Adaptations of A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by Charles Dickens. Since its first publication in 1843, it has been adapted many times: for theatre, film, television, radio, and opera.
Adaptations
The novel was the subject of Dickens' first public reading, given in Birmingham Town Hall to the Industrial and Literary Institute on 27 December 1852. This was repeated three days later to an audience of 'working people', and was a great success by his own account and that of newspapers of the time. Over the years Dickens edited the piece down and adapted it for a listening, rather than reading, audience. Excerpts from 'A Christmas Carol' remained part of Dickens' public readings until his death.
Theatre
Throughout the late nineteenth century, and into the early years of the twentieth, British actor Seymour Hicks toured England with his own non-musical adaptation of the story, in which he played Scrooge.
- A Christmas Carol (1974), original musical-comedy stage adaptation written and directed by, and starring (as Scrooge) Ira David Wood III (father of Evan Rachel Wood and Ira David Wood IV), which has been performed for the last 39 years on stage at Raleigh's Memorial Auditorium. In 2008, the show added performances at the brand new Durham Performing Arts Center. Theatre In The Park, in Raleigh, North Carolina, has produced the show since its premiere. Wood's "A Christmas Carol" is the longest running indoor show in North Carolina theatre history.
- A Christmas Carol (1975 to present), a theatrical adaptation by Barbara Field performed by the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Performs to full houses every year.
- A Christmas Carol (1977 to present), a theatrical adaptation performed annually at Theatre Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee.
- A Christmas Carol (1981), a musical adaptation which premiered in 1982 at the Hartman Theatre, Stamford, Connecticut. The show was workshopped as a tour in 1981, with Richard Kiley as Scrooge. Book and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, Music by Michel Legrand.
- A Christmas Carol (1983), a theatrical adaptation by Jeffrey Sanzel has been performed annually at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson, New York for 25 years. In 2007, Sanzel reached 800 performances as Scrooge.
- A Christmas Carol (1985), an adaptation by Bille Brown with music and staged by W. Stuart McDowell, was performed at the Symphony Space in New York City as a fundraiser for the Riverside Shakespeare Company, with narration by Helen Hayes, featuring Len Cariou as Scrooge, and MacIntyre Dixon, Celeste Holm, Raul Julia, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Harold Scott, Carole Shelley, and Fritz Weaver, and the children's choir of the Anglo-American School. This script was restaged the following year at the Marriott Theatre on Broadway, produced by McDowell and directed by Robert Small, narrated by Ms. Hayes, featuring F. Murray Abraham as Scrooge, and Ossie Davis, June Havoc, and Rex Smith.
- A Christmas Carol (1988), is an original musical adaptation by Phillip Wm. McKinley which was written for The Chatham Players in Chatham, New Jersey. The ensemble production features Charles Dickens as narrator. In 2008, the production celebrated its 20th anniversary; actor Alan Semok has portrayed Scrooge in the Chatham production since 1994.
- The Gospel According to Scrooge (1982), A stage musical that began at Jesus People Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1980 as a simple little production at a dinner theater. It grew into a broadway-style hit in 1981 as it debuted at the Historic State Theater. It was video recorded and made into a television special featuring actor Dean Jones as the host. The production emphasizes the religious elements of the story, and is still being performed by American churches.
- A Christmas Carol (1988), Patrick Stewart's one-man reading/acting of the story, made its first appearance in London and later on Broadway. On stage he would use a table, chair, stool, lectern and a book with an over-sized print cover to enact the entire story. The production has been revived in London and New York several times. It has also been released on compact disc.[1]
- Scrooge!: A Dickens of a One-Man Show (1991), a theatrical adaptation one person show written by and starring Kevin Norberg portraying all 40-plus characters in a solo performance.
- Scrooge: The Musical (1992), a British stage musical adapted from the 1970 film and starring Anthony Newley.
- A Christmas Carol: The Musical (1994), a Broadway musical adaptation with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, ran at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden, New York City yearly until 2003. Starring as "Scrooge" were Walter Charles (1994), Terrence Mann (1995), Tony Randall (1996), Hal Linden and Roddy McDowell (alternating) (1997), Roger Daltrey (1998), Tony Roberts (1999), Frank Langella (2000), Tim Curry (2001), F. Murray Abraham (2002) and Jim Dale (2003). The 2004 television version of the musical starred Kelsey Grammer as "Scrooge".
- A Christmas Carol (1996 to the present), a one-man show of the work performed by Gerald Charles Dickens, great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens, in which he plays 26 characters.
