Some Christmas Carols; or, Which Scrooge? Quiz

Answer: Alistair Sim

Called "Scrooge" in the UK, this film did not have an auspicious beginning across the pond. Distributed by United Artists in USA, the company submitted it for consideration to be premiered at the prestigious Radio City Music Hall in New York. But those who were booking the movies decided, after viewing the film, that it was just too dark, so they scheduled it to play in the States during the Halloween season, a time when people weren't ready yet for Christmas films.

Not until shown on TV did the this film, and Alistair Sim's portrayal in particular, develop a following and become a true classic. Watch for Patrick MacNee (Mr. Steed in "The Avengers") as a young Jacob Marley and Hermione Baddeley (the housekeeper Ellen in "Mary Poppins") as Mrs. Cratchit. (Patrick MacNee later hosted a special colorized broadcast of "Scrooge" in the UK.)

Answer: George C. Scott

In 1984 Scott was no longer a youth, but after Scrooge's transformation the actor hopped up on the bed like a spring chicken! Two years earlier, he had played in another Dickens adaptation on television -- namely "Oliver Twist", as Fagin. For his role as Scrooge, George C. Scott received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie.

Answer: June Lockhart

June Lockhart (b. 1925) was Dr. Maureen Robinson, the mother on "Lost in Space" (1965-68). June's father, Gene Lockhart (1891-1957), played Bob Cratchit, and her mother, Kathleen Lockhart (1894-1978), was Mrs. Cratchit in the same movie. Little June also made an uncredited appearance as one of the Cratchit daughters. By the way, June's real-life daughter, Anne Lockhart (b. 1953), also played in a sci-fi program, "Battlestar Galactica" (1978-79), as Lieutenant Sheba.

Answer: Capt. Picard/Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart, who made his mark in America playing Capt. Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation", played an effective Scrooge. Joel Grey is restrained as Christmas Past, and of all the major screen adaptations, resembles best what Dickens originally described in his novella, a creature that looks both young and old at the same time.

Some of the dialogue is altered, but the production is faithful to the spirit of the novella. This is the first adaptation to use computer graphics imaging (CGI), and the only one to begin with the burial of Marley.

Answer: Scrooge

"Scrooge" starred Albert Finney as the titular curmudgeon, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, I mean, Alec Guinness as Jacob Marley. You have not lived until you hear Finney gleefully sing "I Hate People" and see Guinness tread the boards as Marley, who hardly leaves the ground but always appears to be floating.

Indeed the entire picture is suffused with irony and subtle camp. The song "Thank You Very Much", sung by a chorus of debtors who celebrate Scrooge's timely death, won an Oscar nomination for Best Song and became a favorite of Lawrence Welk, who featured it many times on his TV program in the 1970s. Perhaps he didn't understand the irony? (Or perhaps he secretly did!) Interestingly, the writer of the song could neither read nor write music.

Answer: Sterling Hayden

Sterling Hayen plays Daniel Grudge, a Scrooge-like businessman who lost his son during World War II and an absolute isolationist who believes the USA should stay out of international affairs. Singer Steve Lawrence plays the Ghost of Christmas Past; Steve Hingel, Present; and Robert Shaw, Future. Peter Sellers also plays a memorable role. Oscar winner Jospeh Mankiewicz produced and directed the teleflim, his first and only TV project. The score was composed by the prolific Henry Mancini.

The special, sponsored by Xerox Corporation, was quite controversial in its day. After its broadcast in 1964, it was never seen on TV again until Turner Classic Movies (TCM) aired it in December 2012 as part of its "Lost and Found" series.

Answer: One is silent and the other has sound.

In fact the 1935 film was the first "Carol" talkie, and it is very dark and brooding, indeed. The producers severely condensed Dickens' story, though they spent much time before the plot unfolds establishing the atmosphere of rich and poor London. Maurice Evans--the warlock-father on "Bewitched" (1964-72) and the head orangutan in "Planet of the Apes" (1968)--appears briefly as a debtor.

The 1913 silent movie was released in the USA as "Old Scrooge". Both pictures were filmed in glorious black-and-white and in merry old England, and both are in the public domain, as their copyrights were never renewed.

Answer: The Ghosts are mostly offscreen.

Christmas Past is but light, Christmas Yet to Come is just a hand or a shadow, and even Marley, except for his face on the knocker, is never seen, even whilst warning Scrooge of the coming visitations. Only Christmas Present appears in full view. Surprisingly, Ebenezer's sister Fan and his old boss Fezziwig are entirely absent, without so much as a mention!

