Santa Claus
Cast: Jose Elias Moreno, Ken Smith
Credits: Producer: William Calderon; Director/Writer: Rene Cardona; 1960
This bizarre Yuletide film from Mexico has Santa using child labor to make his toys. But the Devil (we’re not kidding here), Santa’s longtime foe, decides to ruin Christmas for the children of the world and sends his minions up above to whisper in the ears of children telling them to be naught not nice. Santa enlists the help of Merlin the Magician in fighting Satan.
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Cast: John Call, Leonard Hicks, Vincent Beck, Victor Stiles, Pia Zadora
Credits: Producer: Paul L. Jacobson; Director: Nicholas Webster; Writer: Glenville Mareth (Based on a Story by Paul Jacobson); Embassy; 1964
Some critics have labeled this film “one of the single worst films ever made.” Evil Martians zoom to Earth and kidnap Santa Claus and two children. On Mars Santa sets up a toy shop but has to outwit the nasty Voldar. But all ends happily as Santa is returned to Earth in time to deliver toys on Christmas Eve.
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
Cast: (voices) Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney, Keenan Wynn, Paul Frees, Joan Gardner
Credits: Producers/Directors: Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin, Jr.; Writer: Romeo Muller; Rankin-Bass; 1970
Animated television special tells the story of how Santa Claus was born, found his wife, delivered toys to all the children and came to live at the North Pole. A traditional holiday viewing necessity.
Santa Claus: The Movie
Cast: Dudley Moore, John Lithgow, David Huddleston, Burgess Meredith, Judy Cornwall
Credits: Producers: Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler; Director: Jeannot Szwarc; Writer: David Newman; TriStar; 1985
Sometimes the big-budget expectations of Hollywood producers go awry, and such films as Santa Claus: The Movie result, a feature that was sold as the ultimate Christmas movie, but a picture that fails on almost every level. The story itself features situations that even the youngest children would find difficult to swallow. The characters are often obnoxious; performances, especially John Lithgow’s, sometimes go way over the top. But the bottom line in any Christmas movie is the emotion it instills in the audience; and, while most decent Christmas films leave a lump in the throat or a tear in the eye, Santa Claus only leaves a sense of relief that it is over. Even David Huddleston’s performance as Santa Claus is listless and generic, doing very little with a characterization that could be developed in so many different directions.
The movie’s beginning, occurring centuries ago, recounting the reality and the myth of Santa Claus, is perhaps the most intriguing part of the screenplay, and it suggests a dark-toned movie that could have been at least interesting. Under the twinkling stars of the night, and the layer of fluffy clouds underneath, lies the snowy cottage at the top of the world where an older woman is telling her younger kids that Uncle Claus might not be able to make it through the heavy snow this year. But an older boy doesn’t seem to worry; this was the same story she told last year. However, within moments Uncle Claus in his sleigh arrives at the household with his bag of presents. The children are all focused on their presents; but Uncle Claus asks, “Don’t I hear something first?” Then in unison, they all chant, “Merry Christmas, Uncle!” The relatives wonder aloud where Claus finds the time to make all the toys for the children every year. However, these same relatives warn Claus to not try to go through the forest tonight, because the storm is simply too dangerous. Claus answers, “Other children need their toys on the other side of the forest,” and all the people assembled note the happy expression on Claus’ face when he gives the children their toys. But out in the forest, the snow is getting heavier and the weather is turning colder; and, before long, the reindeer drop in their tracks from exhaustion. Santa tries to rouse them by telling them food and warmth is just a little further ahead. But the animals do not respond. Anya (Judy Cornwell), Claus’ wife, sits alongside him, slowly freezing to death, her husband trying to warm her. Soon, both Claus and his wife are lulled into a deep, freezing sleep, as the reindeer remain motionless before them. Failing to heed the warnings of the relatives, the reindeer and their human cargo are dead, or close to it, as the snow continues to pound the countryside.
