My favorite thing about this version is that it doesn't rush the payoff at the end, something that even the book is somewhat guilty of. It fleshes it out, giving more time to Scrooge at Fred's, showing the effect that the gift of the prize turkey has on the Cratchits, giving an actual quantity to Bob's raise and showing Scrooge's interest in helping with Tiny Tim's illness.
I also loved the scene they added early in the movie where Tiny Tim waits for his father outside Scrooge’s office, and Scrooge is just as rude to him as he is to everyone else. It makes the closing shot of Scrooge happily visiting a now-healthy Tim that much sweeter.
A British actor has played Superman (Isle of Man at least)...and did a good job. Anyhow, this version has a good Cratchit in David Warner. The Ghost of Christmas Present was one of the best. The best immersive TV version for me was Patrick Stewart. Scrooge should be gaunt as he denied himself comforts as well as he did others. Stewart studied the character deeply. He's living in Marley's house with furnishings over a decade out of date. He's wearing clothes at least 20 years old, while Freddy and other gentlemen are dressed for 1860. It would appear that he is likely wearing Marley's old clothes too. Scott portrayed Scrooge more similarly to Uncle Nickelsby (a similar character). A well dressed and fed rich man that was miserly with the lives of others. The Stewart version also has an even longer pair of visits to Freddy's home, but quite similar to this version with a very pretty and elegant wife.
George C. Scott’s performance in this film might be my favorite example of acting in any movie. His characterization of Scrooge is so rich. His transformation at the graveside gets me every single time.
This is the best version and my favorite by far. George C. Scott plays the part with nuance and subtlety. He plays the vulnerability and sadness in the character and fleshes him out brilliantly. A masterpiece.
Glad to find someone who agrees with me about this! The music is also a key ingredient, which your intro highlights! I feel especially that this is the best version of Marley I've ever seen -- no other version has the depth of pathos in the line, "the dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of MY BUSINESS!!" 😢
@@Rheinhard The Marley actor takes a part which could be and has been hammed up before, and finds the anguish and humanity. I feel, oddly, that I am actually watching a very wicked but very regretful person. Regret is very very sad. It is not really at all dramatic. And, it’s certainly not melodramatic.
The line that always gets me is at the end when Scrooge has reconciled with Fred and Clara, he says “God forgive for the time I’ve wasted”. Especially when earlier in the movie he growls at Fred “You are wasting my time!” Solid writing
He’s also clearly thinking about his ruined relationship with Belle, and how they could have had the same wonderful relationship that Fred and Clara do.
I also like the fact that there are still consequences for his actions and Scrooge realizes that. While he’s happier now and forgiven, he can’t go back and change what he did, it’s important lesson for the audience
I really enjoy this version. In addition to the usual brilliant performances, I particularly like Edward Woodward's take on the Ghost of Christmas Present. It's a wonderful mix of jovial happiness for the holiday and the good men can do, and a simmering anger directed at the worst of humanity.
I watched this when it was first broadcast on TV and I’ve loved it ever since. It’s the only version I watch now and I try to see it every Christmas season.
Edward Woodwoods angry almost spiteful demeanor towards Scrooge is just amazing. Woodward's facial expressions are a talent all on into itself. Scott, Roger Rees, David Warner, Susanna York, what a cast. And Scrooge still resolute in his manner right to the very end is a definite different take. Great great, movie.
Agree. The George C. Scott version of “A Christmas Carol” is my favorite. All of the parts were acted very well. The special effects throughout the movie added so much to the presentation. The conclusion showed Scrooge’s transformation and “tied up all the “loose ends” nicely, a tribute to Charles Dickens.
I like this one best too. The transformation of the main character was a huge surprise, especially the way Scott shows great joy in a way that I never could have imagined of the icy cold version he was in the beginning. Also, no one ever mentions the B&W version from '50s tv that was the first one I had seen--with Fredrick March. When the door knocker turned into Marley's face I was totally shocked. But I don't remember March being as good as either Scott, Sims or Caine. These last three are so good it's hard to pick which is "the best".
In this adaptation, Jacob Marley is portrayed by Frank Finlay. Mr. Finlay was a comedian, having worked with the Blackadder comedy troupe. He is magnificent here, playing a very severe Marley.
Oh, man I 100% agree with you on this! When this film came out I thought it was going to be just another iteration of a classic story but the way Scrooge is presented was well fleshed out! He's mean but also formidable so it makes sense that he has amassed wealth while being a miser. He tries to bargain with the spirits like a negotiation and his final epiphany is sweet as he joins his surprised nephew. Great stuff! We also loved how well David Warner (a consistent villain in his film roles) plays the humble and good-hearted Cratchit. I could go on but everyone should give this version a try. The greatness of 'A Christmas Carol' is that there are so many adaptions that have something good to offer. Merry Christmas to all!
What stands out lately for me is compared to other depicts of the Ghost of Christmas yet-to-come, this adaptation found practical, yet the most effective ways of making the imagery work, mainly not showing the ghost to much in the light to allow the audience to see the costume all to well. Using limited lighting, and the most foreboding camera angles, the ghost is by far the most convincing version EVER - nonnegotiable.
Michael Caine, Muppet Christmas Carol - he plays it absolutely straight even if he's in a scene with a hunk of foam rubber, while standing on a platform so as to make room for the puppeteers. Brilliant performance as Scrooge in a great version.
The exceedingly rare example of an American playing a British character. After watching British Robert Pattinson and Henry Cavill playing Batman and Superman in recent years, and the Australian Hugh Jackman and Canadian Ryan Reynolds playing two other American comic book characters, this one pleases me. I think the days of American actors being able to pull off such a thing are long in the past.
I saw this on its original airing (sponsored by IBM!) and was blown away. It is far and away my favorite version, with maybe Stewart's a distant second. You left out Frank Findlay's performance as Marley's ghost being amazing. Marley was a tortured soul, and some of the other versions he's just creepy or maybe annoyed at having to berate his old partner. In this version, the agony comes through every line. Scott's Scrooge does not seem at all to be reciting lines from Dickens, but just thinking them up as he speaks. He is a real, actual person that you totally believe in. My favorite added line is when Scrooge is asking questions of Christmas-yet-to-come but getting no replies, then says, "...you're devilish hard to have a conversation with!"
This is by far the best of the versions. It has the best Ebenezer Scrooge, and three of the four ghost are the best versions of them in any production. Fun fact, the actor that played the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come also played Bib Fortuna in “Return of the Jedi.”.
