Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is possibly the best fictional story about the holiday. Along with its unforgettable characters, its themes of love, charity, and Judeo-Christian altruism have made it an enduring classic to the point where it’s been adapted multiple times over. Here is the list of the adaptations I will discuss:
Scrooge
1951
D: Brian Desmond Hurst
Starring: Alastair Sim
The earliest version that seems to have stood the test of time.
A Christmas Carol
1971
D: Richard Williams
St: Alaistair Sim
A must-see animated short from Williams and Chuck Jones.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol
1983
D: Burny Mattinson
St: Scrooge McDuck (Alan Young)
The one from my childhood.
A Christmas Carol
1984
D: Clive Donner
St: George C. Scott
Probably the definitive one.
Scrooged
1988
D: Richard Donner
St: Frank Cross (Bill Murray)
The popular original comedy loosely based on CC.
The Muppet Christmas Carol
1992
D: Brian Henson
St: Michael Caine
I didn’t grow up with this one, but it’s 90’s kids classic.
A Christmas Carol
1999
D: David Jones
St: Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in the Holodeck
TNT decided to make one with Patrick Stewart because why not.
A Christmas Carol: The Musical
2004
D: Arthur Allan Seidelman
St: Kelsey Grammer
Checked it out because I love Kelsey Grammer, and it features music by Alan Menken!
Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas Carol
2006
D: Charles Visser
St: Daffy Duck (Joe Alaskey)
If we do the Disney and Muppet adaptations, then it’s only fair to acknowledge Looney Tunes. There was an old short featuring Yosemite Sam (Mel Blanc) as Scrooge, but it was a standard episode that was far too watered down. What’s next, a Star Wars Christmas Carol with Darth Vader or an MCU version with Thanos?
A Christmas Carol
2009
D: Robert Zemechis
St: Jim Carrey
The infamous motion capture animation style that Zemeckis insisted on inflicting on us throughout Naughts featuring harpy Jim Carrey. I’m probably going to be mixed with this.
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