Soon, the stars begin to twinkle again, the snow stops, the reindeer magically awaken, as do Claus and his wife, and the stars grow brighter. A triangle of vibrant light from the heavens transport an army of elves closer and closer to the sleigh, each elf holding one candle. An elder elf, Dooley, states, “We’ve been expecting you for a long, long time.” Another younger elf, Patch (Dudley Moore), tells them they are home, “This is your home now.” Magically, a huge home in the white wilderness appears; and, once inside, Claus and Anya see a wonderland of hardworking elves making toys, toys to be given to the children of the world. Dooley tells the humans that they will live forever, just like the elves. New reindeer are introduced, and soon the elves are working on a new uniform for Claus to wear, at first attempting one colored green. “Green’s not his color,” Anya protests; but after brown is also rejected, they all agree upon the color red. Eventually the entire household is alive and marching in-step to the Christmas music, as they work on toys methodically and efficiently. All the elves laugh and giggle as they work, totally at peace. Finally the suit, reindeer and sleigh are ready for the Christmas Eve visit, and the wizened elder elf (Burgess Meredith) makes his pronouncement concerning Claus. “Prophecy has come to pass that there would come to us a chosen one. That he, having no child of his own, would love all children everywhere, and that he himself would be an artisan, a craftsman, a skilled maker of toys... come forth. From this day on, now and forever, you will bring our gifts to all the children in all the world... all this to be done on Christmas Eve... an endless night for you, until all your work is done... you will be called Santa Claus!” The reindeer team are fed sparkling, twinkling food which gives them the gift of flight. And then Santa and the team are off to complete their Christmas Eve duties. In a tale rich with myth, silly performances and noninvolved screenwriting quickly sink the project from this point onward.
Now, the sense of myth, ritual and legend, which returns a kindly old uncle from the dead, reborn and given immortality as the cherished Christmas icon Santa Claus, is quite ambitious and dramatic. True, the special effects cannot quite deliver the illusion; Uncle Claus is not the most endearing or expressive actor and the army of elves is sometimes silly, especially the appearance of devilish Dudley Moore. But, simply put, this is the best the film has to offer.
First, the centuries slip away, and we end up in modern times.
Two elves, Patch and Puffy (Anthony O’Donnell), compete to be Santa’s assistant by embarking in a contest to see who can make the most toys in a specified amount of time. The ambitious Patch wants to modernize and use the assembly line method, while Puff prefers the older, traditional method of toy making. Of course, Patch wins the contest and is appointed chief assistant; but his mass-produced toys (failing to undergo any quality control check) fall apart immediately after Christmas, leaving children crying. Patch, disgraced, leaves the North Pole for good.
Down in the world of reality, the United States, Patch, at first depressed, wants to find a way to impress Santa Claus that he is the world’s best maker of toys; but first, the audience encounters one B.Z. (John Lithgow), one of the largest manufacturers of toys in the United States, who at the moment is appearing before a Senate subcommittee investigating parental complaints against his toys. Performing B.Z. totally over the top, Lithgow shouts his lines, rolls back the skin on his forehead and pops out his eyes and he twitches in obnoxious overplay. One toy is shown to easily catch on fire, while another toy is shown to be stuffed with nails. His underlings tell him, department stores are pulling all their toys from the shelves in a mass exodus. B.Z. is at his wit’s end.
But soon the naive Patch appears in B.Z.’s office, identifying himself as an elf and manufacturer of toys. Admitting he doesn’t know much about money, Patch tells B.Z. to throw out all his old toys. Patch will be able to make something fantastic. What he creates turns out to be called the “Puce Pop,” which allows children who eat the lollipop to float into the sky. Of course B.Z. captures the imagination and attention of the children at Christmas, and Santa’s old-fashioned toys are forgotten, making Santa feel rejected and worthless. B.Z.’s goal is to replace the image of Santa Claus at Christmas time with his own.
Santa befriends a totally cute runaway boy, Joe (Christian Fitzpatrick), whose cynical, street-smart attitude is too easily won over by the magic of Santa Claus. As written the part is ridiculous, but as enacted by Fitzpatrick, the performance is embarrassing. Joe befriends B.Z.’s parentless niece Cornelia (Carrie Kei Heim), again a very cute little girl, but at least she’s an adequate actress. And these two children are here simply to create audience identification with the younger viewing audience, but they fail to ignite a spark with each other or with Santa Claus, who simply goes through the motions with them.
Greed turns out to be the downfall of B.Z., who orders Patch to “juice up the formula” and create a new childhood toy sensation in time for his artificially created Christmas II to hit March 25. Meanwhile, Santa seems ready to throw in the Christmas towel and seems most in need of professional counseling, his inner spirit of “ho, ho, ho” totally dimmed. “The world is a different place. People don’t seem to care about giving a gift just to see the light of happiness in a friend’s eye. Just doesn’t feel like Christmas anymore. Maybe this fellow B.Z. is smarter than I am. Maybe I’m just an old fool,” the old elf muses. Elsewhere, B.Z. is enthusing with the old Christmas spirit, which used to belong to Santa Claus. “I’m taking over Christmas. By next Christmas, kids will be writing to me, B.Z.!”
