Scrooge (1970) User Reviews

Delightful musical version of "A Christmas Carol"

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 11 December 2019]

This lavishly mounted film benefits tremendously from the inspired casting of Albert Finney, who really sinks his teeth with into the juicy lead role of a spot-on miserly and miserable misanthropic curmudgeonly Ebenezer Scrooge.

Director Ronald Neame keeps the always engrossing and heartwarming story moving along at a fitful pace, offers a vivid and flavorsome evocation of the Victorian era setting, stages the song and dance set pieces with considerable brio, and adds a few nice touches of amusing dark humor. The songs are a bit of a mixed bag, with the insanely catchy "Thank You Very Much" standing out as the single most rousing and hummable tune while "Happiness" proves to be quite haunting and poignant.

The spirits are a distinctive and memorable bunch: Edith Evans as an elegant Ghost of Christmas Past, Kenneth More as a hearty and imposing Ghost of Christmas Present, and Paddy Stone as a creepy skeletal Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. The rest of the cast are likewise rock-solid: Alec Guinness as a tormented Marley's Ghost, David Collings as a sympathetic Bob Cratchit, Michael Medwin as Scrooge's kindly nephew Fred, Laurence Naismith as the jolly Mr. Fezziwig, Suzanne Neve as the sweet Isabel, and Anton Rodgers as the robust Tom Jenkins. Both Leslie Bricusse's jaunty orchestral score and the sumptuous widescreen cinematography by Oswald Morris further enhance the overall sterling quality of this fine and uplifting film.

Albert Finney shines

[HotToastyRag · 8/10 · 31 October 2020]

Are you interested in seeing A Christmas Carol as a musical? You've got several options (since the Public Domain makes it easy for budding songwriters to write music without securing any exclusive rights). I've seen at least four musicals, and I recommend the Albert Finney version. Leslie Bricusse's songs are delightful, the production values are surprisingly good, and Albert Finney is the lead! In a wonderful treat (and the only version I can remember that does this), Albert plays both the main Scrooge and the younger version in the past flashbacks. Usually, it's a role sought out in an actor's middle-age, but since Albert was so young in 1970, he merely covered himself up in unrecognizable makeup during the main meat of the movie. For a few minutes, we get to see him in his true handsome glory, and it's a lot of fun. In either case, young or old, he's a great actor believable in hero or villain roles, which makes him a wonderful Ebenezer Scrooge.

And did you know that he could sing? You'll get to hear a variety of original songs in this movie, from the sweet to the sad, the heartwarming to the funny. Alec Guinness, Kenneth More, Laurence Naismith, Suzanne Neve, Richard Beaumont, and David Collings join in on the musical fun; and Anton Rodgers leads the chorus in the most memorable "Thank You Very Much." It's a very sad scene (the entire town is thanking Scrooge for dying), but the song itself is adorable and will keep you singing it for years to come.

This version might not be the one you watch every year on Christmas Eve, but if it's been a while since you saw it, rent it again this December. There are many little touches that will continue to impress you whenever you do watch it. Details remind you that the writers clearly studied the original text, the production design and costumes make you feel as though you're experiencing the bitter cold alongside them, and Albert Finney makes you want to wrap him up in a hug. No, not because of his twinkling eyes and sparkling smile. Just as he completely transformed himself as Hercule Poirot, you'll forget there's a young, handsome man underneath the makeup of Ebenezer Scrooge. He's a lonely, crotchety old man you'll feel sorry for, and when you see the Ghost of Christmas Past flashbacks, you'll practically forget it's the same actor!

I'm glad I had no preconceived notions about film in 1970...

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 14 December 2014]

...or else I might just have passed on something hawked as "Scrooge, the Musical!". I actually had to used my allowance to go see this with a friend (I was 12) and I actually scraped some of my money together to go see it a second time. Unlike so many experiences from childhood that seem larger than life and are disappointing as an adult, I still love this film and think it is the best of the film renditions of "A Christmas Carol".

I am putting a spoiler warning on this just in case there is somebody on earth who has never heard of the story of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". Believe me, the joy is in the experience, not knowing every little plot point.

Albert Finney was at just the right age that he could strike a handsome impressive pose as Scrooge the shy young man, yet look realistic with the right makeup (and trust me the makeup jobs here are great) as a bitter dried up old man who finds comfort in nothing, not even his money. He simply holds fast to it because he thinks everyone sane is as self involved as he is and if not, that they are fools.

Alec Guinness is terrific as Marley, Scrooge's long dead partner now in hell. He is terrifying yet he plays the part somewhat tongue in cheek almost to the point that you feel he isn't too upset that Scrooge is headed to where he is in the afterlife, he just enjoys scaring the daylights out of him.

Never being particularly religious as a child, the vision of hell conjured up when Scrooge confronts his future was very terrifying to me at the time, just the same.

And then there is the music - the songs actually work and add to the enjoyment of the film, "Thank You Very Much" being the most rousing.

There is just ONE tiny thing that occurs to me now when I watch this 44 years later that did not occur to me as a child. Would everybody have been so welcoming to a redeemed generous Scrooge the day after his epiphany if he hadn't had the money to buy things for them? Just a thought.

Best Adaptation of A Christmas Carol

[truemythmedia · 10/10 · 7 January 2020]

This is an incredibly biased review, as I expect most reviews of Holiday Classics would tend to be. This is a film I grew up with and, thus, no other version of a Christmas Carol will do, at least for me.