- A Christmas Carol (1997), a musical adaptation with music by Steve Parsons and book/lyrics by John Popa was performed from 1997–2000 at The Players Guild Theatre in Canton, Ohio and is scheduled to be remounted in December 2009. This version spawned two cast recordings, one featuring the original cast and a 10th anniversary recording in 2008.
- A Christmas Carol, written and performed by Greg Oliver Bodine, is a one-man stage adaptation enacted by Charles Dickens himself, and is based on a condensed version of the novel that he used while on the second of his historic reading tours of the United States. First performed in 2003.
- Steve Nallon's Christmas Carol (2003), theatrical adaptation starring impressionist Nallon, as a number of famous people.
- A Christmas Carol (2003), theatrical adaptation by Karen Louise Hebden produced by and performed at Derby Playhouse in 2003 and revived in 2006. On both occasions, Scrooge was played by Ben Roberts.
- A Christmas Carol: the musical (2005), musical adaptation by Stephen DeCesare. Follows 99% of the original book and has had over 300 performances around the world. It starred Carl DeSimone as Scrooge, Scott Morency as "Marley" and Kim Kalunian as "Belle" from the Academy Players in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.
- A Christmas Carol (2007), theatrical adaptation by Jacqueline Goldfinger produced by and performed at North Coast Repertory Theatre in San Diego. This adaptation has become North Coast Rep's annual Christmas show.
- A Christmas Carol adapted by Tom Haas, has been performed each year at the Indiana Repertory Theatre for more than 25 years. Set on a minimalist stage covered in snow, this adaptation features the characters narrating their own actions to the audience and intersperses carols and dance along with the visits of the ghosts.
- A Christmas Carol a new adaptation by Adam Graham, first performed on 6 December 2007 by Performing Arts Winchester, part of Winchester Student Union. A one hour version featuring all the major characters and well loved carols, it was performed twice a night for the holiday season.
- A Christmas Carol an adaptation by Ron Severdia, premiered on 6 December 2006 at the Barn Theatre in Ross, CA. In 2007, he toured Europe with a new adaptation of the show.[citation needed]
- A Christmas Carol (2003/4) a new stage adaptation by Scott Harrison. Produced and performed by The Dreaming Theatre Company in the Kirkgate Victorian street exhibition inside the York Castle Museum, the first ever company to perform inside this venue. First performed in November/December 2003 and revived in 2004. Other venues included the Georgian Theatre, Richmond and Fountains Hall, Fountains Abbey.
- Fellow Passengers (2004), a three-actor narrative theatre adaptation using nearly every word of the novel, first presented at Strawberry Theatre Workshop in Seattle.
- A Christmas Carol - As told by Jacob Marley (deceased) (2009/10); adapted and performed as a one-man show by James Hyland.
- A Christmas Carol a stage adaptation by Jason Carr and Bryony Lavery was written for the Chichester Youth Theatre and performed at The Chichester Festival Theatre during Christmas 2008. This adaptation is to be performed by Birmingham Repertory Theatre for Christmas 2009.
- A Christmas Carol (2009) a stage adaptation written by Alexandria Haber and produced by Geordie Productions, premiering in December 2009 at the D.B. Clarke Theatre in Montreal, Quebec (Canada).
- A Christmas Carol (2010) a new stage adaptation written by Jim Cook, Jr. and produced by the Off Broad Street Players Theater Company in Bridgeton, New Jersey. Follows much of the original text of the novella with some character relationships explored. To be performed November 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, and 21 of 2010.[2]
- A Christmas Carol (2010) a stage adaptation by The Pantaloons theatre company, touring England in Winter 2010.[3]
Film
- Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost (1901), a short British film that is the earliest surviving screen adaptation.
- A Christmas Carol (1908), with Thomas Ricketts as Scrooge.
- A Christmas Carol (1910) is a 10-minute silent version of the film starring Marc McDermott as Scrooge and Charles Ogle as Cratchit.
- Scrooge (1913), starring Sir Seymour Hicks and retitled Old Scrooge for its U.S. release in 1926.
- The Right to Be Happy (1916), the first feature-length adaptation, directed by and starring Rupert Julian as Scrooge. Now presumed lost.
- A Christmas Carol (1923), produced in the UK and starring Russell Thorndike, Nina Vanna, Jack Denton, and Forbes Dawson.
- Scrooge (1935), a British movie, again starring Seymour Hicks as Scrooge, rather notorious for not showing most of the ghosts onscreen.[4]
- A Christmas Carol (1938), starring Reginald Owen as Scrooge and Gene Lockhart and Kathleen Lockhart as the Cratchits.