However, the new Christmas II presents, candy canes coated with the new formula, are volatile when exposed to heat and will explode. Soon Patch, in his own super-powered flying auto, heads out with Joey, whom he has rescued from B.Z.’s clutches, unaware that a supply of the candy canes is in the back of his car is getting hotter and hotter as the car flies through the sky. Santa, warned of the peril by Cornelia, is in hot pursuit in his sleigh; but Santa is down two reindeer because of flu, and only by performing the often-tried-but-never-completed “super-duper-looper” can Santa manage to save Patch and Joe after the car explodes throwing its occupants into free-falling space. But all ends up well as the children are rescued, Patch and Santa become friends again and B.Z. eats one of his own candy canes and floats out into the vastness of space, literally destined to orbit the Earth forever. Joe and Cornelia, both parentless, are allowed to live at the North Pole, to be tutored by the elves so their education will not be ignored.
Santa Claus: The Movie tries to touch all the bases necessary for a Christmas movie, but it forgets the essentials: good acting, an imaginative script and a sense of real human emotion. Even though the budget was rather large, this 1985 production, directed by Jeannot Szwarc, is passionless and bland. Trying to sell the movie on Dudley Moore’s name was effective marketing at the time, but Dudley Moore simply sleepwalks through the movie playing the neglected elf who unfortunately aligns himself with sleazy B.Z. John Lithgow, rather than sleepwalk through the movie, yells in his performance, projecting every line of dialogue with the volume cranked up to 10, lacking all nuance and subtlety required to make his satiric villain come to life. In a children’s movie where the leading child actors are forgettable, the movie’s in a great deal of trouble. And what could be worse than featuring a listless actor portraying Santa Claus? This is easily the most forgettable mainstream Christmas movie released in the last 30 years.
The Santa Clause
Cast: Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Peter Boyle, Eric Lloyd
Credits: Producers: Brian Reilly, Jeffrey Silver and Robert Newmyer; Director: John Pasquin; Writers: Steve Rudnick and Leo Benvenuti; Buena Vista; 1994
In today’s reality-based society, it becomes harder and harder to make children believe all the wonderful myths and fantasies that feed a child’s world of imagination. Santa Claus, that wise old elf, is becoming increasingly more difficult for today’s children to believe in; and this film, written by Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick and directed by John Pasquin, attempts to make Santa Claus acceptable for our modern world. The Santa Clause, whose screenplay borrows from the “Santa ’85” episode of Amazing Stories (in which Santa Claus sets off alarms while visiting a home on Christmas Eve, Santa is arrested and thrown into a paddy wagon, Santa is broken out of prison and Santa’s chief disbeliever has his faith renewed when Santa Claus finally delivers a long-overdue present whose absence alienated him from the jolly old elf in the first place), is another fantasy film that renews our fading Christmas spirit with both laughs and tears.
Another fractured 1990s family-divorced father Scott Calvin (Tim Allen), mother Laura (Wendy Crewson), new husband and psychologist Neal (Judge Reinhold) and young son Charlie (Eric Lloyd)-struggles to function harmoniously as, on Christmas Eve, father Scott comes to his former wife’s house to take their son Charlie away for Christmas. Scott, who works as a marketing and distribution manager for a company that produces toys, believes in the spirit of Christmas, even if somewhat jadedly. Step-father Neal does not believe in Santa Claus and hasn’t since age three (when Santa never delivered his Oscar Meyer Wiener Whistle), so the modern parents explain Santa to their child as a “state of mind.” Charlie himself tells his dad, “It’s kinda baby to believe in that stuff.”