I remember watching this movie every year, sometimes more than once. Even as I prepared to write this review I thought, 'I don't really need to watch it again but I probably should just so that it is fresh in my mind. When I popped the DVD in I was instantly transported into the Christmas season, which up until that moment, even after hanging lights, decorating the rooms of our house, and visiting my Grandparents for Thanksgiving, I simply had not felt like it was Christmas yet.

But those bells that play and the frosty blue and white painted credits title cards ushered in the Christmas spirit into my winter season as surely as a visit from Jacob Marley's ghost.

While I may be biased, I do truly believe this is the best adaptation of Charles Dickens' story that has ever been made. I doubt this review will change your mind about your favorite but I do hope it will at least prompt you to try this one out as, perhaps, an addition to your Holiday-time Queue.

I'm going to begin with Scrooge, our titular character, played by Albert Finney ("Big Fish," 2003). If there's been a more truly cantankerous, tragically calloused, monetarily focused, hilariously oblivious, and joyfully redeemed version of this character, I'll eat my hat, coat, and winter boots alongside my Christmas goose and pudding. Watching other versions, the actor playing scrooge always seems to be performing the part of Scrooge as if they are in a TV special (sometimes they are) and their real job is to make sure they get out every iconic line from the story. Finney, on the other hand, doesn't just run through his lines in an 'already prepared' fashion. The lines seem to come from deep in his hard heart. He's always fussing around as if he can't even sit still during his conversations, subtly communicating how little stock he places in humanity. Scrooge feels like a real person in this version, not just a story book character come to life with a funny voice, although he does have one, and a cartoonish grimace on his face (such as Jim Carrey in "Disney's A Christmas Carol").

Another wonderful aspect "Scrooge" is the music. A Christmas Carol is no stranger to musical adaptations and while I give credit to quite a few of the songs in "A Muppet Christmas Carol" for being fun, Christmas-y, and often hilarious, they simply don't hold a candle to the musical sequences in "Scrooge." This is in part because the songs are simply better, in my opinion, feeling more like a stage musical's words and score, but also because the sequences, and indeed the entire film, actually takes advantage of the fact that it is a film and not just a TV special.

The scenes where Scrooge is just standing there and singing are few and are actually motivated by the scenes and communicate something about Scrooge and who he is willing to sit and listen to and who he isn't. The first musical number features three songs "Christmas Children," "I Hate People," and "Father Christmas" is frenetically paced as Scrooge attempts to slip away from the mocking song that the street urchins sing, even as he goes about London, collecting on debts, even on Christmas Eve. This is contrasted with Bob Cratchit who meets two of his children after work, walks them home collecting items for their celebration, and marveling at the magic of Christmas on the London Streets.

Of course this is all helped by some of the best production design I have ever seen in a movie, let alone a Christmas movie. London feels large, with little neighborhoods and districts not because we get some CGI flyover but because the streets of London aren't just a single cross street set and an alley that the Cratchits live on. We wander all over the streets of London and when we do go inside, Scrooge's office, The Cratchits one room home, and Scrooge's chambers all feel so real and lived in that they themselves communicate the state of their occupiers souls: the Cratchit house full of bustling family and light; Scrooge's home full of old dingy heavy and dark drapes, starkly furnished, and kept as dirty and barely kept as Scrooge's disgusting fingernails..

This brings up the last thing I'll mention; Light. This film actually uses light as a tool for storytelling, beginning the night before Christmas where Scrooge lives with an eternally dark heart as black as the sky and ending with Christmas morning shining bright as Scrooge literally runs around like a schoolboy (he doesn't just say it then continue to walk around like an old man as in "Muppet Christmas Carol"). This isn't the only example of how light is used to communicate generosity and the spirit of Christmas in the film but I will leave those to you to discover on your own.

This is one of those movies that appeals to me on almost every level. The acting is great, the music is fun, and it actually feels like I am watching a movie that the director was thinking more about how to communicate the feeling of a hard-hearted man being redeemed than he was thinking about how to achieve a special effect or make an exact copy of every scene from the book. I find myself spontaneously singing the songs from this film all year round and there are few things that bring my soul the sort of satisfaction that this film does as it ends with Scrooge lavishing his riches upon the town and walking back home all by himself, still singing under his breath and skipping as he does.

May we all find and share that kind of joy this holiday season.

A wonderful memorable adaptation - highly recommended!

[johnhuxter · 10/10 · 23 December 2004]

Christmas films, like Christmas songs, are a hugely personal choice, and depend so much on childhood experience. But this is one film which does not lose it's charm, no matter how often I see it. The songs, sets and costumes are fantastic, the acting is inspired, and the musical scenes are beautifully choreographed. In fact, there is no other Christmas film, which has contributed so many songs to my Christmas repertoire! The fact that this version is an English production also helps considerably in the credibility department - the accents are authentic.

Aside from the scene in "hell", this film is admirably true to the spirit and content of Dicken's text, with some inevitable cuts which frankly, I didn't miss. More importantly, I have seen no other version which manages to combine the miserable qualities of Scrooge with the touches of wit and humour which Dickens so skillfully wrote with. Other versions of the film so often succeed at being dour, while failing to capture the joyous aspects of the story, and the humour Scrooge himself sometimes provides. Happily, this version Succeeds at both.