- Scrooge (1951), re-titled A Christmas Carol in the U.S., starring Alastair Sim as Scrooge and Mervyn Johns and Hermione Baddeley as the Cratchits.
- It's Never Too Late (1953), Italian adaptation of Dickens's novel, featuring Paolo Stoppa and Marcello Mastroianni.
- Scrooge (1970), a musical film adaptation starring Albert Finney as Scrooge and Alec Guinness as Marley's Ghost.
- A Christmas Carol (1971), an Oscar-winning animated short film by Richard Williams, with Alastair Sim reprising the role of Scrooge.
- Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983), an animated short film featuring the various Walt Disney characters (including characters from Wind in the Willows, Robin Hood and The Three Little Pigs), with Scrooge McDuck fittingly playing the role of Ebenezer Scrooge.
- The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), featuring the various Muppet characters, with Michael Caine as Scrooge.
- A Christmas Carol (1994), an animated version produced by Jetlag Productions, written by Jack Olesker.
- A Christmas Carol (1997), an animated production featuring the voice of Tim Curry as Scrooge as well as the voices of Whoopi Goldberg, Michael York and Ed Asner.
- Christmas Carol: The Movie (2001), an animated version produced by Illuminated Films (Christmas Carol), Ltd/The Film Consortium/MBP; screenplay by Robert Llewellyn & Piet Kroon; with the voices of Simon Callow, Kate Winslet, and Nicolas Cage.
- A Christmas Carol (2004), an animated film with animals in the lead roles. Distributed by Genius Entertainment and produced by BKN International. ISBN 1594442657.
- A Christmas Carol (2006), a computer animated adaptation featuring anthropomorphic animals in the lead roles.
- A Christmas Carol (2009), a performance capture film directed by Robert Zemeckis, and starring Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge and the three ghosts, from Walt Disney Pictures and ImageMovers Digital. It was released in November 2009 in Disney Digital 3D.
Television
An early television adaptation was broadcast live by DuMont's New York station WABD on December 20, 1944.[5]
- A 1947 live television version starred John Carradine as Scrooge.
- A 1948 live television adaptation which aired on Philco Television Playhouse starred Dennis King as Scrooge.
- A 1949 30-minute filmed television adaptation, reportedly notorious among modern critics for its cheap special effects, starred Taylor Holmes as Scrooge with Vincent Price as the on-screen narrator.
- The story was dramatized twice, in 1950 and 1953, on Kraft Television Theatre (NBC).
- An adaptation of A Christmas Carol with Ralph Richardson as Scrooge was shown as a 30-minute filmed episode of NBC's Fireside Theatre in 1951.
- A Christmas Carol (1954), a musical television adaptation starring Fredric March as Scrooge and Basil Rathbone as Marley was shown on the TV anthology Shower of Stars. The adaptation and lyrics were by Maxwell Anderson, the music by Bernard Herrmann. The first version in color; March received an Emmy Award nomination for his performance.
- The Stingiest Man In Town (1956), the second musical adaptation, starring Basil Rathbone and Vic Damone as, respectively, the old and young Scrooge. A live episode of the dramatic anthology series The Alcoa Hour.
The later versions were either shot on videotape or filmed. They include:
- A 1958 filmed episode of the half-hour anthology series Tales from Dickens again featured Rathbone as Scrooge, with Fredric March as narrator.
- Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962), an animated musical television special in color featuring the UPA character voiced by Jim Backus, with songs by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill. Other voices were provided by such actors as Jack Cassidy (as Bob Cratchit). Shown annually by NBC for many years, this was the first animated Christmas special ever shown on U.S. television.
- Mr. Scrooge, a 1962 CBC television musical adaptation, starring Cyril Ritchard (Peter Pan 's Captain Hook) as Scrooge, with Alfie Bass and Tessie O'Shea as Bob Cratchit and his wife.
- A Christmas Carol (1970), an animated television special directed by Zoran Janjic and produced by Australia's Air Programs and aired on CBS. It was the first in a series titled Famous Classic Tales and sponsored by Kenner.[6]
- A Christmas Carol (1977), an adaptation by the BBC with Sir Michael Hordern, who had played Marley's Ghost in two other versions, as Scrooge.[7]
- Rich Little's Christmas Carol (1978), an HBO television special in which impressionist Rich Little plays several celebrities and characters in the main roles.
- The Stingiest Man In Town (1978), an animated made-for-TV musical produced by Rankin-Bass. Stars Walter Matthau as the voice of Scrooge and Tom Bosley as the narrator. Scrooge was drawn to physically resemble Matthau. This had originally been done as a live-action musical on television in 1956.[8] This version, however, was not nearly as well received as the 1956 one.