This is by far my favorite version!! GCS brings just the right amount of nastiness without out going over the top. He just comes across and a mean and ugly person that anyone may come across. His redemption at the end is just as nuanced
Scott said in an interview that he thought Scrooge was the loneliest man in the world, and that that’s how he chose to play him. That’s highlighted in his interactions with other characters - he’s rude to everyone, but he’s fairly restrained and sarcastic instead of yelling like a lot of other Scrooges. You get the sense that he doesn’t personally dislike anyone - he just treats everyone the way he feels he’s been treated.
@@gelchert And I feel like that's what makes his turnaround later feel sort of natural. He has realized that his loneliness is of his own making. Yes, things happened that embittered him, but with the exception of his father and Fan, those were largely due to his own choices. (I can't remember at this stage whether it's in the book that we find that Fan died with Fred's birth? This version doesn't mention it. It might explain Scrooge's coldness towards his nephew, but then this version adds Scrooge's father being cold to him for the same reason, so perhaps they didn't want to draw that parallel. Maybe "oh no, i've become my father" was felt to be too on hte nose.). You get the sense that he pursued money in the beginning for a goal (to make a better life for himself and Belle), but the pursuit itself consumed him; and once he lost Belle to it, he had nothing BUT that. The interesting thing about him (and in this portrayal) to me is that it's not just that he's miserly to everyone, while enjoying his wealth. As is pointed out: HE doesn't even enjoy it. He lives in a huge house, of which he only uses one room. (One has to wonder where the furnishings of any of the other rooms even came from. Did he once furnish it, and then abandon it? Did he buy it furnished, and slowly as he aged, his world shrunk to that one room?). Clearly part of that is that it's winter and he doesn't want to waste money by heating more than that one room; but given the dust and darkness, you don't get the impression he fully lives in the rest of the house during warmer months. He won't waste money on a servant, either, and a house of that size would have really required servants to run. So you really do -- or at least, I really do -- get the sense that he hadn't thought about how he got where he is for a very long time. He hadn't examined his life, or his feelings (an Englishman in the early 19th c., examine his *feelings*? Preposterous!), in forever. Past very deftly shows him some of the building blocks of his unhappiness and loneliness; reminds him there was a time when he felt better, felt optimistic, loved people; and then hammers it home by showing him that the choice he made weren't necessary. Belle marries a clearly very rich man, who still has time and warm feeling for his family. Paying for a large family and house and carriage hasn't diminished that man's wealth; it's only increased his happiness. (Who knows what that man does for a living, versus Scrooge getting involved in the agricultural markets; but the point stands.) That shows Scrooge what he might have had, but that he turned away from. For me, though, one of the key parts of that sequence is Old Fezziwig. The greatest good Scrooge's father ever did for him was getting him that apprenticeship, with a good man who did value good food and cheer above hoarded gold. Scrooge was never going to be of the same merry disposition as Fezziwig, but to me, Fezziwig stands as an example of: good enough. I don't know that he was the richest man (although it's not entirely clear, and he's obviously a well-off businessman), but he made enough to afford the life he wanted, and part of that was inviting (and paying for) the people around him to share in that good fortune and spread that good cheer. I feel like those are all pieces that fall into place for Scrooge over the course of the story, that make him realize how he's wasted his time, and hoarded his money -- and for what? It's done him no good, and done nobody else any good, either. You can see those wheels turning, as he goes into the lessons of the other spirits. Anyway... sorry, quite the essay! Merry Christmas!
@@gryphonvertGreat analysis! I also noticed that where most adaptations have Scrooge wearing a nightshirt and nightcap, Scott’s Scrooge doesn’t bother. If he’s too cheap to buy pajamas, he must be quite miserable indeed. Merry Christmas!
What is the best about this version is the character of scrooge feels like a real dude. He isn't an over the top character but rather just a miserable guy. He is a good businessman. He had a rough upbringing but doesn't seem to resent his childhood despite. (Robinson crusoe not real?) He is real. But just a miserable. Most scrooge portrayals are over the top, not bad, just over the top.
I agree, this is the best version. My father recorded this on VHS when it first aired and we watched it every Christmas. The VHS copy was pretty worn by the time we got a DVD copy and to this day I watch this every Christmas. I now watch it with my wife and kids and they all love it as much as I have over the years.
Of the six versions I watch every Christmas, this one is certainly one of the best and a real favorite. But what really sells the 1951 Alastair Sim version is the beautiful, poignant music score done by Richard Addinsell. If only the Scott version had a composer of that stature.
Not only is George C. Scott's performance brilliant - beautifully understated when appropriate, very often malevolent, argumentative, superior, and unmovable. But it is the way he connects - both willingly and unwillingly, to those he recalls in his past life that humanizes him. As much as Scott deserves their praise for his performance, the real stars (and the reason this is THE BEST VERSION OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL ever) are the perfectly cast actors and their unequaled performances in each and every supporting cast member role - Bob Cratchit, The two men asking for donations for the poor, Marley (face on the knocker and his ghost in the bedroom), the Ghost of Christmas Past, Fan, Scrooge's father, Old Fezziwig, Bell, Ghost of Christmas Present, Mrs. Cratchit, The Cratchit children, Tiny Tim, Fred, Fred's wife, the Homeless, The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, Mrs. Dilber, Joe (pawnbroker), The lad Scrooge asks to fetch the turkey, the Poulterer - every performance is outstanding! What a marvelous, true to the book, inspirational film!!!
I remember seeing this when it premiered on TV in the 80s. I was at a Christmas party ..lt was playing in the background in a side room ..l watched for a few minutes because the story is always a favorite.. I was soon captivated and watched the full show. l enjoyed myself ..and the party because of this film. I mingled during the commercials
I love, Love, LOVE this version. I would never have cast George C as Ebenezer, but I can't imagine him not playing the role since I first watched this air on tv back in the 80s.
What this version truly gets right is Scrooge isn’t just an evil, mean old bastard which most other versions show him as. This version shows that he’s really more of a sad and pathetic man who is the product of both his upbringing but mainly his own decisions. He was very happy once and had people who loved him but he chose to push them away. We the audience can still have a level of sympathy for Scrooge but still a level of disgust. Also Scott brings a level of sarcastic humor that makes this version of Scrooge way more fun to watch on screen, I legitimately laugh at the scene in the exchange at how much he seems to enjoy just being the worst. This version of the ghost of Christmas present is also the best. He’s presented as jolly but reveals he has a true mean streak and can go toe to toe with Scrooge’s self absorbed worldview and pick it apart. This version is borderline perfect
You're right. No other version can top this. I admit that Alistair Sim's Scrooge is---maybe---just a little more subtle than Scott's in some respects, but Scott's performance tops even Sim's when you consider the film as a whole. We have to remember that Scott possessed immense range: He was capable of portraying a Patton insanely outraged by a "cowardly" soldier, but he was manically funny as a maniacal soldier opposite Peter Sellers, even in a film about nuclear war. And Scott's gentler side comes thru splendidly when Scrooge goes thru his transformation (prayerfully saying "Amen" in the Cratchet home, for instance). The music strikes the perfect note, and the photography conveys the moods and beauties of the city and the process that Scrooge goes through. One last note: Edward Woodward defines the Ghost of Christmas Present in a manner that is truly colossal.