Hicks was sixty-four when he acted in the 1935 movie, yet he played young Ebenezer, too. Albert Finney also played both ages of Ebenezer in the musical "Scrooge" (1970). Finney, however, was relatively young, and the make-up artists did an excellent job making him appear old, and Finney was masterful and convincing as an old man who learns his lesson.

We do see a deceased Tiny Tim on screen in the 1935 "Scrooge", but he also lies in repose in the 1999 TNT telemovie "A Christmas Carol" and in the 1913 silent movie in which Seymour Hicks had starred previously as Scrooge.

Answer: True

Produced by American Chuck Jones and animated by British-Canadian Richard Williams, this moody and rather spooky short aired originally on ABC. Then it was released theatrically in the USA, so it qualified Academy Award nominations, and it won the Oscar for Best Animated Film at the 45th Academy Awards in 1973. ABC aired it again in the 1970s a few times, then never again. Turner Classic Movies broadcast it in the 2010s, the first time it had appeared on American television in decades.

The venerable Alistair Sim, who starred in the 1951 "A Christmas Carol" (USA title, released as "Scrooge" in the UK) reprised his role as Scrooge.

Answer: Bill Murray

This version was called "Scrooged" (1988), and it received mixed reviews. But could a movie with appearances by Buddy Hackett, Jamie Farr, John Houseman, Robert Goulet, and Mary Lou Retton (the Olympic gymnast) be all bad?

Among the major players, Bill Murray played Frank Cross, and Robert Mitchum played his boss. Karen Allen played his love interest, Claire Phillips. Carol Kane played the Ghost of Christmas Present as a rather violent fairy. Bobcat Goldthwait played Eliot Loudermilk, fired on Christmas Eve, and Alfre Woodard played Grace Cooley, mother of mute Calvin (the Tiny Tim role).

Danny Elfman composed the score, and Annie Lennox and Al Green performed the hit song "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" during the rolling credits.

Answer: Henry Winkler

The story centered on Benedict Slade, who is visited by three apparitions who remarkably resemble three persons whose property he had repossessed the night before. This adaptation is one of the few in which the Ghost of Christmas Future speaks. Sadly, this 1979 TV flop, directed by Englishman Eric Till, is nobody's favorite, and it is rarely shown on American television. Poor Fonzie!

Answer: Susan Lucci

The telemovie "Ebbie" aired in 1995 and featured soap-opera star Susan Lucci in the title role of Elizabeth "Ebbie" Scrooge. Other gender-bender versions have been produced since, including "Ms. Scrooge" (1998) starring the venerable Cicely Tyson in the title role, Ebenita Scrooge, in one of the few major adaptations with an African-American protagonist. Michael Beach played her nephew, a preacher in small, inner-city church.

Answer: Michael Caine

Kermit the Frog was Bob Cratchit and Miss Piggy Emily Cratchit in "The Muppet Christmas Carol" (1992). Gonzo played Charles Dickens himself. For this film, Brian Henson, son of Jim and Jane Henson, won the 1993 Fantafestival award for Best Direction.

Answer: Yogi Bear (Hanna-Barbera)

Hanna-Barbera never produced "A Christmas Carol" with Yogi Bear, but they did produce a special with the Flintstones in 1994 and an episode of "The Jetsons" in 1985.

"Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol" (1962) was the first animated Christmas special ever telecast in the USA. Jim Backus (Mr. Howell) was Magoo's voice and Jack Cassidy (pop idol David Cassidy's father) was Bob Cratchit.

Warner Bros. Television released "Bugs Bunny's Chistmas Carol" (1979) as part of the special "Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales". It's an 8-minute short directed by Friz Freleng. Mel Blanc does most of the voices.

"Mickey's Christmas Carol" appeared in theaters in 1983. It borrowed dialogue from Disneyland Records' "Disney's A Christmas Carol" (1974), but omitted the singing. This movie marked the first appearance of Mickey Mouse in cinema since 1953, and the last time Clarence Nash voiced Donald Duck.

Answer: No

Surprising, no? In a half-hour filmed TV special, however, Vincent Price did narrate "A Christmas Carol".

More famous for playing Sherlock Holmes, Basil Rathbone played Scrooge more than once; in fact he has appeared in more adaptations of "A Christmas Carol" than any other actor.