The 1951 version of the film, with Alastair Sim as Scrooge, is often touted as being the best. This may be where my age betrays me, but when I saw it recently, it left me feeling rather flat. Sim did a good job of appearing afraid of the ghosts, but where was his bitterness, skepticism and sarcastic wit? By contrast, Albert Finney's portrayal is a joy to watch - you cannot help but both love and hate the miserable old creature, which makes his transformation at the end all the more joyous.

Highlights...

The clever use of songs like "Father Christmas" and "Thank You Very Much" to convey very different sentiments at the end of the film than they do when first introduced in eaarlier scenes - marvelous!

Albert Finney, as the hilariously miserable Scrooge, singing "I hate People"

Alec Guinness as a truly original ghost of Jacob Marley - fantastic!

Kenneth More's Ghost of Christmas Present - what presence, what a costume!

Laurence Naismith as the exuberant Fezziwig - exactly as he should be, and a good dancer too!

Edith Evans (Elderly Ghost of Christmas Past), in response to Scrooge's "You don't look like a ghost", primly replying "Thank You!".

Mrs. Cratchhit's scream of shock when she realises who is delivering the enormous turkey to her door! I could watch it a hundred times!

...and too many others to mention. This movie was released on DVD this year - by all means see it!

My personal favorite version of Dicken's classic tale.

[katselby88 · 25 December 2003]

In response to the other comment posted, I can agree. This version is not suitable for ALL ages. Parents should be advised to monitor their small children and perhaps omit the more dramatic scenes involving the Ghost of Christmas Future. When I share this movie with little friends under 12, I take care to either distract them from those sections, or omit them, thanks to the power of the fast-forward button. (But really, today's kids 8-9 and up see way more violent & scary stuff these days!)

However, having said that, I own a copy and have watched it faithfully every Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for nigh onto 20 years. It renews my spirit and reminds me of my responsibilities as a human being.

At the tender age of 12, my Dad took me to see "Scrooge" in the theater when it was released for Christmas. At only 12 years of age, the scenes of the Ghost of Christmas Future were quite vivid.

However, the movie made such an impression on me that it influenced my entire Life philosophy. "Mankind is our business" says Dickens through the Ghost of Christmas Present. This joyful movie filled with wonderful songs that bring me the Christmas Spirit every year. It also imparts the value of staying connected to matters of the spirit and heart, and illustrates the difficulties that arise when ones focus becomes only the material or the monetary. That is a valuable lesson to us all, not just at Christmas, but the whole year through.

I recommend this movie to everyone. Personally, I find it much more engaging and inspiring, not to mention, colorful, than any other version. The performances of all the actors are very entertaining. If you're the sentimental type, keep a hankie close by when Tiny Tim sings for his family at Christmas. What an angel!

Just my 2 cents worth!

Time Is Too Short and Suddenly You Are not There Anymore

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 31 March 2010]

In 1860, the stingy and cranky Ebenezer Scrooge (Albert Finney) that hates Christmas; loathes people and defends the decrease of the surplus of poor population runs his bank exploiting his employee Bob Cratchit (David Collings) and clients, giving a bitter treatment to his own nephew and acquaintances. However, in the Christmas Eve, he is visited by the doomed ghost of his former partner Jacob Marley that tells him that three spirits would visit him that night. The first one, the spirit of past Christmas, recalls his miserable youth when he lost his only love due to his greed; the spirit of the present Christmas shows him the poor situation of Bob's family and how joyful life may be; and the spirit of future Christmas shows his fate. Scrooge finds that life is good and time is too short and suddenly you are not there anymore, changing his behavior toward Christmas, Bob, his nephew and people in general.

This musical adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens to the screen is one of those optimistic films that follows the style of Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life". The redemption of the mean Ebenezer Scrooge in a Christmas Eve is one of the most known worldwide novels and in this version, Albert Finney one of his finest performances surprisingly not nominated to the Oscar. In Brazil, this enjoyable family entertainment was released on DVD by Paramount Distributor. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Adorável Avarento" ("Adorable Stingy")

My favourite Christmas movie

[Impman2 · 10/10 · 24 December 2019]

Makes me cry and also laugh.Heartwarming and uplifting. Great music. Lovely, atmospheric sets.

Christmas past

[mole1961 · 7/10 · 27 November 2010]

an early VHS recording of this film played a significant part in my family Christmas celebrations some twenty years ago. perhaps it is this that allows me to forgive the films overly sentimental and stagy approach to this oft told tale . some have called this "olivers " poor relation coming as it did in the wake of that unrivaled masterpiece and yes it does seem at times as if we may have heard a melody or ditty before (" consider yourself /thankyou very much- need i say more ")finney and co tread hallowed ground but do so with aplomb. kelsey grammers recent musical outing doesn't come close and the visual trickery of Disney's version makes it equal too but never better than this rendition .what mr dickens would have thought is of course quite another matter.

Greatest Christmas Movie Ever

[smit815 · 10/10 · 22 November 2003]

I disagree with all of the critics. I always felt that this was the best Christmas movie ever made. Albert Finney is an incredible actor and he brings the character of Scrooge to life more than any other actor has. I personally never liked the Alistir Sims portrayal. Like some of the other comments, my family has a yearly tradition of saving this Christmas movie for the last one of the season to really get us in the Christmas spirit.

As absurd as it needs to be.

