Scrooge (1970)

Director:

Ronald Neame

Writers:

Charles Dickens (story)
Leslie Bricusse (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 November 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Musical

Tagline:

A NEW MUSICAL

Plot:

A musical retelling of Charles Dickens' classic Christmas tale.

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Spirit | Nephew | 1860s | Ghost

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Albert Finney	...	Ebenezer Scrooge
Edith Evans	...	Ghost of Christmas Past
Kenneth More	...	Ghost of Christmas Present
Laurence Naismith	...	Mr. Fezziwig
Michael Medwin	...	Nephew Fred
David Collings	...	Bob Cratchit
Anton Rodgers	...	Tom Jenkins
Suzanne Neve	...	Isabel Fezziwig
Frances Cuka	...	Ethel Cratchit
Derek Francis	...	1st Gentleman of Charity
Gordon Jackson	...	Tom - Friend of Harry's
Roy Kinnear	...	2nd Gentleman of Charity
Mary Peach	...	Fred's Wife
Paddy Stone	...	Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
Kay Walsh	...	Mrs. Fezziwig
Geoffrey Bayldon	...	Pringle - Toyshop Owner
Helena Gloag	...	2nd Woman Debtor
Reg Lever	...	Punch and Judy Man
Keith Marsh	...	Well Wisher (as Keith March)
Marianne Stone	...	Party Guest
Molly Weir	...	1st Woman Debtor
Richard Beaumont	...	Tiny Tim
Philip DaCosta	...	Child (as Philip da Costa)
Raymond Hoskins	...	Child
Gaynor Hodgson	...	Child
Nicholas Locise	...	Goose Boy
Peter Lock	...	Urchin
Joy Leigh	...	Child
Sara Gibson	...	Child
Clive Moss	...	Urchin
John O'Brien	...	Child
David Peacock	...	Child
Michael Reardon	...	Child
Karen Scargill	...	Kathy Cratchit
Terry Winter	...	Child
Stephen Garlick	...	Child (as Steven Garlick)
Alec Guinness	...	Jacob Marley's Ghost
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Graham Armitage	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
James Cossins	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Chris Kelly	...	Urchin (uncredited)
John Owens	...	(uncredited)
Kenneth Waller	...	Party Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Ronald Neame

Writing credits
Charles Dickens		(story "A Christmas Carol")
Leslie Bricusse		(screenplay)

Produced by
Leslie Bricusse	....	executive producer
David W. Orton	....	associate producer
Robert H. Solo	....	producer

Original Music by
Leslie Bricusse

Cinematography by
Oswald Morris		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Peter Weatherley

Production Design by
Terence Marsh		(as Terry Marsh)

Art Direction by
Robert Cartwright		(as Bob Cartwright)

Costume Design by
Margaret Furse

Makeup Department
George Frost	....	chief makeup artist
Bobbie Smith	....	chief hair stylist
Hugh Richards	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ed Harper	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roger Simons	....	second assistant director
Ted Sturgis	....	assistant director

Art Department
Pamela Cornell	....	set dresser
Stuart Craig	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Tom Jung	....	poster designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Cox	....	sound supervisor
Bob Jones	....	dubbing mixer
Jock May	....	sound mixer
Jim Shields	....	dubbing editor (as James Shields)

Special Effects by
Jack Mills	....	special effects cameraman
Wally Veevers	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Gerald Larn	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Stunts
Martin Grace	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jimmy Turrell	....	camera operator (as Jim Turrell)
Maurice Gillett	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ivy Baker	....	wardrobe supervisor

Music Department
Leslie Bricusse	....	lyricist
Ian Fraser	....	conductor
Ian Fraser	....	music supervisor
Robert Hathaway	....	associate music editor (as Bob Hathaway)
Ken Runyon	....	music editor
Herbert W. Spencer	....	original score
Herbert W. Spencer	....	original song
Paddy Stone	....	stager: musical sequences
Ray Holder	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Gordon Langford	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
David Lindup	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Elaine Schreyeck	....	continuity
Ronald Searle	....	title designer
Geoff Freeman	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Elaine Schreyeck	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Cinema Center Films (presents)
• Waterbury Films

Distributors

• National General Pictures (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Company (1970) (UK) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1974) (USA) (TV)
• CBS/Fox Video (1989) (UK) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Netherlands Fox Film Corporation (1971) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1984) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• DTP Entertainment (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2003) (Canada) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Trickfilm Studios  titles (as Trickfilm)
• C.T.S. Studios  music recorded at (as C.T.S. London)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

113 min | UK:120 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Finland:K-8 | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G (Approved No. 22509) | Singapore:PG | Canada:G (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Peru:PT | Netherlands:AL (orginal rating)

Filming Locations:

Black Park Lake, Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Cinema Center Films

Trivia:

Scrooge (played by then 34-year old Albert Finney) is actually younger than his nephew Fred (played by then 46-year old Michael Medwin).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Just before The Ghost of Christmas Present and Scrooge fly through the window, you can see the wires that are connected to Albert Finney.

Quotes:

Nephew Harry:A merry Christmas, Uncle Ebenezer! God save you.
Ebenezer Scrooge:God save me from Christmas. It's another humbug.
Nephew Harry:Christmas a humbug? Come, now. I'm sure you don't mean that.
Ebenezer Scrooge:And I'm sure that I do mean that. Merry Christmas, indeed. What reason have you got to be merry? You're poor enough.
Nephew Harry:What reason have you got to be miserable? You're rich enough.
Ebenezer Scrooge:There is no such thing as rich enough, only poor enough.
Nephew Harry:Don't be so dismal, Uncle Ebenezer!
Ebenezer Scrooge:What else can I be when I live in a world full of fools babbling "Merry Christmas" at one another? What's Christmas but a time for finding yourself a year older and not a day richer? There's nothing merry in that. If I could work my will, nephew, every idiot who goes about with "Merry Christmas" on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Atop the Fourth Wall: Batman: Noel (#5.52)" (2012)

Soundtrack:

Father Christmas

Unbeatable!

I have just read a negative comment about this movie. I believe it's the first I've ever encountered. Yes, I was a bit scared when I was young, but I had reassuring parents and saw that in the end, it was upbeat and fun.

One favorite part is while Bob Crachit and his kids are getting last minute things for Christmas Eve (During Christmas Children), there is such an obvious display of the differences between the rich and the poorer classes. The rich pick up their things and he, a poorer man, picks up what he can with his 15 schillings - yet stays upbeat, thankful and loving. It's really a beautiful scene.

I love to watch this movie at any time of the year. Albert Finney really nails this character. It's hard to believe that he was only 34 when he made this film. My kids (4 and 7) could not believe that was really him in the Christmas Past scenes.

The rest of the cast indeed are incredible. Bob Crachit was outstanding and so tender and the ghost of Christmas Present was so fun.

I attempted to watch the latest musical version with Kelsey Grammar, I really tried. It was a painful 15 minutes. You just can't create another musical version of this story that tops this one!