Has any story outside the Bible been adapted and performed more times than A Christmas Carol? The tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and the four ghosts who set out to change his miserly ways has been reworked and reimagined hundreds of times in the past 180 years. There have been stage productions, radio shows, films, musicals, television adaptations and animated specials, with everyone from Jim Carrey and Ryan Reynolds to Daffy Duck and Barbie giving us their own takes on Scrooge.
When Charles Dickens first published his original novella a few days before Christmas in 1843, it was an immediate hit. Within weeks it was being performed on stage at London’s Surrey Theatre, and by 1853 even Dickens himself was getting in on the act. The first film version arrived just a few decades later, within years of the invention of the medium. Produced by film pioneer Robert William Paul and directed by magician Walter Robert Booth, 1901’s Scrooge, or, Marley’s Ghost made use of at-the-time revolutionary visual effects.
Some adaptations have been cheap rehashings, but there have been a few Christmas miracles too. Here’s our pick of the five best film versions of A Christmas Carol.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983): This Disney animated version is somewhat abridged but remains a faithful retelling. Mickey Mouse is cast as Bob Cratchit, Goofy plays Jacob Marley’s ghost, and Jiminy Cricket is the Ghost of Christmas Past. The appearance of Toad from The Wind in the Willows as Fezziwig is a pure delight. The brisk tale is carried by Scrooge McDuck, and it’s only 26 minutes long.
Scrooge (1970): This musical version stars Albert Finney as Scrooge, who relishes delivering curmudgeonly dialogue and has fun with musical numbers like “I Hate People”. Alec Guinness appears as Jacob Marley. Finney won a Golden Globe for his performance, and the film was nominated for four Oscars.
