Product description

Scrooge

Price: £14.95
RRP: £15.99
Average customer rating: 5.0

Binding : DVD
EAN : 5014437853134
Label : Paramount Home Entertainment
Manufacturer : Paramount Home Entertainment
Publisher : Paramount Home Entertainment
Release date : 2004-11-22
Title : Scrooge
Actor : Array
Audience rating : Universal, suitable for all
Format : PAL
Languages : Array
Number of items : 1
Region code : 2
Running time : 113
Studio : Paramount Home Entertainment
Theatrical releaseDate : 1970-11-05
Number of discs : 1

Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
A mixed bag as variations on A Christmas Carol go, this 1970 British musical tells the usual story of Scrooge (Albert Finney) and his spirits on Christmas Eve, although the whole thing is set to music by Leslie Bricusse. Except for Finney's feisty and involved performance, however, there isn't much to recommend this. The songs, which absorb so much of the evolving story line and emotions, are not all that good. Plenty of support, however, from the likes of Roy Kinnear (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory) and Dame Edith Evans (Tom Jones), the handsome production is directed by veteran Ronald Neame (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie). --Tom Keogh

Customer reviews

review by: GRB date: 2008-12-05 rating:

The Minister's Cat
After watching the dreadfully earnest 1984 George C Scott 'A Christmas Carol' (where only Liz Smith in the tiny role of Mrs. Dilber captured the spirit) it was a joy to go back to 1970 when they still knew how to do these things. Apart from anything else, Dickens' story is a tumult of energy and unrestrained joy, adjective piled on adjective - 'going over the top' is simply not a concept that applies here, and the Director understands this completely. The film with its magic, colour and exuberance provides the perfect visual metaphor for Dickens' glittering prose and all here serves the one purpose - Art Direction, individual performances and choreographed crowd scenes coalesce to provide the Victorian Christmas of our dreams.
Albert Finney leads from the front: he understands full well that even the pre-conversion Scrooge is funny, albeit in a morbid way, but then he handles all the subsequent transitions with a wondrous palette of vocal and facial expression (his scenes with Kenneth More's properly no-nonsense, Jovial Spirit of Christmas Present contrast tellingly with the rancorous exchanges between George C Scott & Edward Woodward in the 1984) More is just one of an excellent cast that gets unforced jollity down to a tee - for example, the Fezziwig here pulls off the 'Hilli-hi, Chirrup' lines with total conviction. There is a just-right Nephew Fred, a pitch perfect Bob & Mrs. Cratchit and so on down the line. For once the changes and additions to the story (including a magical toy shop and toy shop owner but EXCLUDING a dreadfully misconceived scene in Hell) keep the spirit of the book. An example of this is the substitution, in Fred's Christmas Party scene, of the game of forfeits, as it is in the Dickens, with the game 'The Minister's Cat' as it is in the film - but this delightful little scene still captures the essence of Dickens' description: 'After a while they played at forfeits; for it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty founder was a child himself.' It says something of the quality of the cast that by far the worst turn is Alec Guinness's humourless hamming as Marley's Ghost - it is as if he considers the material beneath him.
Hell and Guinness aside, this is the film I would recommend people watch in the run up to Christmas - not on the Day itself, of course, because you should then be trying to capture the spirit as best you can on your own 25TH!

review by: date: 2007-12-26 rating:

Knocking the life into a great Dickens novel
A real mixture in the musical version of "A Christmas Carol". Superb performances by Albert Finney, Alec Guinness, Edith Evans and, particularly, Kenneth More. The supporting actors are equally as good. Beautifully produced (it has a feeling of "Oliver" about it) with a somewhat mediocre score from Leslie Bricusse (with some notable exceptions). It does certainly bring "A Christmas Carol" to life and is well worth watching. A feel good movie.

review by: date: 2007-12-18 rating:

Love it
i bought this 4 years a go and we watch it every christmas the songs r good in it too

review by: Mi Babi date: 2007-03-13 rating:

A Must Buy For Chrimbo
Albert Finney is the ultimate Scrooge. He must have been a relatively young man when this film was made and yet he is totally convincing as the most miserable old miser ever committed to screen. The supporting cast, including the always brilliant Alec Guinness as a languid Jacob Marley, is superb and the 1970s haircuts in Victorian England merely add to the charm of this gem. The soundtrack is fantastic (altogether now "Thankyou very much, thankyou very much, that's the nicest thing that anyones ever done for me!") and the dance choreography is a delight to watch. I bought the DVD last year on Amazon, as I could not believe that TV had not put it on over Christmas. It really is a must for repeated Chrimbo viewings!

review by: date: 2006-12-25 rating:

Brilliant Christmas Movie
Can't agree with the Amazon reviewer who is indifferent to the songs. This works as a seasonal movie on every level. The music acts as a compliment to the story rather than overwhelming it. Albert Finney is superb as Scrooge, and has an excellent supporting cast including Alec Guiness (Marley's ghost) and the wonderful Kenneth Moore as Christmas present. You won't find better entertainment than this (especially these days)...... One to be savoured again and again.

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