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Stingiest Man in Town

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If you are even remotely interested in Charles Dickens's A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and the almost countless number of adaptations that it has inspired, then Christmas 2011 is going to be pretty spectacular indeed. Why? Because the absolute Holy Grail of lost CAROL adaptations has been found and is finally (!) making its long-awaited home video debut. It is, of course, THE STINGIEST MAN IN TOWN starring the great Basil Rathbone.

Keeping in mind that the source is a black-and-white 16mm kinescope, the quality of this new DVD release is excellent -- as is Basil Rathbone and the rest of the cast.

The news of STINGIEST MAN'S rediscovery and release broke on my blog on October 13. Please check it out at charlesdickensonscreen.com

You will also find information on STINGIEST MAN in my book; see link below. My commentary was based on viewing an incomplete copy years ago at the Library of Congress. Now that I've finally seen the whole thing I feel like I've died and gone to Dickensian heaven!

Merry Christmas -- and what a way to kick off 2012 and the Dickens bicentenary!

-- Fred Guida
A Christmas Carol And Its Adaptations: A Critical Examination of Dickens's Story And Its Productions on Screen And Television

As the author of BASIL RATHBONE: HIS LIFE AND HIS FILMS, it amazes me that I had never seen THE STINGIEST MAN IN TOWN before. But, the truth is that, when I was writing my book over thirty-five years ago, I had no idea where to find a viewing copy. Those were the days before home video.

Even if I had been able to see it, I probably would not have given the production much more of a mention than I did. My book, after all, dealt with the "Films" of Basil Rathbone, not his television appearances.

However, thanks to Video Artists International, a DVD of this 1956 musical version of Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL is now available. It is a kinescope of a live black-and-white broadcast, so one should not expect the pristine quality found it most home video releases.

Certainly the strongest aspect of this Daniel Petrie- directed production is its score that features music by Fred Spielman and lyrics by Janice Torre. There are several memorable tunes in the show, such as "An Old-Fashioned Christmas," "Golden Dreams," "It Might Have Been" and the title song.

The problems with the production are more apparent today than, I think, they would have been back in 1956. Standards, after all, have changed.

Cast members like Vic Damone, Johnny Desmond and Patrice Munsel may have been marvelous singers and had major fan followings, but the play might have been better served had their roles been cast with actors who could sing, rather than simply fine singers.

Also, the cast, including Rathbone as Scrooge, seems to be giving stage performances, playing to the "upper balcony" rather than to the television camera.

Nevertheless, THE STINGIEST MAN IN TOWN is a very entertaining way to spend 81 minutes of the Christmas season, and we are grateful to Video Artists International for preserving this classic program for future generations.

© Michael B. Druxman

`Tis the season to be jolly, and a really jolly way to enjoy this season is with Video Artist's International release of The Stingiest Man in Town. VAI is famous for bringing us TV treats from the `50s, and this musical bon-bon will keep you smiling.
Broadcast on December 23, 1956, it's based on the Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol that would have been fit for Broadway. The music and lyrics are by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre, who've given us not only "Paper Roses", but also tunes sung by Melchior, Presley and Garland. The production values are superb; the video is a tad grainy or jumpy here and there, but for a TV show more than 50 years old, it's in remarkable condition.
What's most remarkable is the cast. Basil Rathbone sheds his pipe, violin and Dr. Watson persona to play the infamous Scrooge, and he is absolutely outstanding. Singing, dancing and snarling his way through this live broadcast, it's unfortunate his talent didn't grace more musicals. He's thoroughly credible, making the transition between the stingiest man in town to the most generous, happy and joyful with an ease and a style that's just wonderful to watch.
Rathbone is supported by some of the great talents of the period. Robert Weede, from Broadway's The Most Happy Fella and the Metropolitan Opera plays Marley's ghost (in a costume that frankly makes him look like a nun in chain bondage); from the Met we also have Patrice Munsel, who was in any number of musical television broadcasts. The Four Lads, the ultimate `50s pop group, narrate and play various chorus parts, and Johnny Desmond, fresh from replacing Sydney Chaplin in Funny Girl opposite Streisand, is nephew Fred. Only two peculiar notes are struck: Vic Damone, as the young Scrooge, gives the most wooden performance since he played the Caliph in the film Kismet, and Martyn Greene playing Crachit, yet singing only briefly in a duet with Rathbone. Why hire the premiere Gilbert and Sullivan singer of his day, and give him so little?
But why quibble? In a market fairly glutted with versions of this classic, one would have to be a real Scrooge not to check out the most recently released version. And, to paraphrase the words of that little fellow on his dad's should, "God bless us, everyone, especially VAI for releasing this great DVD!"