[HenryHextonEsq · 7/10 · 23 February 2005]

I admit having a past with this film; saw it on TV several millennia ago, well, a Christmas as a child of maybe 10, after having been shown it at Junior School prior to the end of term in December. You see, for me this is the film I most strongly associate with the Christmas period. Curious, I know; this isn't a 'great' film, and hasn't particularly been given popular acclaim. What better a time than last evening for me to watch this; the north-east of England practically frozen over in a snow-scape.

I think how deep an impression this at-times-clumsy, over-egged musical take on the Dickens story is felt in how I have received other versions. A few Christmases back, I saw the Alastair Sim-starring version - much more acclaimed - yet found it lacking in, shall we say, spirit...? Now just what is it about this version, then? A gusto and willingness to wring all of the absurdity, profundity and sentimental pathos out of Dickens, I would hazard. Albert Finney's performance is stylised, but he just seems so good a choice to play Scrooge; the actor's well-documented aversion to 'charm' allows his Scrooge a rascally chilliness. And what a sublime contrast in his playing of the younger Scrooges in the Christmas-Past sequences? A restrained, tight-lipped quality pervades even the scenes of idyllic happiness with Isabelle - all flutes, forests and punting on the willowy river, yet with a telling, jarring air of fatefulness in Finney's inscrutable features as the Young Scrooge.

Need it be said how effective the various ghosts are? The British film veteran Kenneth More playing an acid-tongued, man-mountain of a bounteous spirit; the 'Ghost of Christmas Future' a "Seventh Seal" sceptre; Edith Evans an admirably underplayed, tactful 'Ghost of Christmas Past'. These earliest recollections include the moving "let's go back to your childhood, childhood, childhood, childhood..." (to quote Vivian Stanshall) sequences, with 'the solitary boy' that is the youngest Scrooge, shown adrift, friendless, cut off from an uncaring family; alone, death-dealt in the classroom. The Dickensian association of childhood with death is further evoked with the poignancy of Bob Cratchitt (played with jocular, earnest aplomb by the fine David Collings), by Tiny Tim's grave in the future. A tableau prefaced by a tracking shot of the graveyard, Tiny Tim's sentimental song - heard earlier - echoing forlornly in the studio frost.

Complementing Finney is the astoundingly good, undervalued turn of Alec Guinness, as the Ghost of Jacob Marley. Lithe, threateningly airy, this Marley seems a conjurer's trick, and that conjurer is clearly Guinness. Playing with an air of sinister camp I have rarely seen in him, he endows his lines with a world-weary playfulness; he is a sprite weighed down by those metaphysical chains. Far, far better than Michael Hordern in the 1950 version, who was merely reasonable, as a croaking, browbeaten Marley. This Ghost is both haunting and droll, dispensing loaded rebukes and dryly slithering around the place. Guinness's physicality is a joy; it reminds one of the influence he was on Peter Sellers before he was sentenced to dullard 'straight' roles in David Lean epics, or indeed "Star Wars", which the great actor rightly perceived as a millstone round his neck in later years. In Marley's guise here he has the chance to mine the seam of eternal torment, and the fastidious, repressed 'life' that both Scrooge and Marley lived. And what about that moment where he scares Scrooge into believing that his apparition is real? Genuinely odd...

While there is much to praise, there are likewise weaker areas; it is no towering classic of film-making overall. Admittedly, some of the songs are shoe-horned in; there's a lack of witticism in the lyrics and a clunking way syntax: lines are ended on non-sonorous non-rhymes, or the most obvious rhymes. Many words are packed into the lines, but not dexterously, in the Sondheim manner, say. However, set designs are spot-on, and the seasoned Ronald Neame's direction is fundamentally solid, enabling a liveliness, if never any great ingenuity - even though I reserve some fondness for the hell scenes, and those concerning the graveyard and childhood mentioned above.

The whole ending sequence really did warm the heart, watching as a child; and it does now, in the sense that it is such exaggerated 'happiness' that it nears the level of lunacy. Scrooge bounding about like a madman; played with a manic silliness by Finney that defies critical analysis of any sort! Crowds of Victorian Londoners singing the one truly winning song of the film, "Thank You Very Much", and what's more, prancing around as if their choreographed lives depended on it.

This mass-prancing mirrors an earlier scene which, while obvious in its joke, gets me every time, and crystallises why I like the film so: Ghost of Christmas Future at his arm, Scrooge witnesses and unwittingly partakes in a celebratory funeral procession - for himself. One chancer of a cockney character actually does an absurd, lunatic dance to the London music-hall pastiche of "Thank You Very Much" on top of Scrooge's coffin, and is joined by others. And all the time, the hapless Scrooge thinks they are celebrating some unknown act on his part; he does not see the coffin. It plays as an overplayed bit of black comedy that somehow works, despite itself.

"Scrooge" captures a good deal of Dickens's rampant emotionalism; a mix of heightened melancholy and boisterous good cheer. The whole thing is a construct-Victorian London of the ripest order, but the basic power of the original shines through. All this and Guinness's Marley too...