I have to say that the best version is Mickeys Christmas Carol. Even though its not nearly long enough, its always the first one I think of when somebody mentions a Christmas carol.
I enjoy that version as well but it’s so abridged it doesn’t compare to the 1984 version. It does have some really nice gags that can only be done with Mickey and friends however. (Goofy as Marley is great)
The music for this one is so memorable. Besides Scott playing Scrooge so realistically this also has the best Cratchit and Fred. Most actors portray Fred in such a bombastic way that I almost don't blame Scrooge for staying away. Roger Rees plays Fred here in a more warm and inviting way
I love 2019’s FX’s A Christmas Carol. It deviates significantly from the book and is exceptionally dark. But, it is true to Dickens’s Scrooge, as “…a squeezing wrenching grasping covetous old sinner.” It just shows that, instead of using those exact words in narration. That said, I rewatch this movie of the story much more often and it is my favorite adaptation.
This version was my first exposure to A Christmas Carol. Saw it as a new release in 84. I was 8, I think? Anyway, Christmas Future scared the heck out of me.
While this was aired on television in the U.S., it apparently was distributed in cinemas in the UK. But I agree, it’s the best adaptation I have ever seen. The casting was brilliant, especially George C Scott, one of the best actors ever.
In the story by Charles Dickens Scrooge's sister, Fan ,is younger than he is. It doesn't say it in the credits but the little blonde Cratchit girl's name is Alice. This is shown in the scene in which the Cratchit's are having Christmas dinner. The other two daughters are Martha and Belinda. The middle boy is the only one who isn't given a name. He and Belinda are Susannah York's real life children Orlando and Sasha.
Tell you what, the wrinkle where Scrooge’s mother dies while delivering him robs the viewers of his younger sister Fan, with whom he is shown to be close. Her surviving child is his nephew Fred, which is Scrooge’s only remaining family, thus making his reconciliation all that more powerful. That choice was a miss.
Wholeheartedly agree. Plus, the music is great - on par with a cinematic production. It even has a nice original song, very reminiscent of a Christmas Carol (imagine that)
This is my favorite version of A Christmas carol. I like to watch different versions of it but the one I like best is this one with George C. Scott (he's the best Scrooge). IDK what I did with my VHS tape but I used to go to bed and set the timer and I'd fall asleep. The kid who played Tiny Tim was SO CUTE !
Yes he was and he was actually the right age to play Tiny Tim unlike some other versions that cast eleven year olds who are almost as tall as the adult actors.
Yep - agreed - George C always has been my favourite. Though the Muppets have a place in my heart. And, by the way, even locals will argue over whether it is pronounced Shrews-bury or Shroes-bury.
I politely take issue with your critique of the 1951 climax - the script takes a lot of time to give us Scrooge's back story; Fan is very important in this version, we are given a clumsy foreshadow, because the Ghost of Christmas Past engages Scrooge almost immediately in a discussion about Fan's constitution, that she would die giving birth to Fred, and that Scrooge is making Fred bear that burden the same way Scrooge's father did to him. Later, we see Fan's death scene, her plea for Scrooge to take care of Fred, and how that breaks Sim's Scrooge. This is a sizable liberty from the novella, but emotionally it fits and I don't think Dickens would have objected. The journey that Sim's Scrooge takes is one of internal tearing down to let light in. For this version, it doesn't make sense for the boy to be the revelation - it makes sense for it to be the housemaid, played by the wonderful Kathleen Harrison, who is also given a nice chunk of action here. She has endured Marley, and is enduring Scrooge. It's fitting that she's the first one to be lifted out of that emotional environment and given some light. So I have no argument about how the script handles either the school sequence or the morning sequence. I prefer not to rate the various Scrooges: for me, almost all of them bring wonderful things to the table: they're all marvelous, intelligent professionals, so it's to be expected. I'll say that Sim's Scrooge often has a particular affect on me, and part of that is, I think, because Sim was notable in comedy, and, like Robin Williams and other comedic actors, understands the darkness that feeds comedy, and he gives that to his Scrooge - the tragedy that made his Scrooge is always there until the end; but Sim finds tiny moments to make the audience smile, often in an odd understanding, such as that lovely little moan and retreat at the first sight of Christmas Present. And I wait the entire movie for the moment between him and Fred's sweet little maid who takes Scrooge's coat and encourages him, silently, to enter. I do agree the 1951 Tiny Tim is a little bit robust compared to the Scott Tiny Tim. Nothing's perfect...
I agree George Scott rocked the roll. He was the most believable in terms of facial expression, intonation of phrases of any of the other versions. But, I have to say for the date (1938) and cinema technology, Reginald Owen, who was the one who introduced me to his masterpiece, was an exceptional offering as well.
I do enjoy the Reginald Owen version but I thought they made too many changes to the original story. While I like Gene Lockhart as an actor he looked too well fed to play Bob Cratchit. Terry Kilburn as Tiny Tim was about five years too old and too tall for the role. Other than Martha ,the Cratchit kids all looked the same age. I did like seeing a young June Lockhart.
Also, best Tiny Tim, best Marley's Ghost, best Bob Cratchit. And Ed Woodward is brilliant. It's just a brilliant take with a brilliant script and excellent casting. And I also loved the music.
This one is my personal favorite. I know a lot of people prefer the Alistair Sim version but while it's good (I only saw it once a few years ago so I don't remember that much about it), I feel like most people that prefer it do so because it gives much more backstory than what Dickens wrote in the novella. I suppose it's helpful to fill in those gaps, but it just takes me out of the story too much. Granted, the George C Scott version also gives a bit of backstory in some scenes, but not to the extent that the Alistair Sim version does.
Watched it when it first aired in '84 and have watched it every year since once the VHS was released and later DVD. I watched the Stewart one when it came out, but this is the one I prefer and the only one I watch.
Alistair Sim is my favorite Scrooge. But there are moments in that film I find too slow ... great movie, don't get me wrong. But over all, I do prefer the George C. Scott version.
A Christmas Carol is just about my favorite story of all time. I prefer the Patrick Stewart version on all levels with the one possible exception being the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. This is, IMO, the second best. What stands out to me now is how much this version is commenting on economic issues from the 1980s. The Cratchets, however, don’t really look destitute enough to drive the point home for me. There’s a lot to recommend this though, and this was my favorite version for decades! Great adaptation, but less faithful than the TNT/Patrick Stewart version. Not bad, just different.
