The classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge learning the meaning of Christmas takes on a Disney style as three ghosts visit Scrooge McDuck.
Scrooge McDuck (Alan Young) portrays the eponymous Ebenezer Scrooge, heading through the snowy city to his counting house.
Before shaking the snow from his sign and going in, he reminisces about how his old partner Jacob Marley has been dead for six years now. Marley was a tightwad swindler like him, and when he died, he left Scrooge enough money to buy a headstone, but Scrooge instead had his partner buried at sea. Inside, Scrooge catches Bob Cratchit (Mickey Mouse [Wayne Allwine]), trying to sneak a piece of coal into the chimney stove. When Cratchit says he wanted to thaw his ink, Scrooge berates his worker for using a piece of coal when he used one the previous week. Getting back to work, Cratchit meekly asks for half of Christmas off, and though Scrooge grudgingly agrees, he declares he'll be docking Cratchit half a day's pay; a normal day's pay is merely two shillings and a ha' penny, with the latter a promotion Cratchit earned by starting to do Scrooge's laundry, The two start working but are interrupted when Scrooge's nephew Fred (Donald Duck [Clarence Nash]) arrives to spread the Christmas cheer. This gets Scrooge spouting his classic phrase "Bah Humbug," and claiming that anyone who thinks it's anything more than just another workday should be boiled in his own pudding. Cratchit says it's a time for families to be together and cheers on Fred for ignoring his uncle's annoyance, but gets back to work when Scrooge notices. Fred offers his uncle a wreath and extends an invitation to come to Christmas dinner at his house. Scrooge replies excitedly, but it turns out to be false as he snarls that he can't eat all the things Fred will have, and he kicks his nephew out with the wreath. Fred annoys his uncle again by leaving the wreath behind, but Scrooge's attention then goes to two men (Ratty and Mole [Hal Smith, Will Ryan]) collecting for the poor. Scrooge uses twisting logic to make it seem like he'd be putting the men out of a job, then sends them away with just the wreath. Cratchit gives his thanks that evening when Scrooge allows him to leave two minutes earlier, though he also tells Cratchit to show up early the next working day.
Giving his sign another shake, Scrooge later heads home, where his door knocker suddenly transforms from a lion's head to that of Jacob Marley (Goofy [Hal Smith]).
Horrified after finding it to be real, Scrooge rushes inside, then upstairs as he realizes Marley's shadow is following him. Though he sets multiple locks on the door to the room he enters, Marley simply walks in, tripping over Scrooge's cane as he howls his old partner's name. Scrooge finally recognizes the ghost, and Marley reveals that, as punishment for his greedy nature in life, he is forced to carry heavy chains and lockboxes for eternity. He explains that three ghosts will be visiting that night, and if Scrooge doesn't heed their words, he'll end up with a more ponderous chain than Marley's. Marley then leaves, and though avoiding Scrooge's cane, he takes a tumble down the stairs when Scrooge tries to warn him. When the terrified Scroofe finds nothing in his room, he goes to bed, just before the Ghost of Christmas Past (Jiminy Cricket [Eddie Carroll]) shows up. Scrooge is surprised by the Spirit's height, and when Jiminy says Scrooge would be like a speck of dust if height were measured by kindness, Scrooge retorts that kindness is of no use in the world. The Ghost replies that Scrooge didn't always think this way, and opens the window, saying they're going to visit his past. Scrooge points out that he'd fall if he went out the window, and the Spirit chuckles, telling him to hold on, flying out the window with his miniature umbrella. The Ghost laughs at Scrooge's fear as they soar through the air, and they soon arrive in the past at the business of Scrooge's old boss, Fezzywig (Mr. Toad). Scrooge sees his dearest friends inside, along with Fezzywig, while Scrooge says he couldn't have worked for a kinder man. Scrooge sees his shy past self in the corner, and after the Spirit says it's from before his greed, he also notices the love of his life, Isabelle (Daisy Duck [Patricia Parris]) After a dance, Isabelle gives Scrooge a kiss, and after present Scrooge says how in love with her he was, the Spirit points out that he came to love something else in time. The two are suddenly in Scrooge's counting house, where at some point after Fezzywig's party, Isabelle comes by as Scrooge is counting. Saying she's been waiting with her honeymoon cottage, she asks about Scrooge's promise to marry her; he angrily replies that, as she was late making a payment, he's foreclosing on her cottage. Heartbroken, Isabelle leaves crying as the Spirit tells present Scrooge that his obsession with gold cost him such an amazing person. Pained and full of regret, Scrooge begs to be taken home, and though the Spirit obliges, he reminds Scrooge that he fashioned the memories himself.