However, Scott’s planned Christmas dinner turns to disaster with the turkey and kitchen catching on fire as Scott uses a fire extinguisher on the bird, declaring it’s done. Heading out on Christmas Eve to find an open restaurant, Scott, trying to be diplomatic, says there’s something about Neal-and he stumbles to find the words. Charlie finishes the thought: “...that wants you to lash out irrationally!” But the sad-eyed boy declares, “He listens to me.” Finally finding a Denny’s, a fact that excites Scott and depresses Charlie, they go inside to find one side of the restaurant filled with Asian-Americans, but the other half is for turkey eaters and is populated by a sea of single dads and disgusted kids; one father has his hand bandaged, since he also failed in the kitchen arena. At home, Scott reads “The Night Before Christmas” to get Charlie to go to sleep, but the inquiring child wants lines such as “there a rose such a clatter” explained. Then Charlie asks the questions that all maturing children ask their parents: If Santa’s so fat, how does he get down the chimney; what about homes that do not have chimneys, how does he get in??? Soon the sleeping child is awakened by loud thuds on the floor, and he runs for his dad stating, there’s clatter up on the roof. Going outside in his underwear to explore, Scott startles Santa Claus, who loses his balance and falls off the roof crashing into a pile of snow. The jolly old elf is dead. Finding a card with “Santa Claus” printed on one side, the other side advises: “If something should happen to me, put on my suit, the reindeer will know what to do.” Looking back to the roof, Scott and Charlie now see a majestic sleigh fronted by a team of reindeer. In an instant, Santa’s body is gone, but his suit remains, picked up carefully by Scott; a large metal ladder appears leaning against the top of the house. The ladder, as engraved, states it was made by “The Rose Suchax Ladder Company,” and Charlie climbs up immediately. When Charlie and Scott plop themselves down inside the sleigh, the sleigh seems to take off into overdrive; it quickly lands on another home’s rooftop. Charlie wants his father to go down the chimney, but Scott is hesitant about descending into a strange home in his underwear, so the boy tells him to put on the Santa suit. Immediately thereafter, when lifting the Santa bag, Scott becomes airborne and gravitates toward the chimney, where he magically morphs in size and gets sucked down. Putting the presents contained within the bag around the tree, Scott is confronted by both a dog and an elaborate alarm system, but still manages to escape back up the chimney. Even at houses that do not have fireplaces, Scott is mysteriously sucked down any vent that sticks up from the roof and a fireplace mysterious appears for him to both enter and exit the house. At one house, a sleeping little girl is awakened and is upset that Scott is too thin and hasn’t consumed his glass of milk, but Scott pleads lactose intolerance and leaves.
Finishing his nocturnal duties, Scott orders the reindeer to return home, but surprisingly, home turns out to be the North Pole where his sleigh is mechanically lowered beneath the surface of the ice down into a huge elf toy factory. No adults are present, even though the child-like elves claim to be sometimes 1,000 years old. All the elves answer to Scott/Santa, but one elf, Bernard (David Krumholtz), appears to be the bossy elf manager. Everyone addresses Scott as Santa, to which he chimes, “I’m not Santa,” telling the story about the real Santa falling off his roof: “I have homeowner’s insurance and a good lawyer!” But the forceful Bernard tells Scott, you put on the suit and accepted the Santa clause. If he would have only read the fine print on the card that he picked up from Santa’s corpse, Scott would have realized that by putting on the suit, he accepts all the duties and responsibilities of being the new Santa Claus. In other words, the frozen baton has been passed. Bernard tells Scott to leave, that he has 11 months to get his life in order, that he has to report at Thanksgiving next year. However, he will be forwarded “the list” of all children’s behavior, and he will be required to check over the list twice and mark each child as being good or bad. “Suppose I choose not to believe it,” Scott asserts to Bernard. With these words the entire factory shuts down, everyone remaining silent. Bernard shouts, “You don’t want to be responsible for killing the spirit of Christmas, do ya!” Scott has no answer for that.
A cute child-like elf, who announces she has been perfecting her cocoa for 1,200 years, serves a cup to both Scott and Charlie. Scott tells the elf that she looks good for her age, but she says, “Sorry, I’m seeing someone in wrapping!” The elf, trying to convince Scott of his responsibility, states, “Grownups can’t believe in magic-it just, sorta, grows out of them.” Correcting the commonly held axiom that seeing is believing, she tells Scott, “Believing is seeing,” meaning kids don’t need to see something to know that a place exists... “they just know.” Going to sleep, both Scott and Charlie wake up in their own beds at home. However, he is wearing the red pajamas that he was giving up at the North Pole, monogrammed with the initials “S.C.” (Santa Claus or Scott Calvin?).