I think this version and the 1951 are the best ones far above the others. I think what really makes or breaks these adaptations in how they handle the ghosts. The 1951 versions has a better ghost of Christmas Past but the 1984 Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is perfect.
My favorite is Albert Finney from 1970. Dismissing it as just another musical is a cop-out and narrow minded. My favorite part is the hilarious scene shown by the ghost of Christmas future where Scrooge's debtors are gathered outside his house to see if his reported death is true, and cheering when they find out it is. Meanwhile Scrooge doesn't realize why he is suddenly so popular! It is comedy gold! That scene shows that even though he is a rich man, it has not made him happy, and having the friendship and admiration of his neighbors would. I defy anyone to watch this film and not come away with Christmas cheer and renewed spirit of charity and giving. The sheer exuberance of Scrooge's redemption at the end is a joy to behold! IMHO - no other version can touch it!
The 1970 Scrooge has a special place for me. It was the first Scrooge movie I ever seen. The Music is kind of cringe and corny, but Jacob Marley and the Ghost of Christmas future were terrifying, and Albert Finney was great as Scrooge.
@@billkelly6292 To me, the music fits right in with many of the musical classics of that era of cinema - Oliver!, My Fair Lady, The Music Man, Oklahoma! Funny Girl, Hello Dolly etc. It's no more "cringe" than they are and as entertaining as any of them. It was an age when the movie-musical was king, and it's due for a come-back.
While several others are better films, only Reginald Owen captured the outlandishly hilarious character of Scrooge as Dickens wrote him. He's furious and utterly childish, a deeply wounded narcissist at war with the whole world. We simulataneously laugh at and pity him--he's so miserable, mean, and utterly alone. All the other versions miss how funny he his, and the miss all the missguided energy of the man that make us route for him to change. They miss Scrooge as a fairy tale figure: he's not supposed to be totally realistic.
Every version in the year it was made will be considered the best by the all who were on set to the audience at the time. The 50's version, 70's version and all the rest. The further away you get from the original idea the more lousy a remake is.
I didn't understand the handkerchief bit until I learned about how the dead were prepared for burial back then - they would literally tie the corpse's jaw shut because otherwise the tongue would tend to protrude.
Hard to disagree. I have always enjoyed this version and have GCS in the lead was an excellent choice (though, if he just would've said "Everyone loves a winner!" at some point when would've been hilarious 🙂 )
I enjoyed this one the most, because it felt the most lived in, in that it doesnt feel too far in the past but also it feels exactly out of its own time. You can even, if you want black and white, which i watched it in one time, can do that and it looks even older. Just turn down the color channel
@zyxw2000 I've been watching some movies on black and white and it adds an interesting effect to them. I watched the illusionist,the shadow, the illusionist, Excalibur, and even a Christmas carol.
@@billkelly6292I didn’t like Stewart’s version of Scrooge on TV, but I loved his one-man spoken word version of the book. I listen to that every Christmas.
I don’t know if he’s my favorite Scrooge - but that version has by far my favorite Christmas Present performance. The version actually captured the rage at economic injustice better than any other version, and shares top tier status with the Caine & the Muppets (which captures the pure joy better than any other version) for me.
I've seen this adaptation a couple of times and whilst not being totally accurate to the novel, I find Scot's continuing slip up in the American vernacular pretty corny and somewhat irritating. His depiction is of misery rather than of any eccentricities. Therefore, the '51 adaptation still holds the trophy for me personally. Still has a fine cast but is rather too sweet for my liking.
Don't get me wrong, I love A Christmas Carol 1984. But, since the whole cast is British and takes place in Britain by a British author, wish Scrooge was also a British actor. George C. Scott did a good job, but he's not British. Other then that, it's the best version.
No, no no. Absolutely not. George C. Scott was a great actor, no doubt, but he did not play Scrooge well. There was too much smiling, too much that was missing from Scrooge. The only actor to hit the mark spot on was Alastair Sim in the 1951 Scrooge. I respect each of your opinions, but this is mine. "God bless us, everyone."
My favorite thing about this version is that it doesn't rush the payoff at the end, something that even the book is somewhat guilty of. It fleshes it out, giving more time to Scrooge at Fred's, showing the effect that the gift of the prize turkey has on the Cratchits, giving an actual quantity to Bob's raise and showing Scrooge's interest in helping with Tiny Tim's illness.
I also loved the scene they added early in the movie where Tiny Tim waits for his father outside Scrooge’s office, and Scrooge is just as rude to him as he is to everyone else. It makes the closing shot of Scrooge happily visiting a now-healthy Tim that much sweeter.
I just don't feel it is right to have an American play Scrooge. I would feel the same if a British actor played Superman.
A British actor has played Superman (Isle of Man at least)...and did a good job.
Anyhow, this version has a good Cratchit in David Warner. The Ghost of Christmas Present was one of the best.
The best immersive TV version for me was Patrick Stewart. Scrooge should be gaunt as he denied himself comforts as well as he did others. Stewart studied the character deeply. He's living in Marley's house with furnishings over a decade out of date. He's wearing clothes at least 20 years old, while Freddy and other gentlemen are dressed for 1860. It would appear that he is likely wearing Marley's old clothes too.
Scott portrayed Scrooge more similarly to Uncle Nickelsby (a similar character). A well dressed and fed rich man that was miserly with the lives of others.
The Stewart version also has an even longer pair of visits to Freddy's home, but quite similar to this version with a very pretty and elegant wife.
This version is flawless, it also features David Warner, one of the greatest British actors who ever lived.
George C. Scott’s performance in this film might be my favorite example of acting in any movie. His characterization of Scrooge is so rich. His transformation at the graveside gets me every single time.
This is the best version and my favorite by far. George C. Scott plays the part with nuance and subtlety. He plays the vulnerability and sadness in the character and fleshes him out brilliantly. A masterpiece.
Yes this is my favorite one too. Amazing cast.
Glad to find someone who agrees with me about this! The music is also a key ingredient, which your intro highlights! I feel especially that this is the best version of Marley I've ever seen -- no other version has the depth of pathos in the line, "the dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of MY BUSINESS!!" 😢
@@Rheinhard The Marley actor takes a part which could be and has been hammed up before, and finds the anguish and humanity. I feel, oddly, that I am actually watching a very wicked but very regretful person. Regret is very very sad. It is not really at all dramatic. And, it’s certainly not melodramatic.