A Dickens of a Good Time

[BaronBl00d · 10/10 · 27 December 2004]

There have been so many versions of this literary masterpiece filmed that it is high praise indeed from me when I say this is easily my favourite version and one of the best. Albert Finney gives a tour-de-force performance as Ebeneezer Scrooge. He is barely middle-age when making the film yet gives one of the best cranky, curmudgeonly old man performances seen in film. Finney gives such life to lines that have become tainted by overuse over the years. All the performers do excellent jobs with some old English stalwarts lending a hand. Dame Edith Evans plays one of the most charming and pithy Ghosts of Christmas Pasts I have seen. Kenneth More, an under-appreciated actor, adds so much life as the Ghost of Christmas Present. And let's not forget Alec Guinness as the Ghost of Jacob Marley. In some moments he is a clown and others a very scary spirit. The scene where Scrooge sees his fate as being a co-worker of Marley's in Hell is one of the most innovative plot additions I have seen to this classic, timeless tale. Guinness hams it up; watch how he walks with those chains all over him. The actors playing Cratchit, Tiny Tim, Nephew Fred, Mr. Fezziwig, and so on are all very believable and give genuine performances. I love the music. I know some people are not musical people, but each song is catchy and some like "I Hate People," "I Like Life," "December the 25th," and the best "Thank You Very Much" will possibly remain in your head days after having seen the film. Because of its status as a tale of redemption and forgiveness and the possibility each of us have in changing our lives, A Christmas Carol(Scrooge) gets little recognition for being one of the greatest ghost stories ever written. I cannot say enough good about this film. What more can you ask for than good, solid acting, mellifluous tunes, authentic Victorian settings, and one heck of a good ghost story with a moral that each of us can relate to. If you don't like musicals, you will be put off by people combusting into song. As for me, Scrooge is the one version that my family and I make a point of seeing every holiday season. It just isn't Christmas here without it!

Ebenezer good

[Lejink · 7/10 · 11 January 2016]

I wish I'd managed to watch this overlooked British film musical before Christmas but even with the trees and decorations down for days, it was still a very pleasurable watch. Beats me why it's never mentioned in the top list of classic festive films as it has a lot going for it.

The story is so well known and there have been so many film versions of it that familiarity could breed some discontent if not quite contempt, but the twist is here is that it's played as a musical with a lively score by the celebrated Leslie Bricusse. Here, he has to contend with two of his main actors probably challenging Lee Marvin for the award for worst singer in a major production, being Albert Finney and Alec Guinness, but despite this palpable drawback, the movie works well.

The evocation of mid-19th Century London is splendidly achieved (in sets apparently left over from the recently completed "Oliver!") with no stinting on cast numbers per scene either. The songs are happy singalong and yet suffused with the personality of the singer, thus Scrooge's "I Hate People" and later the crowd, led by Anton Rogers, singing "Thank You Very Much" to Scrooge for dying.

The special effects aren't that great, especially when you see a white-painted Guinness as Marley's ghost float up and away on wires but they're tolerable for the time.

Finney is very good even buried away under more pancaked makeup than Shrove Tuesday, Guinness a lot less so in a part in which he's obviously ill at ease. Director Neame directs with some flair and stays reasonably close to the source story.

Some Christmas presents I find are best appreciated even if delayed until after the day itself. Watching this film was like that for me, a little post-Yuletide delight all the more welcome

How NOT to adapt "A Christmas Carol"

[Tug-3 · 3/10 · 26 December 2011]

This off-putting version of "A Christmas Carol" is an object lesson in how not to adapt Dickens's tale. Albert Finney is good as Scrooge: in the opening scenes, he is a fun, hissable miser, chasing down his debtors with cruel gusto. He also does great work in the ghost sequences, mumbling out sad laments over his lost love, and looking pitiable and meek. However, the movie makes the odd mistake of putting everyone Scrooge knows in an unflattering spotlight. Why should we care if Scrooge is redeemed if the people he's helping are all creepy and vindictive?

Compare this version to the wonderful 1951 Alastair Sim adaptation. In that tale, we have one scene (straight from the novella) of some shady characters selling off Scrooge's belongings after his death, shielding themselves from guilt by claiming that Scrooge's behavior brought this judgment upon him. A far cry from the 1970 musical, wherein droves of Scrooge's debtors literally dance in the street to celebrate his death. These are the people we're supposed to root for? You could argue that Scrooge's eventual redemption has the wider effect of making them into better people too (as Tom Jenkins seems to soften once Scrooge forgives his debt), but so what? The 1951 version shows Scrooge's circle as kind, goodhearted people who fear or endure Scrooge, but who don't actively hate him and wish him dead. The 1970 version made me think, Well, you parading freeloaders _did_ all owe him money, didn't you?

Even Bob Cratchit comes off as unlikeable in "Scrooge," with his simultaneously self-effacing and self-aggrandizing wisecracks. In the 1951 version, when Cratchit asks, "Who else in our acquaintance can boast two rounds of the finest rum punch?" he's being sincere, reminding his children to be grateful for what he perceives as their bounty. In the 1970 version, Cratchit knows he's underpaid, he knows he deserves more, and he's petulant and whiny about it. You don't root for this guy.

Aside from that, we have the forgettable score; a bizarre Christmas Yet- to-Come sequence, with punishments that seem far incommensurate with Scrooge's crimes; the entire ending sequence, wherein Scrooge evidently spends every penny he's ever earned to hand out toys and bottles of wine to random strangers; and Alec Guinness, who doesn't know whether to be funny or scary or just shambling and weird. That's this movie for you: shambling and weird.

A christmas classic, and one of Finney's finest hours...

