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A Christmas Carol (TV special)

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Not to be confused with The Christmas Carol.
A Christmas Carol
Ebenezer Scrooge as seen in the film
Based onA Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens
Written byCharles Dickens
Directed byRichard Williams[1]
StarringAlastair Sim
Michael Hordern
Diana Quick
Joan Sims
Narrated byMichael Redgrave
Music byTristram Cary
Country of originUnited States
United Kingdom
Canada
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersRichard Williams
Chuck Jones
Running time25 minutes
Production companyRichard Williams Productions
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseDecember 21, 1971 (1971-12-21)

A Christmas Carol is a British-American animated adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1843 novella.[2] The film was broadcast on U.S. television by ABC on December 21, 1971, and released theatrically soon after.[3] In 1972, it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.[4] The film notably has Alastair Sim and Michael Hordern reprising their respective roles as Ebenezer Scrooge and Marley's ghost.

Premise

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In London, 1843, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of Jacob Marley, Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come to teach him the true spirit of the season.[5] This adaptation includes scenes of miners and sailors singing carols that were left out in previous adaptations.[6]

Cast (voices)

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Production

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A Christmas Carol was directed by Richard Williams and its visual style is also largely due to Ken Harris, credited as "Master Animator". It notably had Alastair Sim as the voice of Ebenezer Scrooge — a role Sim had previously performed in the 1951 live-action film Scrooge. Michael Hordern likewise reprised his 1951 performance as Marley's Ghost in the animated film. Michael Redgrave narrated the story and veteran Looney Tunes animator Chuck Jones served as executive producer. Williams' son Alexander Williams, then aged four, provided the voice for Tiny Tim.[7]

Animation for the film was created by multiple pans and zooms and unexpected scene transitions. The visual style was inspired by 19th-century engraved illustrations of the original story by John Leech and the pen and ink renderings by illustrator Milo Winter that illustrated the 1930s editions of the book. The film's bleak mood and emphasis on darkness and shadows led some to consider it the most frightening of the many dramatizations of the Dickens classic.[8]

Reception

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Originally produced as a 1971 television special, the quality of the animation on A Christmas Carol was considered so high that it was subsequently released theatrically, thereby rendering it eligible for Oscar consideration,[9] and the film won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film one year later.[10] Some industry insiders took issue that a short originally shown on television was given the award, and the Academy responded by changing its policy, disqualifying any future works initially shown on television eligibility.[8]

Fred Guida writes that the film "is widely considered the best animated version" of the story, praising its animation, and noting that along with the return of Sim and Horden, "tribute is being paid to the (1951) film", noting the mannerisms of the animated Scrooge, and the deception of Old Joe being a "dead ringer for...(1951 performer) Miles Malleson". Despite criticising the short length, Guida cites the film as "one of the most faithful of all adaptations", noting it including scenes often left out of adaptations, in particular the Ghost of Christmas Present showing Scrooge how Christmas is celebrated on a remote lighthouse and on a ship at sea.[11]

In 2019, Robert Keeling of Den of Geek called the film “well worth seeking out” praising the “surreal animation”.[12] He praises the “haunting visuals”.[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Amazon.com:A Christmas Carol Animated Version VHS
  2. ^ 1973 A Christmas Carol: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming: Internet Archive
  3. ^ Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. p. 49. ISBN 9781476672939.
  4. ^ Short Film Winners: 1973 Oscars
  5. ^ Prime Video
  6. ^ This 25-minute cartoon is the greatest Christmas Carol adaptation ever made - Vox
  7. ^ Marin, Rick (24 December 2000). "Once More, with Christmas Spirit". New York Times. Vol. 150, no. 51612.
  8. ^ a b Hill, Jim (29 November 2006). "Scrooge U: Part VIII — Williams wins an Oscar". Jim Hill Media.
  9. ^ "Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award 1972 -". cartoonresearch.com.
  10. ^ "The 45th Academy Awards - 1973". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
  11. ^ Guida, Fred; Wagenknecht, Edward (2006), A Christmas Carol And Its Adaptations: A Critical Examination of Dickens's Story And Its Productions on Screen And Television, MacFarland, p. 133, ISBN 9780786428403, retrieved 1 June 2012
  12. ^ a b Keeling, Robert (2019-12-13). "A Christmas Carol: The Best and Worst Adaptations". Den of Geek. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
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