The line that always gets me is at the end when Scrooge has reconciled with Fred and Clara, he says “God forgive for the time I’ve wasted”. Especially when earlier in the movie he growls at Fred “You are wasting my time!” Solid writing
He’s also clearly thinking about his ruined relationship with Belle, and how they could have had the same wonderful relationship that Fred and Clara do.
I also like the fact that there are still consequences for his actions and Scrooge realizes that. While he’s happier now and forgiven, he can’t go back and change what he did, it’s important lesson for the audience
I really enjoy this version. In addition to the usual brilliant performances, I particularly like Edward Woodward's take on the Ghost of Christmas Present. It's a wonderful mix of jovial happiness for the holiday and the good men can do, and a simmering anger directed at the worst of humanity.
I watched this when it was first broadcast on TV and I’ve loved it ever since. It’s the only version I watch now and I try to see it every Christmas season.
Edward Woodwoods angry almost spiteful demeanor towards Scrooge is just amazing. Woodward's facial expressions are a talent all on into itself. Scott, Roger Rees, David Warner, Susanna York, what a cast. And Scrooge still resolute in his manner right to the very end is a definite different take. Great great, movie.
Agree. The George C. Scott version of “A Christmas Carol” is my favorite. All of the parts were acted very well. The special effects throughout the movie added so much to the presentation. The conclusion showed Scrooge’s transformation and “tied up all the “loose ends” nicely, a tribute to Charles Dickens.
I like this one best too. The transformation of the main character was a huge surprise, especially the way Scott shows great joy in a way that I never could have imagined of the icy cold version he was in the beginning. Also, no one ever mentions the B&W version from '50s tv that was the first one I had seen--with Fredrick March. When the door knocker turned into Marley's face I was totally shocked. But I don't remember March being as good as either Scott, Sims or Caine. These last three are so good it's hard to pick which is "the best".
I enjoy all the versions of the Christmas Carol but I do especially enjoy George C. Scott's version. This is my favorite tiny tim.
In this adaptation, Jacob Marley is portrayed by Frank Finlay. Mr. Finlay was a comedian, having worked with the Blackadder comedy troupe. He is magnificent here, playing a very severe Marley.
I like how he never once blinks
I saw this back when it came out and has been my favorite version ever since.
Oh, man I 100% agree with you on this! When this film came out I thought it was going to be just another iteration of a classic story but the way Scrooge is presented was well fleshed out! He's mean but also formidable so it makes sense that he has amassed wealth while being a miser. He tries to bargain with the spirits like a negotiation and his final epiphany is sweet as he joins his surprised nephew. Great stuff! We also loved how well David Warner (a consistent villain in his film roles) plays the humble and good-hearted Cratchit. I could go on but everyone should give this version a try. The greatness of 'A Christmas Carol' is that there are so many adaptions that have something good to offer. Merry Christmas to all!
What stands out lately for me is compared to other depicts of the Ghost of Christmas yet-to-come, this adaptation found practical, yet the most effective ways of making the imagery work, mainly not showing the ghost to much in the light to allow the audience to see the costume all to well. Using limited lighting, and the most foreboding camera angles, the ghost is by far the most convincing version EVER - nonnegotiable.
It always annoys me when people say “ghost of Christmas future” and so many people do it. It’s rare I see/hear someone say it right like you did
@@michaelblaine6494he gets called that in some of the adaptations on screen as well tho like you I prefer Ghost of Christmas yet to come
It's my favorite version too. Top 5 christmas movie all time
Always my favorite! I love this version. I watch it every year.
This has always been my favorite version!
My personal favorite, hands down.
Michael Caine, Muppet Christmas Carol - he plays it absolutely straight even if he's in a scene with a hunk of foam rubber, while standing on a platform so as to make room for the puppeteers. Brilliant performance as Scrooge in a great version.
I still cannot forgive Caine for Jaws the Revenge. I just can't!
Just watched this tonight with my family and all your points resonate with why we love it so much.
Also Merry Christmas
Cratchet: Scrooge how many Christmas lights does you see?
Scrooge: I SEE... FOUR. CHRISTMAS. LIGHTS!
The exceedingly rare example of an American playing a British character. After watching British Robert Pattinson and Henry Cavill playing Batman and Superman in recent years, and the Australian Hugh Jackman and Canadian Ryan Reynolds playing two other American comic book characters, this one pleases me. I think the days of American actors being able to pull off such a thing are long in the past.
I saw this on its original airing (sponsored by IBM!) and was blown away. It is far and away my favorite version, with maybe Stewart's a distant second. You left out Frank Findlay's performance as Marley's ghost being amazing. Marley was a tortured soul, and some of the other versions he's just creepy or maybe annoyed at having to berate his old partner. In this version, the agony comes through every line. Scott's Scrooge does not seem at all to be reciting lines from Dickens, but just thinking them up as he speaks. He is a real, actual person that you totally believe in.
My favorite added line is when Scrooge is asking questions of Christmas-yet-to-come but getting no replies, then says, "...you're devilish hard to have a conversation with!"
This is by far the best of the versions. It has the best Ebenezer Scrooge, and three of the four ghost are the best versions of them in any production. Fun fact, the actor that played the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come also played Bib Fortuna in “Return of the Jedi.”.
This is by far my favorite version!! GCS brings just the right amount of nastiness without out going over the top. He just comes across and a mean and ugly person that anyone may come across. His redemption at the end is just as nuanced
Scott said in an interview that he thought Scrooge was the loneliest man in the world, and that that’s how he chose to play him. That’s highlighted in his interactions with other characters - he’s rude to everyone, but he’s fairly restrained and sarcastic instead of yelling like a lot of other Scrooges. You get the sense that he doesn’t personally dislike anyone - he just treats everyone the way he feels he’s been treated.
@@gelchert And I feel like that's what makes his turnaround later feel sort of natural. He has realized that his loneliness is of his own making. Yes, things happened that embittered him, but with the exception of his father and Fan, those were largely due to his own choices. (I can't remember at this stage whether it's in the book that we find that Fan died with Fred's birth? This version doesn't mention it. It might explain Scrooge's coldness towards his nephew, but then this version adds Scrooge's father being cold to him for the same reason, so perhaps they didn't want to draw that parallel. Maybe "oh no, i've become my father" was felt to be too on hte nose.). You get the sense that he pursued money in the beginning for a goal (to make a better life for himself and Belle), but the pursuit itself consumed him; and once he lost Belle to it, he had nothing BUT that.
