Every family that celebratesChristmaslikely has those few holiday movies that they watch without fail every year. Maybe you need a little faith in humanity restoredviaIt’s a Wonderful Life.Maybe you want to bask in the nostalgic vibes ofWhite Christmas.Maybe you’re a little bit more new-school andElfis your movie of choice (you’d certainly have no shortage of opportunities to catch it on cable). My family’s got its own movie traditions, but there’s really only one we’ve managed to watch year after year, and it’s not one you might expect.
That movie isScrooge,the 1970 musical film adaptation ofA Christmas Carol.It might not carry the prestige of the ’50s version or the nostalgia factor ofthe Muppets' take on the story, but for my family and I, it’s as close to a must-watch as we get. As I’ve grown and holiday celebrations have changed over the years, it’s been one of the few constants I’ve been able to rely on. Our VHS copy has gotten pretty worn, but thankfully, the movie is streaming on several services right now. And beyond my personal connection to it, I think it’s a severely underrated take on the classic story. Here’s why.
Why ‘Scrooge’ Deserves More Love
Scroogewas something of a follow-up to the highly successful Dickens movie-musicalOliver!,sharing a cinematographer and even reusing some of its Victorian London sets. It was directed by Ronald Neame, a veteran film director who’d become a Dickens go-to by 1970. He’d received Oscar nominations for writing and producing David Lean’s adaptations ofOliver TwistandGreat Expectations,and had directed well over a dozen films before taking onScrooge.As a director, his style is very unobtrusive, favoring simple camera moves that make the movie feel almost like a filmed production of a stage play.
Luckily, if it were a stage play, it would happen to star some of the best British actors of the 20th Century. First and foremost,Scrooge is played by Albert Finney, a legend of stage and screenwho’d broken out as a young man in the early ’60s in a new wave of British films likeSaturday Night and Sunday Morning,and would go on to a nearly six-decade career, acting in stuff likeErin Brockovich, Big Fish,andSkyfallin his later years. Interestingly, Finney was only 33 when he starred inScrooge,buthe’s surprisingly convincing as an old man, wearing subtle but effective makeup and completely changing his physicality.
Besides Finney,Scroogealso features a memorable turn fromSir Alec Guinness as Jacob Marley. Guinness, of course, was a few years away from picking up a lightsaber and imprinting on millions of viewers as Obi Wan Kenobi, but he’d already been acting in filmssince the mid ’40s. He’s only in the movie for a couple of scenes, buthe’s clearly sinking his teeth into Marley, adopting a breathy whisper and an odd, floating gait, relishing tormenting his old partner. Being able to watch these two icons play opposite each other in their scenes together is a highlight of the film.
As if that wasn’t enough, there are plenty of faces that might not be as well-known in the states, but had long careers in their home country. Dame Edith Evans, a British stage icon, plays a delightfully prim, no-nonsense Ghost of Christmas Past. Kenneth More, a well-known British character actor, plays a brash Ghost of Christmas Present, and garners some of the biggest laughs in the film. David Collings radiates warmth and decency as Bob Cratchit, and Frances Cuka plays Mrs. Cratchit with a mix of tenderness and toughness. As Tom Jenkins, a hot soup vendor and one of Scrooge’s debtors, Anton Rodgers gets probably the movie’s most well-known song, the Oscar-nominated “Thank You Very Much.”
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‘Scrooge’s Underrated Music
As I mentioned,Scroogeis a musical, and it does pretty well in that regard too.The songs were written by composer Leslie Bricusse, a veteran songwriterwho co-wrote a couple of James Bond themes forGoldfingerandYou Only Live Twice,and also handled the music for British films likeDoctor DoolittleandGoodbye Mr. Chipsbefore doingScrooge.Shortly thereafter, he’d reteam with “Goldfinger” lyricist Anthony Newley to write the songs for1971’sWilly Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,which meanshe likely had a big influence on your childhood.
The music inScroogemight not be quite as memorable asWilly Wonka,but it’s still got some songs that are likely to stick in your memory.“Thank You Very Much” is by far the catchiest, sung by a crowd of revelers celebrating Scrooge’s demise as he looks on with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, oblivious to the reason for their celebration. There’s also Scrooge’s very funny solo song “I Hate People,” which is probably self-explanatory, and the Ghost of Christmas Present’s “I Like Life,” an ode to enjoying yourself and appreciating your blessings. On the ballad side, “Happiness,” sung by Scrooge’s former fiancé Isabel (Suzanne Neve), has a lovely, lilting melody.
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Scroogewas fairly well-received when it came out,though it did receive some criticism for its music, with some critics calling it “forgettable,” which in my opinion borders on journalistic malpractice. Probably its most controversial element is an extended scene where Scrooge falls down his own grave and ends up in Hell (yes, you read that right) where he’s greeted by a gleeful Jacob Marley, who can’t wait to show him his horrible room and the monstrous chain he’ll be forced to wear.It was controversial enough that the scene was cut when the film aired on television.
Scroogemight not feature singing Muppets or uncanny motion-capture animation, and its effects might feel a bit corny in our CGI-dominated world, butit has a charm all its own. This will be the first Christmas I won’t be returning to my childhood home, which was sold back in April. But you can bet, when my family and I put onScrooge,I’ll feel like I’m there again.