[alfieelkins · 10/10 · 6 November 2003]

This film is an underrated classic family musical. In the spirit and tradition of Oliver! and My Fair Lady, with an energetic memorable score and an eclectic cast all on top form. Sir Alec Guinness, Dame Edith Evans and the wonderful Kenneth Moore support magnificently. Moore in one of the last roles before his untimely death, clearly enjoying hamming it up as the ghost of Christmas present carrying the miserable scrooge along for the ride of his life whilst singing `I like life!' is a joy to see.

But Finney's performance is the standout. At a time when he was making films like Charlie Bubbles and Gumshoe, and with a reputation of being one of Britain's foremost angry young men this role was as unexpected as it was wonderful.

As a side note I was lucky enough to be able to see Anthony Newley as the miser in Bricusse's early nineties theatrical revival, and although good was no where near as cutting or humorous as Finney.

A must see at Christmas time, you too will be singing `I like life' and `thank you very much' for days afterwards!

Delightful Version Of A Familiar Tale

[jhclues · 9/10 · 16 December 2000]

In this delightful musical adaptation of The Charles Dickens' classic, Albert Finney is cast as Ebenezer in `Scrooge,' directed by Ronald Neame, who successfully manages to put a fresh face on the familiar tale. Original music and songs (by Leslie Bricusse), from the jaunty to the poignant, add to this uplifting and appealing version, skillfully crafted and delivered by Neame, and beautifully acted by one and all. At 7:00 on Christmas Eve, Scrooge finally tears himself away from his counting house and makes his way home, commenting along the way (in song) that `I Hate People,' only to be greeted at his front door by the apparition of his late partner, Jacob Marley (Alec Guinness). And of course for Scrooge, it's only the beginning of a night that will change his life forever. First, the visit from Marley's ghost, followed, in succession, by the spirits of Christmas Past (Edith Evans), Christmas Present (Kenneth Moore) and Christmas Yet To Come (Paddy Stone). Though not, perhaps, the definitive portrayal of Scrooge, Finney is outstanding and does lend some distinction to the character of the curmudgeonly miser, from the stoop-shouldered walk he affects to his twisted mouth. But, more importantly, he gets beyond the mere physical aspects to capture the personality and singular perspectives of the man as well, and in doing so makes his Scrooge unique; no small accomplishment considering how many times on stage and screen this character has been done, and by how many different actors. Also turning in notable performances are Edith Evans, who makes her spirit of the past warm and accessibly intimate, and Kenneth Moore, whose spirit of the present is as big and engaging as the life he represents. But the real highlight of the film is the portrayal of Marley's ghost by Alec Guinness. What a magnificent actor, and what a magnificent performance! When Marley first enters Scrooge's room he fairly glides, disjointedly across the room, encumbered by the chains he forged in life and which he now must carry around for eternity. There is a fluid rhythm to his every movement, to every step he takes, that lends a sense of the ethereal to him, without-- it must be noted-- the help of any special effects whatsoever. With nuance and precision, with care given to every minute detail, Guinness truly makes him an otherworldly presence. There has never before been, nor will there ever be in the future, an interpretation of Marley any better than this. It IS the definitive portrayal, and a tribute to talents and abilities of one of the great actors of all time.

In addition to the music and songs, there are a couple of scenes that consign this presentation of `A Christmas Carol' the stamp of uniqueness. The first involves the visit from Marley's ghost, wherein Scrooge is taken in flight by Marley, and once aloft they encounter lost souls and phantoms, doomed to wander aimlessly for all eternity. The second is courtesy of the Ghost of the Future, who gives Scrooge a glimpse of the nether world, where he is greeted by Marley, who shows him to the `office' he will occupy for eternity, as well as the massive chain Scrooge has forged for himself during his lifetime. The supporting cast includes Anton Rodgers (Tom Jenkins), who delivers one of the most memorable songs, `Thank you very much;' Mary Peach (Fred's wife), Kay Walsh (Mrs. Fezziwig), Laurence Naismith (Mr. Fezziwig), David Collings (Bob Cratchit), Frances Cuka (Mrs. Cratchit), Richard Beaumont (Tiny Tim) and Suzanne Neve (Isabel). Heartwarming and thoroughly entertaining, `Scrooge' is a welcome addition to the annual holiday festivities. It's always fun to see a new spin on a familiar story, especially when it's as well crafted as this; moreover, this one will leave you whistling a tune and humming for the rest of the day, maybe even for the rest of the year. And that's a deal that's just too hard to pass up. I rate this one 9/10.

Marvelous, magical holiday musical treat!

[BobLib · 19 September 2000]

While this isn't quite in the same league as the Sim, Owen, or Magoo versions of this Dickens classic, "Scrooge" is, nonetheless, a magical retelling of a classic tale that should be part of everyone's Christmas, as it's been part of mine ever since I saw it as part of the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show in 1970.

Period London is beautifully evoked throughout in designs inspired by Ronald Searle. Leslie Bricuisse's score and screenplay, written just after his work on the original "Doctor Dolittle," is superior to the earlier film in just about everyway. "Thank You Very Much" was the big hit song from this film, and an Oscar nominee (It lost to "For All We Know."), but there is also the wistful melancholy of "You," the celebratoty spirit of "December the Twenty-Fifth," the ironic humor of "Father Christmas," and the old #!&*$#!* himself summing up his own philosophy of life in "I Hate People."