The interesting thing about him (and in this portrayal) to me is that it's not just that he's miserly to everyone, while enjoying his wealth. As is pointed out: HE doesn't even enjoy it. He lives in a huge house, of which he only uses one room. (One has to wonder where the furnishings of any of the other rooms even came from. Did he once furnish it, and then abandon it? Did he buy it furnished, and slowly as he aged, his world shrunk to that one room?). Clearly part of that is that it's winter and he doesn't want to waste money by heating more than that one room; but given the dust and darkness, you don't get the impression he fully lives in the rest of the house during warmer months. He won't waste money on a servant, either, and a house of that size would have really required servants to run.
So you really do -- or at least, I really do -- get the sense that he hadn't thought about how he got where he is for a very long time. He hadn't examined his life, or his feelings (an Englishman in the early 19th c., examine his *feelings*? Preposterous!), in forever. Past very deftly shows him some of the building blocks of his unhappiness and loneliness; reminds him there was a time when he felt better, felt optimistic, loved people; and then hammers it home by showing him that the choice he made weren't necessary. Belle marries a clearly very rich man, who still has time and warm feeling for his family. Paying for a large family and house and carriage hasn't diminished that man's wealth; it's only increased his happiness. (Who knows what that man does for a living, versus Scrooge getting involved in the agricultural markets; but the point stands.)
That shows Scrooge what he might have had, but that he turned away from. For me, though, one of the key parts of that sequence is Old Fezziwig. The greatest good Scrooge's father ever did for him was getting him that apprenticeship, with a good man who did value good food and cheer above hoarded gold. Scrooge was never going to be of the same merry disposition as Fezziwig, but to me, Fezziwig stands as an example of: good enough. I don't know that he was the richest man (although it's not entirely clear, and he's obviously a well-off businessman), but he made enough to afford the life he wanted, and part of that was inviting (and paying for) the people around him to share in that good fortune and spread that good cheer.
I feel like those are all pieces that fall into place for Scrooge over the course of the story, that make him realize how he's wasted his time, and hoarded his money -- and for what? It's done him no good, and done nobody else any good, either. You can see those wheels turning, as he goes into the lessons of the other spirits.
Anyway... sorry, quite the essay! Merry Christmas!
@@gryphonvertGreat analysis! I also noticed that where most adaptations have Scrooge wearing a nightshirt and nightcap, Scott’s Scrooge doesn’t bother. If he’s too cheap to buy pajamas, he must be quite miserable indeed. Merry Christmas!
This is THE best version...PERIOD! End of discussion! 🎄🤗🤗🎄
The discussion remains open. I don’t like this version at all.
What is the best about this version is the character of scrooge feels like a real dude. He isn't an over the top character but rather just a miserable guy. He is a good businessman. He had a rough upbringing but doesn't seem to resent his childhood despite. (Robinson crusoe not real?) He is real. But just a miserable. Most scrooge portrayals are over the top, not bad, just over the top.
It is the best! Best casting, best everything. Great video.
One of my favorite things about this movie is that Scrooge is a physical commodity trader, and I myself am I physical commodity trader.
This has been my Christmas Eve viewing for years and somehow I always get choked up at the end ❤️💚❤️
I agree, this is the best version. My father recorded this on VHS when it first aired and we watched it every Christmas. The VHS copy was pretty worn by the time we got a DVD copy and to this day I watch this every Christmas. I now watch it with my wife and kids and they all love it as much as I have over the years.
Of the six versions I watch every Christmas, this one is certainly one of the best and a real favorite. But what really sells the 1951 Alastair Sim version is the beautiful, poignant music score done by Richard Addinsell. If only the Scott version had a composer of that stature.
Not only is George C. Scott's performance brilliant - beautifully understated when appropriate, very often malevolent, argumentative, superior, and unmovable. But it is the way he connects - both willingly and unwillingly, to those he recalls in his past life that humanizes him. As much as Scott deserves their praise for his performance, the real stars (and the reason this is THE BEST VERSION OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL ever) are the perfectly cast actors and their unequaled performances in each and every supporting cast member role - Bob Cratchit, The two men asking for donations for the poor, Marley (face on the knocker and his ghost in the bedroom), the Ghost of Christmas Past, Fan, Scrooge's father, Old Fezziwig, Bell, Ghost of Christmas Present, Mrs. Cratchit, The Cratchit children, Tiny Tim, Fred, Fred's wife, the Homeless, The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, Mrs. Dilber, Joe (pawnbroker), The lad Scrooge asks to fetch the turkey, the Poulterer - every performance is outstanding! What a marvelous, true to the book, inspirational film!!!
I remember seeing this when it premiered on TV in the 80s. I was at a Christmas party ..lt was playing in the background in a side room ..l watched for a few minutes because the story is always a favorite.. I was soon captivated and watched the full show. l enjoyed myself ..and the party because of this film. I mingled during the commercials
I love, Love, LOVE this version. I would never have cast George C as Ebenezer, but I can't imagine him not playing the role since I first watched this air on tv back in the 80s.
He would go on to win an Oscar playing George C Patton in the movie Patton but he refused it because he doesn't feel art should be rewarded.
I agree that this is the best version. My wife and I watch it every year on Christmas Eve.
What this version truly gets right is Scrooge isn’t just an evil, mean old bastard which most other versions show him as. This version shows that he’s really more of a sad and pathetic man who is the product of both his upbringing but mainly his own decisions. He was very happy once and had people who loved him but he chose to push them away. We the audience can still have a level of sympathy for Scrooge but still a level of disgust. Also Scott brings a level of sarcastic humor that makes this version of Scrooge way more fun to watch on screen, I legitimately laugh at the scene in the exchange at how much he seems to enjoy just being the worst.
This version of the ghost of Christmas present is also the best. He’s presented as jolly but reveals he has a true mean streak and can go toe to toe with Scrooge’s self absorbed worldview and pick it apart. This version is borderline perfect
You're right. No other version can top this. I admit that Alistair Sim's Scrooge is---maybe---just a little more subtle than Scott's in some respects, but Scott's performance tops even Sim's when you consider the film as a whole. We have to remember that Scott possessed immense range: He was capable of portraying a Patton insanely outraged by a "cowardly" soldier, but he was manically funny as a maniacal soldier opposite Peter Sellers, even in a film about nuclear war. And Scott's gentler side comes thru splendidly when Scrooge goes thru his transformation (prayerfully saying "Amen" in the Cratchet home, for instance). The music strikes the perfect note, and the photography conveys the moods and beauties of the city and the process that Scrooge goes through. One last note: Edward Woodward defines the Ghost of Christmas Present in a manner that is truly colossal.
100% My favorite telling of this classic story, and so underrated too.
I think the acting is so great in this movie. That and a number moving moments make this version my favorite of the ones I've seen.
Oh yeah, definitely best adaptation without doubt. I’ve seen them all and this is the one I make sure to watch every year.
