1984 NY Times review: "George C. Scott, in A Christmas Carol"

By JOHN J. O'CONNOR
Published: December 17, 1984

The very first scenes of the new adaptation of ''A Christmas Carol,'' on CBS at 8 this evening, are reassuring for those of us who love and treasure the Charles Dickens classic. Filmed in the English town of Shrewsbury, on the Welsh border, the production beautifully evokes a sense of period and place, washed in misty pastel colorings. Care has obviously been taken. The story is clearly in good hands.

George C. Scott stars as Ebenezer Scrooge and, not surprisingly, the rather forbidding character of the miser dominates the production. Glowering and growling, Mr. Scott turns the old fellow into a formidable misanthrope who firmly believes that he is in the right while the rest of the world is out of step. Roger O. Hirson's teleplay underlines the fact that there are mitigating reasons for Scrooge's single-minded devotion to the pursuit of money. He was scarred in childhood when his mother's death turned his father against him, and again later when his beloved fiancee ended their engagement. This Scrooge is a tough old codger, not undergoing a transformation until the final moments of the tale. . .
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It's not just good, it's the best, and it's time to recognize it: In 2010, many publications (see Salon.com, among others) acknowledged the Scott version as the best; many named the supporting performances, which were uniformly superb. They were correct, and with all due respect to Alistair Sim, it's time to recognize the magnificence of the Scott version - as reviewers are doing in an increasing fashion - as the very best (music, too). And God bless us, every one.

P.S. If you have not yet seen it, this year is the time.

....I still think Alastair Sim's portrayal of Scrooge is better. It doesn't seem to be Christmas to me until I've seen it.......

Everybody who really KNOWS me, knows that I
watch this movie on Christmas Eve, cry my eyes
out, and then get on with the holiday.

I used to watch it every Christmas with my
father when I was growing up.

I like the B/W and the colorized versions equally.

There are traditionally two scenes where I cry:
The Death of Fanny;


And the scene where Scrooge shows up
at his nephew, Fred's house and asks his wife
if she can forgive him for being a "pig-headed old fool,
with no eyes to see with, and no ears to hear with."



:cry: :cry: :cry:

This is a cool website for lovers of "A Christmas Carol"....
http://www.sheeplaughs.com/scrooge/alastairsim.htm

....where he totally surprises Cratchett by telling him he's raising his salery? Sim registers a half-dozen emotions while he's laughing at his own "joke" and trying to get Cratchett to join in the merriment---"I haven't lost my mind, Bob, I've found it." Like I say, it just isn't Christmas until I've seen it.......

His Scrooge is not a caricature but a fully formed person. One really knows this Scrooge by the end of the film. I always enjoy Alistair Sim's bravura,tour de force performance too, but I urge all to watch this CBS version.

The supporting cast is wonderful: Frank Finlay, Edward Woodward, David Warner, Roger Rees, and more. I particularly like Susannah York when she pronounces Scrooge as "odious." Sublime.

I've seen versions where Scrooge is dressed like some beggar in "Oliver Twist". Scrooge was a somewhat wealthy businessman and here he looks it. And the town they used is perfect for Dickensian London.

To quote the estimable Charlie Brown at this festive time of year, Good Grief.

http://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/17/arts/tv-review-george-scott-in-a-christmas-carol.html

Yeah, yeah, George C. Scott is great, but no body beats the little blind guy....