Carol for Another Christmas (1964) (TV)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Writer:

Rod Serling (writer)

Release Date:

28 December 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | War

Plot:

Presented without commercial interruptions, this "United Nations Special" was sponsored by the Xerox Corporation...

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Loss Of Son | WWI | Based On Novel

Cast

Sterling Hayden	...	Daniel Grudge
Eva Marie Saint	...	The Wave
Ben Gazzara	...	Fred
Barbara Ann Teer	...	Ruby (as Barbara Ainteer)
Steve Lawrence	...	Ghost of Christmas Past
James Shigeta	...	The Doctor
Pat Hingle	...	Ghost of Christmas Present
Robert Shaw	...	Ghost of Christmas Future
Peter Sellers	...	Imperial Me
Britt Ekland	...	The Mother
Percy Rodrigues	...	Charles
Gordon Spencer	...	Marley Grudge

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Michael Myerberg Studios, New York, USA

Company:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Trivia:

The opening credits are alphabetical; the closing credits in order of appearance.

Quotes:

Imperial Me: If we let them seep in here from down yonder and cross river - if we let these do-gooder, these bleeding hearts, propagate their insidious doctrine of involvement among us - then my dear friends, my beloved Me's"
[dramatic pause]
Imperial Me: "we's in trouble. We must carry our glorious philosophy through to its glorious culmination! So that in the end, with enterprise and determination, the world and everything in it will belong to one individual Me! And that will be the ultimate! The absolute ultimate!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Unknown Peter Sellers (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree

A Christmas Carol that may not translate to the 21st Century

The Museum of Television and Radio owns a copy of this film written by Rod Serling and only shown once on television. Part of its financing came from the United Nations and the theme of the film is more about international cooperation than simply being anti-war.

Sterling Hayden portrays a wealthy man who served in the Navy during World War II and is now a lonely bitter man upset over his son's death in a war he described as needless, presumably in Korea. Hayden is now an isolationist.

The three ghosts think their job is to make Hayden's character more of an internationalist and more willing to accept U.S. involvement in organizations like the United Nations. Coming right before the U.S. racheted up its involvement in Vietnam, it is easy to understand why this film didn't get shown again.

The visit from the Ghost of Christmas Future (Robert Shaw) is the most frightening part of the film. He shows Hayden a post nuclear apoclaypse world run by a weird character called the Imperial Me (Peter Sellers). Sellers is quite effective.

It's an interesting film, but you have to take it in its context. If you are a big Rod Serling fan, it is worth seeing. If you are not, you might find the themes in the film delivered in a rather heavy-handed manner.