I have to say that the best version is Mickeys Christmas Carol. Even though its not nearly long enough, its always the first one I think of when somebody mentions a Christmas carol.
I know opinions differ, but you think Mickey Mouse did the best portrayal of the 1843 story?
I enjoy that version as well but it’s so abridged it doesn’t compare to the 1984 version. It does have some really nice gags that can only be done with Mickey and friends however. (Goofy as Marley is great)
I saw this on TV in high school and I couldn’t agree more. I bought it with Prime shipping credit, years go. It’s only flaw is it’s letter box.
not even close, pal. not even close.
The music for this one is so memorable. Besides Scott playing Scrooge so realistically this also has the best Cratchit and Fred. Most actors portray Fred in such a bombastic way that I almost don't blame Scrooge for staying away. Roger Rees plays Fred here in a more warm and inviting way
I love 2019’s FX’s A Christmas Carol. It deviates significantly from the book and is exceptionally dark. But, it is true to Dickens’s Scrooge, as “…a squeezing wrenching grasping covetous old sinner.” It just shows that, instead of using those exact words in narration. That said, I rewatch this movie of the story much more often and it is my favorite adaptation.
As great as this version is, i still prefer the 1951 Alister Crowley A Christmas Carol
Alistair sim......although Mr. Crowley would be very interesting to see in the part
I agree.
Have it on DVD (as well as many others).
Watch it every year.
This version was my first exposure to A Christmas Carol. Saw it as a new release in 84. I was 8, I think? Anyway, Christmas Future scared the heck out of me.
Same here 😅
While this was aired on television in the U.S., it apparently was distributed in cinemas in the UK.
But I agree, it’s the best adaptation I have ever seen. The casting was brilliant, especially George C Scott, one of the best actors ever.
Second best one for me, behind the 1951 version.
In the story by Charles Dickens Scrooge's sister, Fan ,is younger than he is.
It doesn't say it in the credits but the little blonde Cratchit girl's name is Alice. This is shown in the scene in which the Cratchit's are having Christmas dinner. The other two daughters are Martha and Belinda. The middle boy is the only one who isn't given a name. He and Belinda are Susannah York's real life children Orlando and Sasha.
I insist on watching only a few Christmas movies, and this one is on the top for me.
This is by far my favorite version. Scott’s acting is on par with even Patton.
Many good to great versions, but this is my go-to every year.
Tell you what, the wrinkle where Scrooge’s mother dies while delivering him robs the viewers of his younger sister Fan, with whom he is shown to be close. Her surviving child is his nephew Fred, which is Scrooge’s only remaining family, thus making his reconciliation all that more powerful. That choice was a miss.
Wholeheartedly agree. Plus, the music is great - on par with a cinematic production. It even has a nice original song, very reminiscent of a Christmas Carol (imagine that)
This is my favorite version of A Christmas carol. I like to watch different versions of it but the one I like best is this one with George C. Scott (he's the best Scrooge). IDK what I did with my VHS tape but I used to go to bed and set the timer and I'd fall asleep. The kid who played Tiny Tim was SO CUTE !
It's on TH-cam.
Yes he was and he was actually the right age to play Tiny Tim unlike some other versions that cast eleven year olds who are almost as tall as the adult actors.
I watch several versions too but this one is my favorite.
Yep - agreed - George C always has been my favourite. Though the Muppets have a place in my heart. And, by the way, even locals will argue over whether it is pronounced Shrews-bury or Shroes-bury.
He was also in the movie Hustler with Paul Neuman.
This is the version I grew up on and I still love it.
The 1951 version with Alistair Sim is the benchmark. George C. Scott is an American in a British story.
This is my favorite version. I just happened to see it the other night.
This 1984 version and the 1999 Patrick Stewart one are both available on TH-cam.
I politely take issue with your critique of the 1951 climax - the script takes a lot of time to give us Scrooge's back story; Fan is very important in this version, we are given a clumsy foreshadow, because the Ghost of Christmas Past engages Scrooge almost immediately in a discussion about Fan's constitution, that she would die giving birth to Fred, and that Scrooge is making Fred bear that burden the same way Scrooge's father did to him. Later, we see Fan's death scene, her plea for Scrooge to take care of Fred, and how that breaks Sim's Scrooge. This is a sizable liberty from the novella, but emotionally it fits and I don't think Dickens would have objected. The journey that Sim's Scrooge takes is one of internal tearing down to let light in. For this version, it doesn't make sense for the boy to be the revelation - it makes sense for it to be the housemaid, played by the wonderful Kathleen Harrison, who is also given a nice chunk of action here. She has endured Marley, and is enduring Scrooge. It's fitting that she's the first one to be lifted out of that emotional environment and given some light. So I have no argument about how the script handles either the school sequence or the morning sequence.
I prefer not to rate the various Scrooges: for me, almost all of them bring wonderful things to the table: they're all marvelous, intelligent professionals, so it's to be expected. I'll say that Sim's Scrooge often has a particular affect on me, and part of that is, I think, because Sim was notable in comedy, and, like Robin Williams and other comedic actors, understands the darkness that feeds comedy, and he gives that to his Scrooge - the tragedy that made his Scrooge is always there until the end; but Sim finds tiny moments to make the audience smile, often in an odd understanding, such as that lovely little moan and retreat at the first sight of Christmas Present. And I wait the entire movie for the moment between him and Fred's sweet little maid who takes Scrooge's coat and encourages him, silently, to enter.
I do agree the 1951 Tiny Tim is a little bit robust compared to the Scott Tiny Tim. Nothing's perfect...
🎯🎯🎯 Scrooge, 1951, is THE movie I refuse to miss during the holidays.
I agree George Scott rocked the roll. He was the most believable in terms of facial expression, intonation of phrases of any of the other versions. But, I have to say for the date (1938) and cinema technology, Reginald Owen, who was the one who introduced me to his masterpiece, was an exceptional offering as well.
I do enjoy the Reginald Owen version but I thought they made too many changes to the original story. While I like Gene Lockhart as an actor he looked too well fed to play Bob Cratchit. Terry Kilburn as Tiny Tim was about five years too old and too tall for the role. Other than Martha ,the Cratchit kids all looked the same age. I did like seeing a young June Lockhart.
Also, best Tiny Tim, best Marley's Ghost, best Bob Cratchit. And Ed Woodward is brilliant. It's just a brilliant take with a brilliant script and excellent casting. And I also loved the music.
This one is my personal favorite. I know a lot of people prefer the Alistair Sim version but while it's good (I only saw it once a few years ago so I don't remember that much about it), I feel like most people that prefer it do so because it gives much more backstory than what Dickens wrote in the novella. I suppose it's helpful to fill in those gaps, but it just takes me out of the story too much. Granted, the George C Scott version also gives a bit of backstory in some scenes, but not to the extent that the Alistair Sim version does.
