whatshisname

Briefly, this movie contains my favorite movie-flub (mistake) of all time. Did you catch this?

Early on, when Rudolph arrives at the Isle of Misfit Toys, one of the Misfits is a toy bird that can not fly (he swims).

At the end of the movie when the credits are running, an elf riding in the back of Santa's sleigh is "parachuting" the Misfit Toys to the homes below by handing each toy an umbrella and then tossing them over-board. Everyone gets an umbrella... everyone that is except the poor flightless bird. Just as the elf is about to hand the bird an umbrella, he looks at the umbrella, looks at the bird, apparently decides birds don't need umbrellas, and then tosses the poor bird overboard assumedly to his death.

Merry Xmas. :)

Not enough people ever gave this one a chance, but it should be considered one of the better versions of "A Christmas Carol" out there.

Why did it fail? Well, who wanted to see "Fonzie" play Scrooge back in 1979? I must admit that I did not like this movie the first time I saw it either, but it grew on me, as any good movie does. Henry Winkler plays Depression era "Bennidict Slade" (what an inventive American equivalent for "Ebenezer Scrooge"!), a rich businessman that started out as a delinquent orphan that was adopted by a kind man he unwittingly ends up putting out of business in his pursuit of greed. The "Depression Era" skin put on this movie makes it all the more gray, bleak and believable.

One thing that hurt this movie was that it doesn't have as much of a "feel good" ending as the usual "Scrooge" versions, but I rank this one high because it has my absolute favorite ending of any version of the "Scrooge" genre.

Naturally, I can't spoil the ending, only to say that Slade has more fun surprising people with his new found attitude, knowing just how shocked everyone will be, than any Scrooge movie I've seen. It makes a fun difference. And his surprise for "Tiny Tim", very well done.

One annoying distraction, the "Ghost of Christmas Future" is portrayed by a black man wearing gold chains, dressed in 1979 fashions and listens to disco music. Their "Ghost of the Future" jumped a little too far ahead, and is comical by todays standards.

But this is a great version, and if you are bored to death with endless variations of "A Christmas Carol" where you know the story blindfolded, then I highly recommend you give this one a chance. You'll like it as long as you don't try and compare it to A.C.C., looking for places where they changed the story.

There are probably a zillion incarnations of this Dickens classic. From the old b/w version, to a cartoon staring Mr. Magoo. So why not a musical?

Well, it's not as ridiculous as it might come off. The scores are very catchy and I defy anyone not find themselves humming along after the movie. My personal favorite: "I Hate People".

An all-British cast, unlike every other Scrooge out there, makes a world of difference. And NO ONE ELSE DOES A BETTER SCROOGE THAN FINNEY! From that old b/w version where a veteran stage actor tries to "Shakespeare" his way through the story, to the newer version with George C. Scott that should have been retitled "Patton meets Tiny Tim", only Finney actually plays the character as he might have actually been. He is very believable in the role and you can actually sense his new found joy in the end every bit as much as you can feel his bitterness in the beginning.

Okay, note to "purists": The story was changed slightly. The Ghost of Christmas Past is now an old English woman, and the Ghost of Christmas "Yet-to-Come" (NOT "Future") does not take him to the Den of Thieves, but instead sends Scrooge to Hell where he sees what Lucifer has in store for him. But it is a entertaining change.

Only downer: Alec Guiness comes off a bit goofy as Jacob Marley, but fortunately they don't try and make him sing... much.

In any case, this is THE best version of Scrooge. Period.