- Bugs Bunny's Christmas Carol (1979), an animated television special featuring the various Looney Tunes characters, with the role of Scrooge going to Yosemite Sam.
- A Christmas Carol (1984), starring George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge, David Warner and Susannah York as the Cratchits, with Edward Woodward as The Ghost Of Christmas Present. Scott (who had played Fagin two years previously) received an Emmy Award nomination for his performance. Clive Donner, who had been the film editor for the 1951 film Scrooge, directs.
- Brer Rabbit's Christmas Carol (1992), an animated television movie directed by Al Guest and starring the voice of Christopher Corey Smith as Brer Rabbit.
- A Flintstones Christmas Carol(1994), a made-for-TV animated special based on The Flintstones and featuring Fred Flintstone himself as Scrooge. Produced by Hanna Barbara Productions.
- Ebenezer (1997), a Western version produced for Canadian TV, starring Jack Palance as Ebenezer Scrooge, a land baron.
- A Christmas Carol (1999), a television movie directed by David Jones (credited as David Hugh Jones), starring Patrick Stewart as Ebenezer Scrooge. Produced by Turner Network Television, and shown by them annually. Inspired by Patrick Stewart's one-man stage adaptation of the story, but featuring a full supporting cast. This was the first version of the story to make use of digital special effects. Stewart was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award for his performance.[9]
- Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (2002), made for TV animated film created by DIC Entertainment. It premiered on television on Nickelodeon Sunday Movie Toons and was released on DVD and VHS shortly afterward by by MGM Home Entertainment.
- A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004), starring Kelsey Grammer. This version is unique in that Scrooge meets all three spirits in human form both before and after his night-time encounters, much as Judy Garland encounters Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr and Margaret Hamilton in The Wizard of Oz.[10]
- A Sesame Street Christmas Carol (2006), a direct to DVD special featuring Oscar the Grouch in the Scrooge role.[11]
(Of all the actors who have appeared in many versions of the story, it is possible that Basil Rathbone may hold the record, having appeared in three on television and one on radio. He played Scrooge in three productions and Marley's Ghost in another. Meanwhile, Jerry Nelson may hold the record for playing the most diverse roles in a single version, since in The Muppet Christmas Carol he performs at least a dozen Muppet characters, including Marley (Statler), the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Tiny Tim (Robin).)
Radio
This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2010) |
- Lionel Barrymore starred as Scrooge in a dramatization on the CBS Radio Network on December 25, 1934, beginning a tradition he would repeat on various network programs every Christmas through 1953. Only twice did he not play the role: in 1936, when his brother John Barrymore filled in because of the death of Lionel's wife, and again in 1938, when Orson Welles took the role because Barrymore had fallen ill.[12][13][14][15]
- A 1940s adaptation starring Basil Rathbone as Scrooge was subsequently issued as a 3-record set by Columbia Records.[16]
- Alec Guinness starred as Scrooge in a BBC production from 1951, also broadcast in America, and repeated for several years afterward.
- Another 1953 version, also from the BBC, starred Laurence Olivier in his only recorded performance as Scrooge. This one was issued on CD in 1992.
- Beginning in the 1980s, NPR has periodically broadcast a straightforward, faithful version read by comedian Jonathan Winters, in which he plays all the roles.
- In 1995, Quicksilver Radio Theater broadcast a dramatization directed by Jay Stern and starring Craig Wichman as "Scrooge", Anthony Cinelli, John Prave, Ghislaine Nichols, Deborah Barta, Joseph Franchini, Jodi Botelho, Elizabeth Stull and Tony Scheinman.[citation needed] The production was originally aired on Max Schmid's Radio Theater on WBAI, New York, NY on Christmas Eve 1995 and repeated Christmas Day 1995, and is currently syndicated on National Public Radio.[citation needed]
- Focus on the Family Radio Theatre adapted the story in a 1996 production hosted by David Suchet, narrated by Timothy Bateson, and with Tenniel Evans as Scrooge. This production credits Noel Langley's screenplay for the 1951 film as well as Dickens' original book.