George C Scott and Edward Woodward were perfect in this film.
Edward Woodward might not be known to British audiences but Americans know him very well as the lead in Knight Rider.
@@trhansen3244 Edward Woodward was in The Equalizer TV series in the US in the 1980s. David Hasselhof was in Knight Rider.
Watched it when it first aired in '84 and have watched it every year since once the VHS was released and later DVD. I watched the Stewart one when it came out, but this is the one I prefer and the only one I watch.
Always been my favorite
Alistair Sim is my favorite Scrooge. But there are moments in that film I find too slow ... great movie, don't get me wrong. But over all, I do prefer the George C. Scott version.
I agree, this is my favorite version.
The clip at 6:10 is from another film.
Mine too. God be with ye.
A Christmas Carol is just about my favorite story of all time. I prefer the Patrick Stewart version on all levels with the one possible exception being the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. This is, IMO, the second best. What stands out to me now is how much this version is commenting on economic issues from the 1980s. The Cratchets, however, don’t really look destitute enough to drive the point home for me. There’s a lot to recommend this though, and this was my favorite version for decades! Great adaptation, but less faithful than the TNT/Patrick Stewart version. Not bad, just different.
Easily the best version to date
I think this version and the 1951 are the best ones far above the others. I think what really makes or breaks these adaptations in how they handle the ghosts. The 1951 versions has a better ghost of Christmas Past but the 1984 Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is perfect.
The only Scrooge is Alistair Sim. He is him. Nobody else comes close.
You from India or China?
My favorite is Albert Finney from 1970. Dismissing it as just another musical is a cop-out and narrow minded. My favorite part is the hilarious scene shown by the ghost of Christmas future where Scrooge's debtors are gathered outside his house to see if his reported death is true, and cheering when they find out it is. Meanwhile Scrooge doesn't realize why he is suddenly so popular! It is comedy gold! That scene shows that even though he is a rich man, it has not made him happy, and having the friendship and admiration of his neighbors would. I defy anyone to watch this film and not come away with Christmas cheer and renewed spirit of charity and giving. The sheer exuberance of Scrooge's redemption at the end is a joy to behold! IMHO - no other version can touch it!
The 1970 Scrooge has a special place for me. It was the first Scrooge movie I ever seen. The Music is kind of cringe and corny, but Jacob Marley and the Ghost of Christmas future were terrifying, and Albert Finney was great as Scrooge.
@@billkelly6292 To me, the music fits right in with many of the musical classics of that era of cinema - Oliver!, My Fair Lady, The Music Man, Oklahoma! Funny Girl, Hello Dolly etc. It's no more "cringe" than they are and as entertaining as any of them. It was an age when the movie-musical was king, and it's due for a come-back.
While several others are better films, only Reginald Owen captured the outlandishly hilarious character of Scrooge as Dickens wrote him. He's furious and utterly childish, a deeply wounded narcissist at war with the whole world. We simulataneously laugh at and pity him--he's so miserable, mean, and utterly alone. All the other versions miss how funny he his, and the miss all the missguided energy of the man that make us route for him to change. They miss Scrooge as a fairy tale figure: he's not supposed to be totally realistic.
Thought this was the only version, tbh...except the one with scrooge mcduck and mickey, obv
Every version in the year it was made will be considered the best by the all who were on set to the audience at the time. The 50's version, 70's version and all the rest. The further away you get from the original idea the more lousy a remake is.
Marley's dropping jaw gave me nightmares.
I didn't understand the handkerchief bit until I learned about how the dead were prepared for burial back then - they would literally tie the corpse's jaw shut because otherwise the tongue would tend to protrude.
@@rosegonella3098 Ugh. Was it really necessary to share that? I just had dinner.
@rosegonella3098 yep. Nightmare fuel
1951 Alatair Sim. No question, game over GOAT!!!!
Hard to disagree. I have always enjoyed this version and have GCS in the lead was an excellent choice (though, if he just would've said "Everyone loves a winner!" at some point when would've been hilarious 🙂 )
I enjoyed this one the most, because it felt the most lived in, in that it doesnt feel too far in the past but also it feels exactly out of its own time. You can even, if you want black and white, which i watched it in one time, can do that and it looks even older. Just turn down the color channel
I just realized, I probably had black and white in 1984 too.
@zyxw2000 I've been watching some movies on black and white and it adds an interesting effect to them. I watched the illusionist,the shadow, the illusionist, Excalibur, and even a Christmas carol.
Pfft. Nobody can top The Muppets
I have never liked the Muppets. And they have never liked me. So we do avoid one another.
Its decent.
Thats all.
Doesn't hold up next to the Alistair Sim movie.
Not
From the uk, Alistair Sim is the best. I may be biased though, we're related. Patrick Stewart is good too.
Stewart's would be the perfect version if they hadn't left out Scrooge encountering the solicitors on Christmas Day.
I can't get into Patrick Stewart as Scrooge. I just keep seeing Captain Pichard.
@@billkelly6292I didn’t like Stewart’s version of Scrooge on TV, but I loved his one-man spoken word version of the book. I listen to that every Christmas.
I don’t know if he’s my favorite Scrooge - but that version has by far my favorite Christmas Present performance.
The version actually captured the rage at economic injustice better than any other version, and shares top tier status with the Caine & the Muppets (which captures the pure joy better than any other version) for me.
I've seen this adaptation a couple of times and whilst not being totally accurate to the novel, I find Scot's continuing slip up in the American vernacular pretty corny and somewhat irritating. His depiction is of misery rather than of any eccentricities. Therefore, the '51 adaptation still holds the trophy for me personally. Still has a fine cast but is rather too sweet for my liking.
Yeah, NO. It's not. Alistair Sim and Albert Finney for the WIN!
Don't get me wrong, I love A Christmas Carol 1984. But, since the whole cast is British and takes place in Britain by a British author, wish Scrooge was also a British actor. George C. Scott did a good job, but he's not British. Other then that, it's the best version.
💯
I've heard that this is the second best version after the Alastair Sim version. I'll check it out.
This is the best!
Agreed! My favorite out of the many, many versions th-cam.com/video/GK1kAypUpoU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=NUOGs8DLKHHMb8sw
No, no no. Absolutely not. George C. Scott was a great actor, no doubt, but he did not play Scrooge well. There was too much smiling, too much that was missing from Scrooge. The only actor to hit the mark spot on was Alastair Sim in the 1951 Scrooge. I respect each of your opinions, but this is mine.
"God bless us, everyone."
Disagree. Awesome performance!
No it's not