Now, as to the performances, Albert Finney (Looking just about as he does now, come to think of it!) is as vivid a Scrooge as one could wish for, with George Frost's make-up effectively transforming him from the handsome, young man of the flashbacks to a crabbed old miser. David Collings is one of the most likable Bob Cratchits you'll ever see, Sir Alec Guiness a somewhat whimsical Marley's Ghost, Kenneth Moore an imposing, jolly giant of a Ghost of Christmas Present, and Dame Edith Evans her usual imperious self as the Ghost of Christmas Past. The musical sequences are energetically staged by the late Paddy Stone, who also plays the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

I have only two reservations regarding this film. The "See the Phantoms" and "Scrooge in Hell" sequences, both of which entail Marley's showing Scrooge what will become of him if he doesn't change his ways, may be just a little tough sledding for children under the age of, oh, eight or so. To that end, they're usually cut when this film is run on commercial TV. If you're going to watch the video with your kids, though, you might want to keep that in mind and prepare accordingly.

Other than that, though, no objections. This is excellent Holiday entertainment, and one of the best versions of the Dickens classic ever put on film.

Enjoyable adaptation

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 25 December 2018]

Taking its cue from OLIVER!, SCROOGE is an all-star cast adaptation of the classic Dickens story with added-in musical numbers and a lot of pomp and pageantry. Albert Finney isn't my first choice for the role - he's far too young, for a start - but he acquits himself well as the cantankerous old-timer and the supporting ensemble cast are very well chosen for their parts; you can hardly get better ghosts than Kenneth More or Alec Guinness. The film's attention to period detail is splendid, the running time just right, and overall this is one of the most enjoyable adaptations out there.

Unbeatable!

[josey412 · 10/10 · 20 December 2004]

I have just read a negative comment about this movie. I believe it's the first I've ever encountered. Yes, I was a bit scared when I was young, but I had reassuring parents and saw that in the end, it was upbeat and fun.

One favorite part is while Bob Crachit and his kids are getting last minute things for Christmas Eve (During Christmas Children), there is such an obvious display of the differences between the rich and the poorer classes. The rich pick up their things and he, a poorer man, picks up what he can with his 15 schillings - yet stays upbeat, thankful and loving. It's really a beautiful scene.

I love to watch this movie at any time of the year. Albert Finney really nails this character. It's hard to believe that he was only 34 when he made this film. My kids (4 and 7) could not believe that was really him in the Christmas Past scenes.

The rest of the cast indeed are incredible. Bob Crachit was outstanding and so tender and the ghost of Christmas Present was so fun.

I attempted to watch the latest musical version with Kelsey Grammar, I really tried. It was a painful 15 minutes. You just can't create another musical version of this story that tops this one!

"Thank you very much" Albert Finney and company...

[Doylenf · 7/10 · 29 November 2006]

Purists won't be too happy with whatever omissions were made in the Dickens tale to include some harmless songs by Leslie Bricusse, but ALBERT FINNEY (in age make-up) hams it up with a sense of humor as Scrooge--and with a cast including EDITH EVANS, KENNETH MORE and ALEC GUINNESS (as Marley's Ghost), you can't go too far wrong.

The atmosphere is good, the color cinematography captures merry old England in all its Victorian splendor, and the songs are brisk and somewhat charming in all their simplicity. Especially winning are "Thank You Very Much" and "I Love Life" (sung by an exuberant Finney after his reformation).

This one is certain to please the kids who want to see another version of the timeless tale of redemption on Christmas Day.

Summing up: Harmless fun for all is sure to put some glow into your Christmas.

One of the most joyful musicals ever produced!

[cinephile-27690 · 10/10 · 4 December 2019]

Scrooge is one of the best A Christmas Carol adaptations ever made. It puts you in a mood unlike any other adaptation, and-most uniquely- it's a musical version.

Most people reading this is probably familiar with the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, his hate for Christmas, and his transformation due to the visit of 3 spirits. While this is one of the most known and most re-told stories, Scrooge, this 49 year old re-telling, makes it fresh and exciting.

The soundtrack is great, with 2 stand out songs I would like to mention- Thank You Very Much and I Like Life.

The former is first sung when Scrooge sees his future if he doesn't change. Every one in town is celebrating Scrooge for a deed he has done, and invisible Scrooge thinks it's his change.

However, after he celebrates with them with the words "Thank you very much, thank you very much, that's the nicest thing that anyone's ever done for me!", he soon finds out the nice deed is that HE DIED. Luckily for Scrooge, his transformation leads to the town singing the song for a much better reason.

The latter song is sung with Scrooge and The Ghost for Christmas Present, who teaches the miser that you're foolish to think life is something to despise-it's really something to celebrate. And THIS song is reprises when Scrooge changes as well.

The acting is done well also, Albert Finney is a convincing Scrooge, and I really thought he was elderly, then I realized that he is younger looking in Annie, which came out 12 years LATER. Point being-make up was amazing even in 1970!

If you say "Bah, Humbug" to so many versions of the Dickens tale, I suggest trying this one. I've seen it about half a dozen times, and it makes me feel good every time. Even if musicals aren't your cup of tea, you'd be a Scrooge yourself to hate this movie!

Thank you very, very, very much!