- Paul Oakenfold's Urban Soundtracks (1999) included a remixed celebrity reading of the book, including sound effects and dance music in a version for UK dance radio stations
- WBZ Newsradio 1030 in Boston adapted the play for its radio listeners in 1999.[citation needed] It starred now-retired morning news anchor Gary LaPierre as Ebeneezer Scrooge with members of the WBZ Newsradio staff (renamed the WBZ Radio Holiday Players) in various roles, including Carl Stevens as Scrooge's nephew Fred, Deb Lawlor as the Ghost of Christmas Past and New England Patriots play-by-play announcer Gil Santos as Marley's Ghost. WBZ radio producer Michael Coleman gave the prologue and played various characters in the play. It's been on WBZ every Christmas Eve since.
- A Christmas Carol (2007), a theatrical audio version, written and directed by Arthur Yorinks from The Night Kitchen Radio Theater, starring Peter Gerety, noted stage and film actor, as Scrooge. This faithful adaptation features a score by Edward Barnes and carols sung by members of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts Concert Choir.
- In 2008, David Jason recorded a 10 part abridged reading of A Christmas Carol for BBC Radio 4's Book at Bedtime.[17]
Recordings
- In 1941, Ronald Colman portrayed Scrooge in a famous American Decca four-record 78-RPM album of "A Christmas Carol" with a full supporting cast of radio actors and a score by Victor Young.[18] This version proved extremely popular and was eventually transferred to LP, where it sold well into the 1960s. In 2005, it appeared on a Deutsche Grammophon compact disc, along with its companion piece on LP, Mr. Pickwick's Christmas, narrated by Charles Laughton. (The Pickwick recording had originally been made in 1944.) The Ronald Colman "A Christmas Carol" is slightly abbreviated on both the LP and the CD versions. On the LP, this was done to fit the entire production onto one side of a 12-inch 33 RPM record. With the greater time available it was hoped that the CD would have the complete recording, but Deutsche Grammophon used the shorter LP version.
- Ralph Richardson and Paul Scofield were featured on a Caedmon Records adaptation of the story. While the Colman version took up only one side of an LP, the Caedmon Records version took up an entire one.[19] It was released on CD in 2010.[20]
- Patrick Stewart has recorded his one-man dramatic reading of the story.[21]
- The actor Gerald Charles Dickens, the great-great grandson of Charles Dickens, has recorded a CD of A Christmas Carol which is unabridged and in which he plays twenty-six characters. His performance is based on Charles Dickens' original reading tour script.
- Noted voice artist Jim Dale, creator of the popular unabridged recordings for the U.S. release of the Harry Potter books (for which he won two Grammy awards), in 2003 released an unabridged reading of "A Christmas Carol" with full characterizations of all the roles as part of the Random House Listening Library series.[22]
Opera
- Mister Scrooge (1958–1959); alternative name: Shadows (Tiene), an opera by Slovak composer Ján Cikker.
- "A Christmas Carol" (1978–1979), an opera by Thea Musgrave.[23]
Graphic Novel
- Christmas carol (2004), drawn by Dick Matena (ISBN 9789023416432)
- A Christmas Carol: The Graphic Novel (2008), by Sean Michael Wilson and Mike Collins (ISBN 9781906332518)
Parody
- Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988), in which the central character, Ebenezer Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson), is initially kind and generous, but after being visited by the Spirit of Christmas (Robbie Coltrane), becomes greedy, insulting and mean.
- I'm Sorry I Haven't a Christmas Carol (2003), a Christmas special for the BBC Radio 4 panel game I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, with central character Ebenezer Scrumph (Humphrey Lyttelton) and assistant Colin Crotchet (Colin Sell).
- An American Carol (2008), the Scrooge character is Michael Malone (Kevin Farley) which is a parody of liberal filmmaker Michael Moore. The setting of the story is moved from Christmas to Independence Day, and Malone is visited by three spirits who take him on a journey in an attempt to show him the true meaning of America. The supporting cast includes Kelsey Grammer, Jon Voight, Dennis Hopper, and Leslie Nielsen.
- Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2008)
- Canadian comedy actor Don Harron recorded a version as "Charlie Farquharson" using malaprops.
Pastiches, continuations, and other uses
The basic plot of A Christmas Carol has been put to a variety of different literary and dramatic uses since Dickens' death.
- The Six Shooter, December 20, 1953, starring Jimmy Stewart as Britt Ponset in this unusual Western adaptation of Dickens' classic, featuring Howard McNear as "Eben."
- An American Christmas Carol (1979), an adaptation starring Henry Winkler at the height of his fame from the television series Happy Days, where the story is set in Depression era New England, and the Scrooge character is named Benedict Slade.[24]
- Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol (1979), an American country music inspired TV film starring Hoyt Axton as Cyrus Flint.[25]
- X-Mas Marks the Spot (1985), an episode of The Real Ghostbusters, where, on Christmas Eve, Peter Venkman, Ray Stanz, Egon Spangler, and Winston Zeddmore end up traveling back in time to England in 1837. There they unknowingly meet Scrooge and end up "busting" the Three Christmas Ghosts by accident. It is revealed that Peter's childhood was very similar to Scrooge's.
