My favorite live action version was the Scott one.
My favorite animated is the Magoo version.
My favorite changed up version is Scrooged.
But I have things and scenes I like in all the other versions. The Ghost of Christmas Future, in “Carol for Another Christmas” creeps me out. But Robert Shaw is like that.
If written versions are allowed, I cast my vote for the SDMB Christmas carol threads various versions, in particular the Jay and Silent Bob and Gone with Wind treatment. Serious quality parody.
Yes. To me, the most Dickensonian.
Mr Magoo
I’ve seen all but Mr. Magoo’s, and it’s George C. Scott’s for me, hands down, no question. Great cast, beautiful cinematography, a perfect script. I saw Alastair Sim’s once and was… underwhelmed. It was fine but IMHO not the masterpiece so many think it to be.
This one is my favorite and the only one I watch every year. It’s my favorite because of Rowan Atkinson, and because of it’s non-traditional take.
Yes! That one is properly creepy.
In this order:
I guess I need to give George C. Scott another try, then. I remember being unimpressed by his version, but maybe I was having a bad day or something…
The first one I ever saw was Albert Finney’s Scrooge, at the theater. I love it best. I also love Scrooged with Bill Murray, and the version with Alistair Sim.
Look around for the audio from his earlier LP, “Scrooge and the Stars”. I’ve only listened to it once, just for one thing: Little does an impression of JFK for the Ghost of Christmas Present. Rich Little has told a story about that, but I haven’t seen any independent evidence for it. His story goes is that the LP was released on 11/22/63, and the GoCPresent has the line, straight out of Dickens: ’ "My life upon this globe is very brief,‘’ replied the Ghost. "It ends tonight.‘’ ’ Little claimed that they recalled the LP and he re-recorded the part in another voice. However, a small number of the LPs were sold with the original impression.
Mr Magoo for me.
Absolutely.
George C. Scott, for the reasons given. Scrooge, Cratchit, and especially Marley and Ghost of Christmas Present (Edward Woodward) are perfect.
Yes, we’ve done this topic before; but it’s nice to come back to it, especially in summer (I assumed at first that somebody resurrected a zombie).
I have to break my favorites into categories:
Best live action, B&W: Alistair Sim (although Christmas Past benefits from some judicious fast-forwarding)
Best live action, color: George C. Scott
Best animated: Mr. Magoo
Best with puppets: Muppets
What, no love for the Doctor Who 2010 Xmas special?
Best Scrooge: George C. Scott
Best Marley: Bruce Montague, in the 1969 Australian animated version
Best Cratchit: David Warner, in the George C. Scott version
Best Tiny Tim: I dislike the character, so they all look alike to me
Best Ghost of Christmas Past: Joel Grey, in the Patrick Stewart version
Best Ghost of Christmas Present: Edward Woodward, in the George C. Scott version (although I am also fond of Carol Kane in Scrooged)
Best Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come: they all look alike to me
Try the Henry Winkler version; GOCYTC is a black guy in disco attire.
The Reginald Owen 1938 version or most likely the 1951 Alastair Sim version was the very first version I saw as a child. The tv was in the basement in those days…it totally scared me out of my wits!! Watched it in the early 1960’s or mid
A Muppet Christmas Carol.
Though I was partial to the version with Mr. Magoo as a child.