The story of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol has been told countless times in films made in England, in the U.S. and around the world. The earliest versions of Scrooge were silent films; the most notable talkies include a 1930s version with Reginald Owen in the starring role, and the 1956 version with Alistair Sim. Many TV versions have been created, with actors such as George C. Scott, Patrick Stewart and Kelsey Grammer playing the role of Ebenezer Scrooge.
My favorite is a version that came out in 1971; it was a musical retelling called Scrooge. Albert Finney played the title character; the cast also included Kenneth More as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Edith Evans as the Ghost of Christmas Past, and Alec Guinness as Marley's ghost.
Scrooge was highly successful; it was nominated for a BAFTA, for four Oscars and for five Golden Globes. For his work in Scrooge, Albert Finney won a Golden Globe for Best Actor, 1971.
Stage and screen veteran Leslie Bricusse composed both the music and lyrics for Scrooge. In this week's Flicks in Five, I'll feature music from the scene in which we first meet Scrooge as he's wandering back home through the streets and alleys of London. Listen to the words as Scrooge tells the audience how he really feels about people at that point in the story; the lyrics seem as good as anything Stephen Sondheim or Gilbert and Sullivan could create.
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