- A Jetson Christmas Carol (1985) Episode sixty-five of The Jetsons animated television series. Spacely orders George to work overtime on Christmas Eve while Astro causes himself to be sick. Three spirits visit Spacely to convince him that Christmas is a time of giving.[26]
- The Odd Couple: In the episode “Scrooge Gets an Oscar”, Felix and the other poker players become Dickens characters in a dream after Oscar refuses to be Scrooge in a children’s play.
- Ebenezer Sanford, an episode of Sanford and Son in which Fred is a Scrooge-like miser. His family and friends try to get him to join into the Christmas spirit, but he rejects the attempts. Fred falls asleep and dreams he’s in “A Christmas Carol”.[27]
- WKRP in Cincinnati: In the episode “Bah Humbug”, Mr. Carlson plans to give the staffers no Christmas bonuses. But after eating one of Johnny Fever’s brownies, the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future visit him to show him the error of his ways.
- Family Ties: In the episode “A Keaton Christmas Carol”, Alex finds the spirit of Christmas in a dream when he’s shown visions of the past and future by ghosts of Mallory and Jennifer.
- The Six Million Dollar Man: In the episode “A Bionic Christmas Carol”, When Steve Austin is sent to investigate problems with an OSI project contracted out to Budge Corp., he discovers the problem is that the corporation’s owner is a cheap miser. Steve then uses his bionic powers to emulate the Dickens classic and convince Budge to change his mind.
- Alice: In the episode “Mel’s Christmas Carol”, On Christmas Eve, Mel is haunted by a former partner after he fires the waitresses.
- A Christmas Carol II (1985), an episode of the TV series George Burns Comedy Week in which it's revealed that Scrooge is good-natured to a fault, and all of Camden Town takes advantage of his generosity. Scrooge is so giving of his fortune that the townspeople end up taking all his money. This prompts the spirits to return and make sure Scrooge reaches a median between his past and current behavior. (In the second alternate future, Scrooge has been buried in a pauper's grave, under a headstone marked "Ebenoozer Screege.")[28]
- God Bless Us Every One (Methuen, 1985) by Andrew Angus Dalrymple. An Imagined Sequel to 'A Christmas Carol featuring all the major characters of the original, expanding upon the Cratchit children Tim and Belinda.
- Scrooged (1988), a remake in a contemporary setting with Bill Murray being a misanthropic TV producer who is haunted by the ghosts of Christmas. Directed by Richard Donner.
- A Little Miracle (1990) is an episode of the series Quantum Leap; the protagonist, Sam Beckett, who travels through time by leaping into the lives of others, becomes the valet of a Scrooge-like industrialist, showing the industrialist the error of his ways by reminding him of his past via photographs while taking him on a drive around his future planned development, culminating in his holographic partner from the future, Al Calavicci, showing the industrialist what will happen to him in the future as he poses as the Ghost of Christmas Future.
- Ebbie (1995), a TV movie that brought the first portrayal of Scrooge as a female, with Susan Lucci as Elizabeth "Ebbie" Scrooge, owner of a huge department store, and some of her own employees doubling as the three Christmas Spirits.
- Ms. Scrooge (1997), a TV movie starring Cicely Tyson as a "Ebenita Scrooge" and Katherine Helmond as her deceased business partner, Maude Marley.
- Whatever Happened to Tiny Tim? by John Mortimer (New York Times Book Review, 1992). In this short story, Tim grew up to be a successful businessman and gained a knighthood, but became even more heartless than Scrooge (beginning his career by embezzling funds from Scrooge's Christmas Turkey fund, then buying Scrooge out and pensioning off his own father). On Christmas Night 1894, he is visited by both the ghosts of Scrooge and Christmas Yet-to-Come who force him to see a horrible vision of the world in 1992 in which war, crime, poverty, famine and corruption are rampant. This story was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 7 on January 1, 2003 under the title Not So Tiny Tim and was read by Richard Pasco.
- Timothy Cratchit's Christmas Carol, 1917: A Sequel to the Charles Dickens Classic (Dickens World, 1998) by Dale Powell. In this version, an elderly Tiny Tim is a wealthy immigrant living in America who experiences his own spiritual visitations on Christmas Eve.
