Scrooge (1970)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Ronald Neame

Writers:

Charles Dickens (story)
Leslie Bricusse (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 November 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical | Fantasy | Family

Tagline:

A NEW MUSICAL

Plot:

A musical retelling of Charles Dickens' classic Christmas tale.

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | 1860s | Ghost | Miser | Nephew

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 Harry
David Collings	...	Bob Cratchit
Anton Rodgers	...	Tom Jenkins
Suzanne Neve	...	Isabel Fezziwig
Frances Cuka	...	Mrs. 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:
James Cossins	...	Party Guest (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

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

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

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
Ian Fraser	....	conductor
Ian Fraser	....	music supervisor
Robert Hathaway	....	assistant music editor (as Bob Hathaway)
Robert Hathaway	....	associate music editor (as Bob Hathaway)
Gordon Langford	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
David Lindup	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Ken Runyon	....	music editor
Herbert W. Spencer	....	associate music supervisor
Herbert W. Spencer	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Ray Holder	....	music arranger (uncredited)

Other crew
Elaine Schreyeck	....	continuity
Ronald Searle	....	title designer
Paddy Stone	....	musical secuences staged by
Geoff Freeman	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Elaine Schreyeck	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Waterbury Films
• Cinema Center Films

Distributors

• National General Pictures (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1974) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Company (1970) (UK) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox Video (1989) (UK) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (UK) (DVD)

Other Companies

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

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:

Canada:G (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G | Singapore:PG

Company:

Waterbury Films

Trivia:

Richard Harris rejected the role of Scrooge. Rex Harrison agreed to play the part, but had to back out due to a commitment to a difficult play. (Harrison was also having an affair with Harris' then-wife, who he would later marry.) Albert Finney, who had been offered the role before Harrison but had initially rejected it, reconsidered once he read the script and asked for the role. (He was a business associate of Michael Medwin, the co-writer who played his nephew in the film.)

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When young Ebenezer and Isabelle are on the horse-drawn carriage in the countryside (shortly after the Fezziwig ball), there is a white car crawling its way along a country lane in the far background, midway between the centre and right-hand side of the screen.

Quotes:

the Ghost of Jacob Marley: See the phantoms filling the sky around you. They astound you, I can tell, these inhabitants of hell. Poor wretches whom the Hand of Heaven ignores. Beware, beware, beware, lest their dreadful fate be yours!

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Hollywood Christmas (1996) (V)

Soundtrack:

Christmas Children

A christmas classic, and one of Finney's finest hours...

This film is an underrated classic family musical. In the spirit and tradition of Oliver! and My Fair Lady, with an energetic memorable score and an eclectic cast all on top form. Sir Alec Guinness, Dame Edith Evans and the wonderful Kenneth Moore support magnificently. Moore in one of the last roles before his untimely death, clearly enjoying hamming it up as the ghost of Christmas present carrying the miserable scrooge along for the ride of his life whilst singing `I like life!' is a joy to see.

But Finney's performance is the standout. At a time when he was making films like Charlie Bubbles and Gumshoe, and with a reputation of being one of Britain's foremost angry young men this role was as unexpected as it was wonderful.

As a side note I was lucky enough to be able to see Anthony Newley as the miser in Bricusse's early nineties theatrical revival, and although good was no where near as cutting or humorous as Finney.

A must see at Christmas time, you too will be singing `I like life' and `thank you very much' for days afterwards!