Neal and Laura are upset that the generally sensible Charlie now unquestionably believes that not only is there a Santa Claus, but that Santa is his father and that they both were with the elves at the toy factory at the North Pole. Even at school Career Day, Charlie proudly introduces his father as the new Santa Claus. When alone in his room, Charlie sets up rows of chairs and pretends they are reindeer and he is Santa leading them. Neal even arranges for a psychiatrist to speak to Charlie, but no one can change the lad’s mind. Step-father Neal has a long talk asking how can one man visit all the children of the world in one night, and Charlie immediately answers that not all children celebrate the holiday and then he mentions the term “time continuum,” matter-of-factly. When Neal is disturbed that Charlie states he saw reindeer fly and because Neal never did, Charlie reassures him by saying that he never saw a million dollars. “Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
Things are getting pretty weird for Scott also. He now grows a full beard by midday even though he shaves every morning, and his hair is starting to grow grayer and grayer almost overnight. Soon he is sporting a full white beard and hair. Also, he develops a huge 45-pound gut within a week.
Pretty soon large boxes are delivered by Federal Express, enough red boxes to fill up a living room. Inside is “the list” of children’s names, but Scott focuses upon one name that stands out-Armand Assante! Soon little children corner Scott in the park and tell him, “I want some ballet slippers.” However, because of Charlie’s delusion encouraged by his father, Neal and his wife go to court to have Scott’s visitation rights canceled, the mother more reluctant than Neal to push for this. Even Scott momentarily tries to deny the truth, but Charlie knocks some sense into his dad by telling him, “Of course you’re Santa. You can’t let them down. They believe in you!” Charlie then throws Scott the snow globe they got up at the North Pole, the father smiling and remembering. Magically, elf Bernard appears in the living room, stating it’s okay for Santa to take son Charlie along with him for his Yuletide rounds. In an instant, both father and son are gone, and Neal is phoning the police. Up at the North Pole, Charlie dutifully phones his mother letting her know everything is all right, while the elves reveal a major modification to the sleigh allowing it to make vertical take-offs. Also Santa’s suit has been improved to make it completely fire resistant for those drops down fully lit fireplaces. But Scott keeps asking, “But suppose I fall off the roof?” The elves still have no protection for that mishap. Meanwhile, mom is back home facing a line-up of incompetent Santas that have been picked up by the police.
Christmas Eve is upon us, and the elves give Santa a festive sendoff as he begins to make his rounds, more experienced this second time around. He even returns to the house of the sleeping little girl from last year, but this year she happily notes that Santa is fatter and she has soy milk for him, remembering he was lactose intolerant. But soon, visiting Charlie’s home, he is surrounded and captured by the police. The Elf Squad goes into action, freeing Santa from his prison cell. Speaking to the police, the elves threaten, “We’re your worst nightmare... elves with attitudes!” Using tinsel to cut the bars, Santa is freed. However, stopping his sleigh overhead, Santa returns Charlie to his mother, telling his son, “I can’t be with you all the time.” And father tells his son, “You believed in me when nobody else did... I love you son!” Mom, finally convinced, admits, “You really are Santa Claus,” to which Scott responds, “Pretty cool, isn’t it!” Mom burns the custody papers telling Scott he can visit anytime. Bernard tells Charlie that by looking in the snow globe, he can see his father whenever he needs to see him. But Charlie is lonely minutes after his father leaves, so Santa returns and asks mom if he can take his son with him on the rest of his rounds. With the warning “not to fly over any ocean,” she tells her men to get out of here. The police force tries to descend upon the house, but the sleigh flies away in seconds. Presents are dropped for Neal and Laura, his wiener whistle and her Mystery Date game, which they never received as children.
The Santa Clause, while not a great movie by any standards, is the perfect family movie for today. For any cynical kids who question how Santa can live for so long, how he can fit into smaller chimneys and how he can get around the world all in one night, the movie does a credible job of making the fantastic believable. The rapport between all the individuals in the extended family is carefully drawn-Neal is never a total villain, he’s just a man drawn by psychological reality, but by movie’s end, even he believes. Mom is fair-minded, always mindful of the love that Scott feels for Charlie, and even when she signs the denial of visitation rights papers, the viewer can tell she is not entirely in agreement with that decision. Yet she is also loyal to Neal and understands his side. Charlie is well-adjusted and loves both fathers in his life, wanting to spend time with each. He only gets upset when his mother and Scott fight. The film explores both the mystery and the business of conducting the Christmas Eve run, for the North Pole toy factory is set up and run like any other efficient corporation, always trying to better the product and product delivery for the next year. Scott becomes Santa by entering into a legal contract, and his duty to the children of the world makes him honor the contract. The Santa Clause takes myth and fairy tale and attempts to make it palpable for the children of today’s generation; and, while it is never better than good, by movie’s end, viewers cannot help feeling the emotion of continuing Christmas for all the kids of the world.