- The Spirit of the Season, 1998, by Don Flowers; Paralleling the visitations of the three "spirits" 20 years before, Scrooge prevails on a grown-up Tim Cratchit to help to him try to reconnect with (and win freedom for) Marley's Ghost, during the pair's visits to three "spiritualists" on the last Christmas Eve of Scrooge's earthly life. Later adapted by Flowers and Fred Walton as a musical (Ebenezer Ever After) that premiered in Portland, Oregon in 2010.
- A Christmas Carol (2000), A TV-movie that takes place in the present where Ross Kemp plays Eddie Scrooge, a London loan shark. Jacob Marley (Ray Fearon) not only warns Scrooge of the three impending spirits, but doubles as The Ghost of Christmas Present.
- A Diva's Christmas Carol (2000), TV movie that premiered on VH1, now on Lifetime, portraying Vanessa Williams in the Scrooge role as "Ebony" Scrooge, one third of a late-'80's pop trio called "Desire" and now an egotistical, arrogant, grouchy solo diva.
- Marley's Ghost, (2000), by Mark Hazard Osmun: The prequel to A Christmas Carol. A novel imagining the life and afterlife of Scrooge's partner, Jacob Marley and how Marley came to arrange Scrooge's chance at redemption.
- Marley's Ghost (2003) by Jeff Goode is a stage play which is a prequel to A Christmas Carol along similar lines to the novel by Osmun.
- The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge (Ohio State University Press, 2001) by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita. A uniquely philosophical take on the Scrooge mythology set in the afterlife with Scrooge on trial to determine if he merits entry into Paradise.
- Scrooge & Cratchit (Scrooge-and-Cratchit, 2002) by Matt McHugh. Bob Cratchit is now Scrooge's partner in business as they both face the wrath of bankers as ruthless as Scrooge in his prime. Reprinted in 2007 as The Index-Journal holiday edition insert. In print and Kindle/iPhone/ebook formats.
- A Carol Christmas (2003), another TV movie portraying Scrooge as an arrogant female celebrity, this time as a TV star named "Carol Cartman", played by Tori Spelling, with her own talk show. Having premiered on The Hallmark Channel and currently on ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas, the movie also featured Dinah Manoff as Marla, Carol's stage-mother type aunt, and two of the three Christmas Spirits portrayed by Gary Coleman (Christmas Past) and William Shatner (Christmas Present).
- The Last Christmas of Ebenezer Scrooge: The Sequel to A Christmas Carol (Wildside Press, 2003) by Marvin Kaye. This sequel picks up right where the original left off, with Scrooge trying to right an unresolved wrong. This version was also adapted for the stage.
- Mr. Timothy (HarperCollins, 2003) by Louis Bayard. Here again is an adult Tiny Tim, only this time as a 23-year-old resident of a London brothel who becomes embroiled in a murder mystery. Mr. Timothy was included in the New York Times's list of Notable Fiction for 2003.
- The Haunting Refrain to Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" (2004 revised 2007) This short novel details the lives of the original characters, plus a few new introductions, 21 years later. It is posted exclusively to the web at his time and is out of print from its original printing run. It is available for free viewing at www.dickensworks.com
- Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas (2006) the second Looney Tunes adaptation; this time, it features Daffy Duck as Scrooge.
- Barbie in a Christmas Carol (2008), Barbie stars as the female version of Ebenezer Scrooge.
- Of Christmas Past is a short comic strip by Johnny Lowe and Seaward Tuthill in the literary trade paperback Iconic released in 2009 by members of the Comicbook Artists Guild. It deals with Scrooge's nephew Fred facing the decision of what to do about a criminal who murdered his wife, with the ghost of Scrooge playing the role of the three spirits to try and save him from a path of darkness.
- A Christmas Carol - Scrooge's Ghostly Tale (2006), animated.
- Nan's Christmas Carol (2009)
- I am Scrooge: A Zombie Story for Christmas is a novel by Adam Roberts (Gollancz, 2009). It deals with the aftermath of Tiny Tim's parlous health. It turns out that the child was a harbinger of an infectious virus that threatens a zombie apocalypse, and it is left to Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future to rectify the matter. It is scheduled to coincide with Christmas 2009.
- A Klingon Christmas Carol (written c. 2006) is an adaptation set on the Klingon homeworld of Qo'noS in the Star Trek fictional universe.[29] The play was co-written and directed by Christopher O. Kidder, and was performed from 2007–2010[update] by Commedia Beauregard (a Saint Paul, Minnesota theatre company),[29] and also presented in Chicago for 2010.[30]
- Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol (2010) - the 2010 Christmas special episode of Doctor Who is a science fiction story that borrows elements from the original.