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 4 December 2020]

The familiar Dickens story gets a lavish, pull-out-the-stops musical treatment here, as an effectively cranky Albert Finney gets to put his spin on one of the great characters in literature, greedy & grouchy loner Ebenezer Scrooge. He is visited by a succession of spirits one eventful Christmas Eve, who show him the past, the present, and his possible future.

While this viewer still prefers the stark atmosphere, and grandiosity of Alastair Sims' memorable interpretation of Scrooge, in the 1951 adaptation, it's hard to deny the pleasures of this tuneful version. Granted, the songs are decent if mostly unremarkable, save for the show-stopping "Thank You Very Much"; "I Hate People" also has its amusements. The art direction and widescreen photography are simply first-rate as we get to see an incarnation of "A Christmas Carol" in great eye-popping colour.

Even if not a very faithful adaptation of the novel, it does retain its essence and spirit. The oddest touch is actually showing Scrooge what could await for him *after* death. Another unconventional element is Alec Guinness' rather offbeat interpretation of Jacob Marleys' ghost. But this viewer didn't mind these things too much, as they help to keep this adaptation unique among the many others over the decades.

Scripted by Leslie Bricusse, who also wrote the music & lyrics for all the songs, this was directed by Ronald Neame, who had previous experience with Dickens having produced the 1946 version of "Great Expectations". It features a superb British cast including Dame Edith Evans (the Ghost of Christmas Past), Kenneth More (the ghost of Christmas Present), Laurence Naismith (Mr. Fezziwig), David Collings (Bob Cratchit), Anton Rodgers (Tom Jenkins), Gordon Jackson, Roy Kinnear, Kay Walsh, and many other talents.

This is certain to put a smile on numerous faces; while it goes on rather long at just under two hours, it proves to be hard to resist.

Seven out of 10.

A Seasonal Treasure!.

[phillindholm · 10/10 · 9 November 2011]

''Scrooge'' a lavish musical version of Charles Dickens ''A Christmas Carol'' is also one of the best yuletide films ever made. The story, which recounts the strange and wonderful events which cause a miserable miser to reform, lends itself beautifully to a musical format. Though this was not the first ''Carol'' to be set to music, it is easily the best. The acting, by a seasoned British cast, is wonderful.Albert Finney does not ''act'' the part of Ebenezer Scrooge, he IS Scrooge. Ably supported by Dame Edith Evans, Alec Guinnes and Kenneth More, he brings both humanity and pathos to his portrayal. The songs, by Leslie Bricusse (''Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory'') are both haunting and moving, and, when the occasion calls for it, upbeat and jolly as well. The production itself, well directed by Ronald Neame (''Great Expectations'') is handsomely filmed and suitable for all ages. Among the supporting cast, both Laurence Naismith and Kay Walsh (also in Neame's classic ''Oliver Twist') stand out as Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwigg. Making a very auspicious film debut is Suzanne Neve, who makes a lovely Isabel, Scrooge's lost love. The orchestrations present the score to great advantage, and the excellent widescreen photography brings a fairy tale London to life. There are other fine adaptations out there, most notably ''Magoo's Christmas Carol'' (with it's terrific score), and Alastair Sim's ''Scrooge'', a somewhat darker version, but this one can stand with the best of them. Incidentally,the film was a box office failure back when it premiered in 1970, (though it broke records at the Radio City Music Hall) but subsequent television airings have alerted audiences to it's many virtues-and made it a Classic for all time.

Thank You Very Much Father Christmas.

[AaronCapenBanner · 7/10 · 17 November 2013]

Ronald Neame directed this entertaining musical version of "A Christmas Carol" based on the Charles Dickens novel that stars Albert Finney as cold-hearted miser Ebenezer Scrooge, who is forced by his deceased partner Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas' past, present, and future to examine his life in an effort to redeem his soul before it is doomed for Eternity. Albert Finney is quite good here, both before and after his transformation, with a superb supporting cast and fine songs like "Father Christmas" & "Thank You Very Much". A big improvement on the overrated "Oliver", which this material is far more suited for musical purposes. A holiday favorite.

Felt like I was watching "Monty Python performs Dickens"

[rwagn · 1/10 · 11 December 2010]

This version of "A Christmas Carol" is wrong on so many levels I don't know where to start. First and foremost is Finney's depiction of Scrooge. His interpretation consists of a constant half sneer on his mushmouth and his diction delivers like John Cleese in drag. The songs are bargain basement "showtunes" and add nothing to the story. The painted backdrops and extremely bad "special effects" boggle the mind.The screenwriter has eliminated some of the basic tenets of the tale so that more time can be spent at Fezziwigs and in Hell. Both seem strangely interchangeable. When will these crappy Scrooge productions stop using the party at Fezziwigs as an excuse to ramp up the lame choreography? This looks like a community theater production of "Seven Brides" for Chrissakes! Add to this one of the worst child actors I have ever witnessed in the role of Tiny Tim. You wouldn't buy this kid having a bad cold let alone having a life threatening illness. He leans against his crutch like he's ready to light a cig. Oh, and they added an 18th century wheelchair for him to get around in. Just when I thought this could not get any worse, the rousing finale has Scrooge donning a Father Christmas outfit to bestow liquor and gifts on the entire citizenry of the hamlet. I have to ask......IS NOTHING SACRED?? This turkey stands proudly alongside that other musical Scrooge abomination from a few years back that starred Kelsey Grammar. A double bill direct from Hell.Marley got off easy being fettered in chains. The real torture would be having to view this steaming pile of poo again.