The Santa Clause 2: The Mrs. Clause
Cast: Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, David Krumholtz, Eric Lloyd, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson
Credits: Director: Michael Lembeck; Writers: Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Don Rhymer, Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, Ed Decter, John J. Strauss; Buena Vista; 2002
After eight happy years, Santa is shocked to discover a new clause in his contract, the Mrs. Clause. Plus, his son is on the naughty list. Santa leaves a substitute Santa in charge and heads home to work things out. But the substitute Santa creates an army of clones and takes over. The real Santa has to do some fancy stepping to help Charlie, find a wife and save Christmas. As much fun as the first film and will tickle kids.
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
Cast: Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Eric Lloyd, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Martin Short
Credits: Director: Michael Lembeck; Writers: Ed Decter, Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Tim Allen, John J. Strauss; Buena Vista; 2006
Mrs. Claus is expecting a little elf and Santa is having problems keeping the Mrs. happy while he works overtime getting ready for Christmas Eve. He invited her parents for a visit, but must keep his identity a secret from them. Meanwhile Jack Frost (Martin Short) has an evil plan to force Santa out and take over the North Pole.
The Santa Trap
Cast: Stacy Keach, Shelley Long, Robert Hays, Adrienne Barbeau
Credits: Director: John Shepphird; Writers: Steve Jankowski, John Shepphird; TV, 2002
A little girl sets a trap to capture Santa; when it works, the family calls the police and Santa is hauled off the jail. The family must convince the police Santa is the real thing, but the police release a biker instead of Santa. Never fear, Christmas will be saved.
Santa Who?
Cast: Leslie Nielsen, Steven Eckholdt, Robyn Lively, Tommy Davidson
Credits: Director: William Dear; Writers: Robert Schwartz, Debra Frank, Steve L. Hayes; TV, 2000
Santa takes a tumble from his sleigh and loses his memory. A little boy, a newspaperman and his faithful elves help restore his memory and save Christmas.
Scrooge
Cast: Albert Finney, Alec Guinness, Edith Evans, Kenneth More, David Collings, Anton Rodgers
Credits: Producer: Robert H. Solo; Director: Ronald Neame; Writer: Leslie Bricusse (Based on the Novel); National General; 1970
Would Charles Dickens be spinning in his grave at the thought of his stories becoming musicals? I don’t think so, for Scrooge is a delightful romp through Victorian London filled with hummable tunes and energetic dance routines and enough fire and brimstone to make old Charles himself happy.
Fans of Dickens and Scrooge in particular know the story; much dialogue is taken directly from the novel. Where this version differs is in the musical sequences, which lighten up the old tale for a whole new generation.
The first number is after poor Bob Cratchit (David Collings) has received his meager wages of 15 shillings from Scrooge. He happily meets two of his children, and they visit the street merchants buying goodies for a Christmas feast. The director weaves a tapestry separating the haves from the have-nots as the camera focuses on rich people buying lush products from the shops while the poorer people happily shop among the friendly outside vendors.
While singing “Christmas is for children young and old,” Bob makes his way home to wife and children. As they light the candles on the small tree, the scene fades into Scrooge blowing out his one stingy candle in his office.
Albert Finney is a wonderfully mean-spirited Scrooge. As he starts home he warbles, “I Hate People” with a superior sneer on his sour face. He stalks through the streets of merrymaker-filled London repulsed by their joy. The miser collects from the poor street vendors who dread the approach of the legendary skinflint. Out of the kindness of his heart he allows them another week to pay-for a horrendous amount of interest. He even enters the booth of a puppeteer who is delighting the children with Punch and Judy. Nothing is off limits for Scrooge when money is concerned.
Unlike the fearful adults, the children do not quake at the sight of old Ebenezer. They follow him through the streets singing: “Father Christmas-he’s the rottenest man in the universe, but no one wants to tell him!”
After a day spent wearing down Bob Cratchit and badgering the downtrodden, Scrooge arrives home to find an image of Jacob Marley (Alec Guinness) on his doorknocker. A ghostly carriage thunders through the dingy front hallway, while the cadaverous driver tips his hat to Scrooge, “Merry Christmas, Governor.”
