I may not be able to account for all the ‘A Christmas Carol’ musicals. Let’s bring on the Dickens.
We’ve already made obeisance to perhaps the best of these musicals, ‘Mr. Magoo’s A Christmas Carol.’
Most pregnant with expectation, may have been the 1970 musical ‘Scrooge.’ Nipping at the heels of the Best Picture ‘Oliver,’ this Grand Guignol movie earned critical raves of ‘unobtrusive’ and ‘innocuous’ and ‘forgettable.’ Albert Finney was noted as not really singing. The short-ish songs aren’t too bad though. “Father Christmas” is a marching merry jape urchins make over Scrooge in the street. Fezziwig’s party in the past is a fine reel for “December the 25th.” From the present, the spirit teaches affirmations to Scrooge with “I Like Life,” a fine stumble into positivism. The most memorable number is from the plunderers of the neglected estate in the future “Thank You Very Much“–another grand tramp through town. I’m welcome.