A Christmas Carol

The old (roasted) chestnut A CHRISTMAS CAROL gets a musical treatment. I'm not entirely sure why it's Magoo playing Scrooge, because he plays the character straight (none of the typical blind gags), but it works well! The music is excellent and such a welcome change from regular Christmas hits. I love it!

Unlike most Christmas specials, animated or not, Very few Have heart and meaning. One of my fondest memories of Christmas growing up was watching Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol. Like the memory of Christmas trees, snow, the smell of candle wax, the nervous expectation of Santa Clause. The sheer joy of the songs, and the pathos are rare in a live-action film. But a cartoon? Amazing. From the songs "It's great to back on Broadway" to "A Lord's bright Christmas" This cartoon shows what an obvious love of labor this was. A Christmas more glorious than grand! Indeed.

Another delightful animated rendering of the famous Ghost story with a Christmas message for everyone, especially the young in heart. It's JIM BACKUS behind the voice of Scrooge, having fun with his Mr. Magoo characterization despite the lack of "blind as a bat" jokes. He plays the role fairly straight and is still amusing as that old skinflint who develops a love for mankind after visited by three spirits. JACK CASSIDY makes a fine Bob Cratchet, especially since he's gets to lift his splendid voice in song in tunes that have a definite Broadway sound to them. Surprisingly, no one has thought of turning this into a stage show for Christmas presentations. The material and the songs are there for the asking. There's a wistful sound to some of the ballads. Worth watching for the good blend of story, animation and music, although the George C. Scott version of '84 cannot be topped for bringing the Dickens story to the screen in the most faithful fashion.

All these years later, this is very likely the best animated version of the Dickens classic you'll ever see. It has just the right combination of laughter and tears, and Jule Styne and Bob Merrill's songs, written concurrently with their work for "Funny Girl," are the icing on the cake. Jim Backus left the world an indelible legacy of laughter when he created Quincy Magoo, but proved here that he could wring more than a few tears with him, as well. The late, great Jack Cassidy brought his customary grace and class to Bob Cratchit, and talented and pretty Jane Kean, of "Honeymooners" fame, is as touching a Belle as you will ever see. Her song, the bittersweet "Winter was Warm," is one of Jule Styne's best and has become something of a semi-standard over the years. Again, this is a great Christmas treat, and a perfect introduction to Dickens classic for the youngsters, as it was for me.

Ebenezer Scrooge (Mr. Magoo) is a miserly greedy business man. Bob Cratchit is his underpaid and overworked clerk. Scrooge's dead business partner Jacob Marley visits. He is then visited by three spirits of Christmas. This is a straight forward version of the classic Dickens. There are a few changes but the tone remains serious. I'm surprised that there is little humor in this. Mr. Magoo's poor sight usually leads to some fun catastrophes. This doesn't happen. All the harshness of the Victorian world and the religious aspects of the story are kept in. The songs are generally well made and a bit old fashion. Credit must be given for being one of the first animated Christmas TV special. It's still a very watchable show today.

I join the many other writers who remember and treasure "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" with great fondness. Like others, I remember seeing it on its first night 40 years ago. Indeed, a time that seems simpler and nostalgic now. This week,I viewed a VHS tape copy I received and was really charmed and impressed by its quality. The animation is sweet, gentle and from an earlier time. The story adaptation from Dickens is excellent. The concept of Magoo on Broadway performing the "Carol" is really inventive and works well. What I strongly recommend to all is the outstanding and, at times, poignant music There is music and lyric here to equal and surpass much more famous shows. I hope that this wonderful treasure can be re-discovered and enjoyed by a new generation in the years to come. It deserves to be remembered and appreciated.

I'm afraid my memories are biased by being age 8 when it premiered in 1962. This show was magical! To my eyes it felt like going to the theater instead of a TV production with the use of curtains and distinct acts. The cartoons were not cartoonish, but made me feel more like I was watching a grown up show. The spirits, and tiny Tim, may have been the first show that made me less egocentric. And in addition, it is a good story well told. The Scrooge character was believable as were the others. The musical numbers held my attention at age 8 and age 50. The themes were scary but not frightening. This set the bar for the holiday cartoons that followed.