Directed by Ronald Neame
Starring Albert Finney and Alec Guinness
Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse
Albert Finney was only thirty-four years old when he took on the iconic mantle of Ebenezer Scrooge, the covetous old sinner, in this entertaining musical treatment of Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic. Perhaps only a young man could have performed Scrooge with such bow-backed, crimped-face physicality. Scrooge is not just old here, he’s forcefully, vigorously old, with a sprightly misanthropy that makes you worry for any within cane-swinging distance.
He’s supported by a dazzling cast. Sir Alec Guinness camps it up as Jacob Marley, more spectral dandy than purgatorial spirit. David Collings is perhaps my favorite Bob Cratchit, a rail-thin tenor with a joie-de-vivre that accounts for his surviving Scrooge’s abuse with his Christmas spirit fully intact. Dame Edith Evans makes for an imperious Ghost of Christmas Past, while Kenneth More’s barrel-chested Ghost of Christmas Present looks like he could eat Scrooge for Christmas dinner, were it not that Scrooge is such an unsavory-looking dish. Note to parents: the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is a knee-knockingly frightening apparition and might be too intense for the littlest audience members.
Of course, a musical is only as good as its music. Fortunately, Leslie Bricusse brought
his A-game when he composed the score-sheet for Scrooge. He pairs memorable melodies with witty, literate lyrics. In sour, Scrooge-like moods, I sometimes find myself singing the lyrics to “I Hate People” under my breath:
People are despicable creatures
Loathsome, inexplicable creatures
Good-for-nothing, kick-able creatures
I Hate People!
Sorry, got a little carried away there. Those are some toothy, Sondheim-worthy lines, though.
The flashback to Scrooge’s romance (where it’s a shock to see Finney young and handsome) with Isabel, accompanied by the vapid tune, “Happiness�” (”Happiness is whatever you want it to be“) is one of the few slow stretches in the movie. No problem, that’s what the fast-forward button was invented for.
All in all, Dicken’s simple (but not simplistic) story of faith and redemption translates nicely into the musical format. Apart from the “Happiness” road bump (and maybe that’s just my Scrooge-like aversion to sap and sentiment), the songs are remarkably consistent in catchiness and quality, from the hilariously cynical, “I Hate People” to the joyous, celebratory “December the Twenty-Fifth” to the sweet and heartbreaking, “Christmas Morning.” The songs are performed in an expressionistic fantasy of Dickensian London, with some eye-popping costumes and creative choreography. Scrooge was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, for its sets and costumes, for its music, and for Best Original Song (the wonderful “Thank You Very Much” guaranteed to be stuck in your noggin for days).
In keeping with the exuberant spirit of a family musical, Finney’s performance is big
and broad, from his insect-like scuttle, to his wheezing, high-registered whine. I appreciated little touches, like the dirt under his fingernails, the way he slurps his gruel, and the little pouch of coin he keeps around his neck. Not to mention the greasy comb-over. Appropriate to a musical’s splash and spectacle, Finney plays Scrooge the Icon instead of Scrooge the Character (see Alastair Sim’s definitive portrayal of Scrooge in the 1951 version), and whatever is lost in subtlety is made-up for in entertainment. He’s wonderful to watch, and his performance has only grown on me over repeated viewings.
Faithful to spirit of Dickens’ original, Scrooge features a great story, great actors, and great music — a bottom-line great addition to any collection of Christmas movies.