Christmas Carol (1978) (TV)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Trevor Evans

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy

Plot:

In this one-man show starring Rich Little, Ebeneezer Scrooge (played by Rich as W.C. Fields) hates Christmas...

Plot Keywords:

Scrooge | One Man Show | Richard Nixon | Actor Playing Multiple Roles | Christmas Carol

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Rich Little

...

W.C. Fields as Scrooge / Paul Lynde as Bob Cratchit / Humphrey Bogart as the Ghost of Christmas Past / Peter Falk as the Ghost of Christmas Present / Peter Sellers as the Ghost of Christmas Yet-To-Come / Richard Nixon as Jacob Marley / Truman Capote as Tiny Tim / Groucho Marx as Fezziwig / Edith Bunker as Mrs. Cratchit / Johnny Carson as Nephew Fred / Jimmy Stewart as Dick Wilkins / John Wayne as businessman / George Burns as businessman / Jack Benny as boy outside window / Dean Martin

Also Known As:

Rich Little's Christmas Carol (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

Canada:60 min | USA:55 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)

Quotes:

W.C. Fields as Scrooge: He once told me to treat the warehouse like it was my own.
Humphrey Bogart: What did you do?
W.C. Fields as Scrooge: I sold it.

One of the best Christmas Carol adaptations, and it's funny

Rich Little plays everyone in this hour long Canadian-produced show, and he's perfect in every role. The story has been changed only in Scrooge's profession: He's the owner of the Boat and Bottle Works, where Scrooge empties the liquor bottles and Cratchit stuffs the boats in them. Rich does all his best impressions: Scrooge (W.C. Fields), Bob Cratchit (Paul Lynde), Nephew Fred (Johnny Carson), Mrs. Cratchit (Edith Bunker), Tiny Tim (Truman Capote, in one of the funniest impressions), Jacob Marley (Richard Nixon, whose "chains" are a mass of reel-to-reel tapes, representing the erased 18 1/2 minutes), the men of business who discuss Scrooge after he's dead (John Wayne (perfection itself) and George Burns), the boy Scrooge greets from his window Christmas morning (Jack Benny, playing his violin), and of course the 3 ghosts - Past (Humphrey Bogart, who shows up seated at his bar table with empty bottles strewn around), Present (Columbo) and Future (Inspector Clouseau, who sets fire to the bedcurtains with his candle). At the end, Scrooge reforms and pledges to go on the wagon. He's hired someone else to empty the bottles who shows real promise: Dean Martin!

This is an inventive, extremely funny show. Rich is still the best impressionist around, and his John Wayne is just adorable; no one does Wayne better. The sets are also outstanding; this is one of the best Carol adaptations I've seen for atmosphere, and it's superlative comedy enhances the story.

The show was released years ago on laserdisc but is unavailable anywhere else, as far as I know, and this is a shame because it's a classic. If you can scare it up anywhere, don't hesitate to buy it. It will become a Christmas tradition with you, as it is with our family.