Scrooge disbelieves his eyes and goes about eating his paltry broth dinner, his mean little mouth almost chewing the liquid, making sure not to miss a drop.
The film makes use of the (at the time) state-of-the-art special effects. One such example is when Marley’s ghost rises into the air, his chains flowing around him. The ghost moans loudly, convincing Scrooge he is indeed real. A new twist to the old legend follows as Marley wraps a chain around Scrooge’s wrist and the two fly among ghostly inhabitants of hell.
Scrooge’s hands covers his face, his fingernails chipped and dirty, when back in his rooms he convinces himself it was a nightmare-but Marley is still present and warns him of the coming of the three ghosts.
Scrooge goes to his cold gray room to climb into bed. He walks hunched over and shuffles as though all that meanness has withered him inside and out.
The clock strikes one and the first spirit arrives, an elegantly dressed older lady (Edith Evans) who takes him on a tour of Christmases past. We see sleighfuls of costumed children singing “A Christmas Carol” as they drive past the school where a lonely young Ebenezer sits alone. Later, we see his sister bring him home for the holidays and, later still, as an apprentice to Mr. Fezziwig (Laurence Naismith), Scrooge romances Fezziwig’s daughter Isabel (Suzanne Neve).
The Christmas Eve party at Fezziwig’s provides another opportunity for a musical number as the celebrating crowd sings and dances to “December the 25th.” Isabel is dressed in a light blue gown which immediately sets her apart from the gathering. Her kindness and loveliness even gets a smile out of the serious young Mr. Scrooge. In flashback scenes of their courtship she sings “Happiness” and we see him place a small engagement ring on her finger.
But the ghost also shows him their breakup as Isabel tells him he has found another love, that of money. She tosses the ring onto a scale and two coins onto the other side. The scale tips in favor of the coins and Isabel walks out of Scrooge’s life. “You fool!” Scrooge yells to his younger self.
He is next visited by the Ghost of Christmas Present (Kenneth More), a jolly spirit who is surrounded by the warmth and sparkle of a huge Christmas feast, even an animal roasting on a spit. “Come over here you weird little man,” his voice bellows.
Scrooge flies up to sit on the mantel next to the giant. The ghost presents him with a large golden goblet which Scrooge drinks from greedily-it is the milk of human kindness. The ghost sings, “I Like Life” to contrast with the earlier musical number by Scrooge of “I Hate People.”
The old man, now drunk on life, soars out the window with the spirit and they fall into a snowbank, which sobers up Scrooge. They visit the home of Bob Cratchit.
“I want to look in the window,” Scrooge whines.
“It will cost you nothing, which I’m sure will be good news for you,” the spirit replies.
“Will they be able to see me?”
“No, which I feel sure will be good news for them.”
The Cratchit family is busily preparing for their holiday feast. They are making stuffing for the scrawny goose they so delightedly bought at the market, and Bob is working on his special Christmas punch. Bob proposes a toast to Mr. Scrooge, an idea his wife heartily disagrees with, but she only agrees out of love for Bob. Bob says, “God bless us,” and Tiny Tim (Richard Beaumont) answers, “God bless us, everyone.” This film version of Tiny Tim is one of the less annoying and his “God bless us, everyone” dialogue is by far the least cloying.
Tiny Tim sings a song for the family, “The Beautiful Day,” as Scrooge and the spirit leave the materially poor but spiritually rich family. Their next visit is to the home of Fred, Scrooge’s nephew where the celebrants play a game called “The Minister’s Cat” with Scrooge delightfully joining in the fun. But his time is soon up with the spirit and, although he begs him not to leave, Scrooge is soon alone in his room, awaiting the most frightening ghost of all.
The terrified old man falls to his knees before the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Be. The spirit shows him a joyous crowd gathered before the office of Scrooge. Scrooge believes the cheers are for him; maybe he wasn’t such a bad person after all, he thinks. The crowd led by Tom Jenkins (Anton Rodgers) sings “Thank You Very Much,” a song about the “rare and beautiful thing” Scrooge has done. As they dance down the street, Tom does a happy jig atop a coffin. Scrooge never does realize the full import of what is happening and merrily joins in the song and dance. But the spirit pulls him away from the happy crowd to a place of true mourning, the home of Bob Cratchit. Tiny Tim has died and the family waits for Bob to come home. The spirit leads Scrooge to the snow-covered graveyard where Bob visits Tony Tim’s grave.