Back in his room, Scrooge continues to regret his choice with Isabelle, when suddenly he hears the voice of the Ghost of Christmas Present (Willie the Giant [Will Ryan]).
The Ghost smells a "stingy little Englishman" and lifts Scrooge, who becomes afraid the being is going to eat him. The Ghost mentions that there is so much to enjoy in life, showing Scrooge a bunch of food, which he says came from the heart, as it's the "food of generosity." When Scrooge snarls that no one has ever shown him generosity, so why should he, the giant points out that he's never given them any reason to. Though the giant says otherwise, Scrooge says that no one in his life still feels warmth in their heart despite his stingy nature. He then lifts the roof and takes a stroll through the town, stopping at the "old shack" Bob Cratchit lives at. Inside, Cratchit and his kids decorate a Charlie Brown-esque tree as his wife cooks a tiny turkey and washes Scrooge's laundry. The family is waiting for Tiny Tim (Morty Fieldmouse [Dick Billingsley]), who hobbles downstairs with a cane and gets a laugh as his father carries him to the table. The chipper boy says they need to thank Scrooge, who asks the Spirit what's wrong with him; the Spirit replies that there is a lot, and if nothing changes, Tim's chair will be empty in the future. Realizing the horrible future the Spirit is foretelling, Scrooge turns away as the room goes dark, realizing the Spirit has disappeared. With only one ghost remaining, Scrooge is about to be further terrified as he sees the terrible things that will happen if he doesn't change his ways.
This is one special I'm glad to still occasionally see on tv when Christmas roles around, though the final spirit situation scared me as a kid.
A Christmas Carol is a classic story, and there have been so many parodies and shows otherwise it inspired, like the Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends special I posted about earlier this month. This take on the story adds a lot of classic Disney flair, managing to add comedy at moments like when the giant does a Scrooge-themed version of smelling the blood of an Englishman. Rather than just take the original story and redo it as Disney, the creators made sure to make it a separate piece in some regards, at times having to cut things out for time. The most notable of this is the lack of Scrooge's younger sister Fanny, who was of course important to the original story. Long before Scrooge had Isabelle in his life, his sister Fanny was important to him and kept him happy. She is the mother of his nephew Fred, but died soon after he was born, which would have had to do with Scrooge pushing Fred away. Other aspects were merely changed, like Jiminy Cricket being the Ghost of Christmas Past and having jokes be made about his height. In the original story and some adaptations, this Spirit was described as an androgynous figure with a light burning on its head and a metal cap that resembled a candle extinguisher. Even these changes are fitting in a way however, like Jiminy being a somewhat positive Spirit and the Giant being an incredibly jolly Ghost of Christmas Present. Despite the jokes, the emotion of the story still comes through, with Scrooge showing true pain as he deals with his regret and what Tiny Tim is going through. The actors give fitting performances, with Micky truly seeming a meek worker when usually he's confident, and Scrooge of course a crotchety old man. The art is of course gorgeous, and full of plenty of detail to make the scenery great to look at and plenty to see. I haven't watched this special in quite some time, but it always makes me happy to see Disney transform Scrooge McDuck into a Christmas-lover.
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AuthorI love the entertainment side of things. Video games, tv shows, superheroes and movies are my passion and I'd love to get the news out for things I enjoy. My contact page has links to my social media, so if you enjoy what I have to say, likes, shares, comments, and follows are always greatly appreciated! Archives
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