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Reviews
A Christmas Carol (1982)
Memorable despite low production values
I have seen other animated versions of the story, including one directed by Richard Williams in 1971, and "Mickey's Christmas Carol" from 1983. Both of those were more consistent in visual style and obviously had a larger budget.
The beginning of this cartoon seemed cheaply done, with unconvincing low angles and street scenes where only a couple people in the foreground are moving. Also, some of these opening street scenes are reused in a later flashback. The animation quality is comparable to that of a Scooby Doo episode.
Despite evidence of cheapness, I still found this to be a charming adaptation. The musical score is pretty good, as in the scene where Scrooge is flown over the rooftops of London. The characterizations are distinguishable from other versions. The ghost of Marley, in particular, is well-drawn, and we are shown a flashback to Marley before he died, which is unique (at least out of all the other versions I've seen). Some of the backgrounds are effectively somber and atmospheric, particularly in the dark chambers of Scrooge's home.
This is not my favorite filmed version of the story (that would probably be the one from 1984 starring George C. Scott), but it is charming and definitely watchable. I saw it on TV in the mid-80s and was happy to find it on DVD recently.
The Christmas Carol (1949)
A funny little production of "The Christmas Carol"
This condensed version of the Dickens story was shown on CBN one December in the mid-1980s. I taped it, and our family has enjoyed watching it each Christmas since then. The production is simple, but certain of the elements evoke unintended laughs. Only about half of the actors use British accents. Taylor Holmes' portrayal of Scrooge is very melodramatic, and we laugh at some of his delivered lines. The effect of Marley breaking through Scrooge's door is also very funny: a shot of the door is superimposed with Marley walking through a large sheet of paper and accompanied by a big "boom" sound effect. However, the program is very charming, despite the mediocre production values. I hope it is made available someday, even as a bargain-bin DVD.