Jackson Booth-Millard
I had seen various actors playing the miserly Scrooge, including Alistair Sim, Albert Finney, Sir Michael Caine, Sir Patrick Stewart, Simon Callow, Kelsey Grammar and Jim Carrey, but I had missed this version of the classic Charles Dickens story a few times, but I did watch it eventually. Basically it is Christmas Eve in Victorian London, Ebenezer Scrooge (Primetime Emmy nominated George C. Scott) is a hard-nosed, single-minded businessman who dislikes Christmas, and he treats everyone with extreme contempt, including his clerk Bob Cratchit (David Warner) and his only living relative, his disowned nephew Fred Holywell (Roger Rees, also narrating). At home in the middle of the night Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his deceased business partner Jacob Marley (Frank Finlay), he warns Scrooge that unless he changes his ways he will suffer a terrible fate like him, and he tells that he will be visited by three spirits who will teach him lessons. The first spirit is the Ghost of Christmas Past (Angela Pleasence, Donald's daughter) who takes Scrooge back in time to see the shadows of his own past, growing up as a child, entering the world of business, working as the apprentice of Mr. Fezziwig (Timothy Bateson), meeting and falling in love with Belle (Lucy Gutteridge), until she ends their engagement believing Young Scrooge (Mark Strickson) no longer loves him like he used to, it is seeing what Belle is doing with a new family that Scrooge stops the memories, putting the spirit out with her cap. The second spirit is the Ghost of Christmas Present (Edward Woodward) who takes Scrooge to visit those he knows to see how they celebrate Christmas, he sees his nephew Fred with his wife Janet (Caroline Langrishe) and friends toasting his uncle, despite disagreement, and he sees Bob Cratchit celebrating a meagre dinner with his wife Mrs. Cratchit (Susannah York) and children, including crippled son Tiny Tim (introducing Anthony Walters) who is ill, the spirit finally leaves Scrooge alone to await the appearance of the third spirit. The third spirit is the silent Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Michael Carter), it shows Scrooge the future Christmas where someone has died and many people are glad, including some businessmen and Mrs. Dilber (Liz Smith) who has stolen their possessions, Tiny Tim lost his fight with the unknown illness, Bob and his family mourn his death, finally Scrooge is horrified to see his name on a gravestone, he begs the spirit that this cannot be and he promises to change his ways and honour the spirit of Christmas. Scrooge then finds himself in his bedroom, it is the morning of Christmas Day, happy to be alive he lives up to his promise, he finds a boy to buy a turkey for the Cratchit family, he meets with charity workers Mr. Poole (Michael Gough) and Mr. Hacking (John Quarmby) and donates an unheard large sum, he accepts the invitation of Christmas dinner from nephew Fred, and the following day he increases the salary for Bob Cratchit, and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, Scrooge becomes a second father, and he keeps up his promise. Also starring Nigel Davenport as Silas Scrooge. I knew Scott best for his Oscar winning role as General Patton, he is certainly a good choice to play the grouchy man turned good, the recognisable supporting cast members do their parts well also, this feels like most of the other versions of the story I have seen before, but for a TV made film it is well done and likable enough, a pleasant seasonal period drama. Worth watching!