“What is to become of me?” he asks the spirit. A skeletal face peers at him as he falls backward into a grave and plummets to Hell. It is here the film takes a different turn from other filmed versions as the miser finds himself in a place many people wished him. Marley meets Scrooge and shows him to his new quarters: “Nobody else wanted to,” he adds. “I rather hoped I’d end up in heaven,” Scrooge notes as he looks around at his fierce surroundings. “Your activities in life were so pleasing to Lucifer that he has appointed you to be his personal clerk. A singular honor. You will be to him so to speak what Bob Cratchit was to you.” Marley opens the door into an ice-covered hellish version of an office. “You’ll be the only man in Hell who’s chilly,” Marley remarks. Giant hooded men carry in a huge chain and wrap it around Scrooge. “Help me,” he cries.
“Bah, humbug. Merry Christmas,” Marley answers as he leaves Scrooge. He has truly been paid back for the misery he caused to others. We may live comfortably on Earth while trampling on the poor and downtrodden, but who knows what the payback will be in the great beyond? Scrooge finds out in time to save himself.
He awakens to find his bedclothes wrapped around his neck. “I will take the time I have left to live and I will give it all that I have left to give,” Scrooge sings as he breaks into the song “I’ll Begin Again.” He throws open the bedroom door, shouts “Merry Christmas” and slides down the banister. Scrooge goes on a joyful spending spree, stopping at the butcher’s for the prize turkey, the toy store for armloads of toys for the Cratchit children and the wine store. He pays those same young lads who taunted him earlier to help him carry his load. Scrooge sings “I Like Life” as he and the boys parade down the street. More people join in until it is a happy parade on Christmas morning. He meets Fred and his wife, gives them presents and sheepishly accepts their invitation to Christmas lunch at 3:00 p.m. The parade continues as Scrooge spies a red Santa Claus outfit in a window and dons the costume. The crowd sings “Father Christmas,” but this time it is as a tribute to the man who has finally found his heart.
When the crowd reaches the Cratchit home, Scrooge shoves the turkey into Bob’s arms and gives gifts to all the children. Tiny Tim receives an enchanting carousel. Scrooge pulls down his beard to show Bob who their benefactor is and promises to raise his salary and help find a good doctor for Tiny Tim.
Outside Scrooge tells Tom Jenkins to forget his debt and tears up all the other debts the poor owe him. Another reprise of “Thank You Very Much” is sung, but this time the crowd is thanking Scrooge for his generosity rather than his departure from the Earth.
The film ends as Scrooge enters his house and pauses by the doorknocker that started it all. “I’m going to have Christmas dinner with my family.”
This film is a marvelous version of A Christmas Carol, and Albert Finney does a fine job as Scrooge. His turnabout from a withered old man into a life-loving old gentleman is neither overdone or over-the-top. I often thought the Santa suit was going a little overboard, but upon another viewing, I feel the film is delightful and has very few slow moments.
Words and music to “Thank You Very Much” were provided by Scrooge screenwriter Leslie Bricusse. The song was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe but Bricusse was beaten out by the Beatles’ “Let It Be.”
The film received numerous Academy Award nominations including Art Direction, Costume Design and Musical Score; although it picked up no Oscars, in the words of many losers, “it was an honor to be nominated.”
Albert Finney won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actor in the Musical/Comedy category for his performance, indeed a much-deserved trophy. This is where the Golden Globes outshine the Academy Awards by breaking performances and films into two categories, Drama and Musical/Comedy, giving many musical and comedy performers their often-overlooked due.
Scrooge is a visual and tuneful feast not to be missed when planning your holiday viewing.
Scrooge
Cast: Seymour Hicks, Donald Calthrop, Robert Cochran, Mary Glynne, Oscar Asche, Marie Ney, C.V. France
Credits: Producers: Julius Hagen and John Brahm; Director: Henry Edwards; Writer: H. Fowler Mear; Paramount; 1935
This British production is by far the lesser known of the Dickens film adaptations but Variety notes, “...unqualifiedly has captured the spirit of the Dickens classic. It has been acted with fidelity to character, directed with consummate skill and intelligence... Heaviest duties are assigned to Sir Seymour Hicks, as Scrooge. His interpretation of this story-book character probably will be approved by most ardent Dickens fans. It is a topnotch performance throughout.” Seymour Hicks also co-wrote the script with H. Fowler Mear based on the Dickens story.