- An American Country Christmas Carol (2010) a new stage country musical adaptation with a book and lyrics by Scott Logsdon and music by Rand Bishop, Kent Blazy, Roxie Dean, Tim Finn, Billy Kirsch, J. Fred Knobloch, and Pam Rose. It was presented as a staged reading at the Boiler Room Theatre in Franklin, Tennessee on December 5, 6 and 13 of 2010.[31]
- Scrooge Blues was written by Nicholas McInerny and broadcast on BBC Radio 7 on 28 December 2010. This continuation, starring David Hargreaves, takes place one year after the events of A Christmas Carol; after the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge.[citation needed]
- A London Carol (2010) - the sixty-fourth episode of Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life on Deck. Cody and Bailey collect toys for poor children. When they ask London for donations, she's so selfish to give anything. On the Christmas Eve night, London's mirror takes her to the past, present and future only for her to find out that everyone will loathe her and she'll be lonely.
References
- ^ Philip Fisher (2005). "Reviews: A Christmas Carol (Albery Theatre)". The British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2009-02-19.
- ^ "OBSP's A Christmas Carol (2010)".
- ^ "The Pantaloons official website".
- ^ Scrooge (1935) at IMDb
- ^ "Tiny Tim Comes to Television", New York Times, Dec. 24, 1944, p. 35.
- ^ A Christmas Carol (1970) (TV) at IMDb
- ^ A Christmas Carol (1977) (TV) at IMDb
- ^ The Stingiest Man in Town at IMDb
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001772/awards
- ^ "A Guide to Christmas Carol Adaptations". January 16, 2010.
- ^ A Sesame Street Christmas Carol at IMDb
- ^ "On the Air Today", The Washington Post, Dec. 25, 1934, p. 21. "Nash-LaFayette Radio Program" (advertisement), New York Times, Dec. 25, 1934, p. 32.
- ^ Lionel Collapses, But a Barrymore Acts as 'Scrooge'", The Washington Post, Dec. 26, 1936, p. X1.
- ^ "Listen! with Glyn" (advertisement), The Washington Post, Dec. 20, 1940, p. 36.
- ^ "You Don't Play Scrooge You Just Ain't Workin'", The Washington Post, Dec. 23, 1953, p. 46.
- ^ "Basil Rathbone.net/Recordings". Basilrathbone.net. 1952-03-23. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
- ^ 09:30 - 09:45 (2008-12-26). "Radio 4 Programmes - Book at Bedtime: A Christmas Carol". BBC. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
{{cite web}}
:|author=
has numeric name (help) - ^ "Christmas Carol & Mr Pickwick's Christmas: Charles Dickens, Hanns Eisler, Victor Young, Ronald Colman, Charles Laughton: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
- ^ [1][dead link ]
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Carol-Charles-Dickens/dp/B003SNKBCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297981719&sr=1-1
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Carol-Reissue-Charles-Dickens/dp/0743563794/ref=sr_1_3_title_1_ac?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297981586&sr=1-3
- ^ Dickens, Charles, and Jim Dale. A Christmas Carol. New York: Random House/Listening Library, 2003. ISBN 978-1400086030
- ^ "A Christmas Carol - Thea Musgrave, composer". Theamusgrave.com. 1981-12-16. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
- ^ An American Christmas Carol at IMDb
- ^ Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol at IMDb
- ^ "A Jetson Christmas Carol " at IMDb
- ^ "Ebenezer Sanford (#5.12)" at IMDb
- ^ "Christmas Carol II the Sequel" at IMDb
- ^ a b Belkin, Douglas (2010-12-18), "BaQa'—or Is It Humbug? Aliens Attack a Holiday Classic", The Wall Street Journal, New York, NY, U.S.A.: Dow Jones & Company, OCLC 0099-9660, archived from the original on 2010-12-19, retrieved 2010-12-19,
The arc of "A Klingon Christmas Carol" follows the familiar Dickens script: An old miser is visited on a hallowed night by three ghosts who shepherd him through a voyage of self-discovery. The narrative has been rejiggered to match the Klingon world view.
{{citation}}
: Check|oclc=
value (help) - ^ Klingon Christmas Carol brought to the stage, The Telegraph, 2010-12-21, accessed 2010-12-23.
- ^ "OBSP's A Christmas Carol (2010)".
Further reading
- Fred Guida, A Christmas Carol and Its Adaptations: Dickens's Story on Screen and Television, McFarland & Company, 2000. ISBN 0-786-40738-7.