Scrooge’s redemption. I speculate those added lines are the real reason a lot of people have such high regard for Scott’s version. We will now go on to less controversial topics: 2nd Amendment rights, abortion, whether or not Balrogs have wings, etc. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/30 "2011-07-22T04:33:44Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > But Sim does that, too. I have no idea what you mean here. He lacks the depth Scott put into the character. > [@](#): > > You can with Sim, too. Dickens _shows_ you why.I think it’s the **worst** ever. Seriously. Dickens did not want overt humor there. It’s SUPPOSED to be nasty. As I’ve argued before, Scott unsubtly hits you in the face with the humor, whereas Dickens intended the humor to be almost totally hidden by the nastiness. Scrooge’s laughing at his own ‘joke’ isn’t meant to be funny. It shows how nasty he is. > [@](#): > > The success of the story depends on the fact that is it NOT a character study. It’s more of a fable, painted in broad strokes and vivid colors. Scrooge’s early nastiness is a dramatic necessity for us to feel how he changes. Fables can have developed characters, which helps with adult audiences. > [@](#): > > I did watch the Scott version again, and I thought it was just incoherent. Scott is a confident Scrooge, almost completely at ease with himself. Because he believes he’s right. Monsters don’t usually see themselves as ‘monsters’. > [@](#): > > On his journeys with the spirits, he seems more bewildered than regretful or fearful. Even at the end of the GOCYTC episode, Scott releases all his trademark anger and determination (impressive on its own, but WRONG here) with an inadequate show of fear. Again, Scrooge thinks he is in the right. If he didn’t, then there would be no redemption; he’d just be cowed. > [@](#): > > Scott’s version is dramatically wrong, wrong, wrong. No, it isn’t. > [@](#): > > I’m truly puzzled why people regard this version so highly. That can be said about any version. One reason is Scott’s excellent portrayal of Scrooge. It’s also well-shot, well-acted, and has good music. It’s in colour (and I’m a big fan of B&W), and people haven’t seen it over and over and over for 60 years. _Scrooge_ is a ‘touchstone’ picture. Good when it came out (I presume – I wasn’t alive then), and good to watch now. But it feels more like a habit. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/31 "2011-07-22T11:00:49Z")
> [@Khendrask](#): > > Live - [Patrick Stewart’s one man show](http://www.sheeplaughs.com/scrooge/stewart.htm). I loved that one most of all. Agreed ---
**Author:** ![Biffer\_Spice\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@Biffer\_Spice\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffer_Spice_1)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/32 "2011-07-22T11:11:56Z")
for me it was the musical finney one. awesome. i do like the scott and sim ones too. and the muppets one. on a separate note, those chains from hell are reserved for those who put words like “thread over” after their reply in any opinion thread 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/33 "2011-07-22T11:20:45Z")
No love for Mickey’s Christmas Carol? ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/34 "2011-07-22T12:26:27Z")
Live action, non-musical versions: Sim, with Stewart almost tied, and Scott a close third. Musical version: Finney Animated: the Chuck Jones produced Sim-voiced one, Jim Carrey a close second I so wish the Reginald Owen one could have instead starred Lionel Barrymore as was planned. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/35 "2011-07-22T12:32:33Z")
Patrick Stewart’s one-man show, followed by Alastair Sim. Anyone seen Tommy Steele’s recent musical version? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/36 "2011-07-22T13:34:11Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > No love for Mickey’s Christmas Carol? Scrooge McDuck is one of my favourite characters, but I probably get more bang for my buck out of “Scrooged”. ---
**Author:** ![JoThrive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@JoThrive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoThrive)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/37 "2011-07-22T14:10:15Z")
I’ve watched them all at one time or another. And I’ve enjoyed them all. No favorites - it’s all just a part of Christmas for me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/38 "2011-07-22T14:59:07Z")
> [@JoThrive](#): > > I’ve watched them all at one time or another. And I’ve enjoyed them all. No favorites - it’s all just a part of Christmas for me. 🙂 This. A Christmas Carol is pretty much THE Christmas movie for me. I seriously adore most every treatment I’ve ever seen of it. But Sim would be my desert island version. (Parenthetically, if a new version were to come out, I really think I would love Gene Wilder as Scrooge. That’s just an idle thought…) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/39 "2011-07-22T15:08:26Z")
Definitely Finney. That one went further than any other in showing a believable transformation to and from the horrible miser, and the [coffin parade](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiNMz_745vQ)scene (“Thank you very much!”) is one of my favorite ever dance sequences. Next would possibly be Carrey- the animation allowed them to go places other movies can’t, though I agree the chase sequences were silly and unnecessary. Least favorite of the major adaptations would include the Kelsey Grammer musical (just dreck) and the “so horrible you wonder how it ever got a laugh” Rich Little production from the 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![RJEatonton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/0ea827/32.png) [@RJEatonton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RJEatonton)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828/40 "2011-07-22T15:14:28Z")
I vote for Alistar Sim’s “Scrooge” from the 1950’s [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-a-christmas-carol-and-why/589828.md?page=3)