This wonderful musical version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol was originally broadcast on television in 1956. The songs are really beautiful and the cast is stellar: Basil Rathbone (best known as Sherlock Holmes) appears as Scrooge and Johnny Desmond plays his nephew. Vic Damone appears as the young Scrooge who performs two beautiful duets with Patrice Munsel. Robert Weede
(The Most Happy Fella), The Four Lads and Betty Madigan round out the cast.

One word of warning, since this title has not been released, I have no way
of knowing the picture and sound quality of the DVD. I do, however, own the CD
and the sound quality is excellent, but that may not apply here.

I have to admit to being more than a little misty-eyed after finally getting a chance to watch the original, live 1956 musical, The Stingiest Man in Town, now on DVD. I had first seen the Rankin/Bass animated remake in 1978, then found the 1956 Columbia cast album and listened to it for 30 years, never expecting to actually see the live show itself -- unless maybe I got to visit the Paley Center and they had it in their library.

To my delighted amazement, Video Artists International located an astonishingly nice-looking kinescope (a 16mm film made off a TV screen) with surprisingly excellent sound considering the limitations of kinescope -- and that musical ound is largely due to a certified Disney Legend: Tutti Camarata.

Tutti was the conductor of this special 90-minute live presentation on The Alcoa Hour. His ear for acoustics surely influenced how distinct the instrumentation come across, even in this vintage kinescope. In 1956, Disneyland Records had just begun, with Tutti as artists and repertoire director. You can hear his style in The Stingiest Man in Town, as well as what was likely some arrangements by frequent Rankin/Bass musical director Maury Laws, whom Tutti told me could have likely done some chart work for the special (the soaring violins in "An Old Fashioned Christmas" are just like the ones Laws created for such Rankin/Bass specials as "Rudolph" and "Frosty").

You have to get a feel for the temporal context to fully appreciate how ambitious this live show truly was for its period. This was the day of Milton Berle, Jackie Gleason and other vaudeville-type live variety shows, as well as legendary live dramas on Playhouse 90 and Studio One. Walt Disney's filmed series was less then two years on the air, Mickey Mouse Club was in its second season and Howdy Doody was still an NBC staple.

Mary Martin's TV tradition of Peter Pan had begun a year earlier (as live shows until it was taped in 1960) and Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella would premiere a year later (live with Julie Andrews, then taped in 1965 with Lesley Ann Warren). I can't confirm this for sure, but that makes The Stingiest Man in Town very likely the first -- or at least one of the first -- original musicals created especially for television.

Director Dan Petrie (A Raisin in the Sun, Sybil, Eleanor and Franklin) worked with in what appears to be a very limited space, with tight, elemental, movable sets. (Notice the clever transitions, such as Basil Rathbone sinking off camera in the graveyard while a "stand-in" hand grasps the tombstone, enabling Rathbone to race back to the bedroom set for his next scene.)

The cast, crew and orchestra clearly had a short rehearsal time to perform a show of this scope -- and that's what makes live TV so amazing. The cast, orchestra and chorus are right there, and if the singer misses a cue or changes tempo, the accompaniment has to keep up. Keeping all of this in mind, what unfolds is a remarkable achievement that was largely forgotten for decades, unless you happened to have the cast LP -- or the superb CD reissue also on amazon.

Young audiences may not sit still, at first, for the black-and-white, low-def, leisurely paced kinescope experience of the original Stingiest Man in Town -- more akin to a filmed stage show than a modern recorded and edited production. But if you can impress upon them the importance of these programs, how they paved the way for what we take for granted today (especially technical advances) and just enjoy the pure talent involved, they may find themselves beguiled.

These are some of the greatest Broadway and opera talents of their day, top popular singers and of course, the great Rathbone, with Fred Spielman and Janice Torre's truly memorable musical score, conducted by one of the most respected names in the music industry.

It might be fun if you watch this along with the Rankin/Bass animated remake (available in the 2008 "Classic Christmas Favorites" DVD box set on amazon) and listen to the cast album. In an ocean of Dickens Christmas Carol adaptations, this particular version is one of the all-time finest.

Long thought to be lost, this recently found kinescope of a live production from 1956 is a cause for "A Christmas Carol" lovers and all folks imbued with the Christmas Spirit to rejoice. And even if you, yourself, are Scrooge-like in a general lack of sentiment for the Season you'll still find much of interest in this DVD if you enjoy time-travelling back to the good old days of live television.

Don't expect great quality in the transfer. The image and sound leave much to be desired - if you are expecting miracles! But this is, I repeat, a kinescope from 55 years ago - and I am simply thankful that someone filmed it then and someone rediscovered it and uncovered it now! This DVD is in black and white, even though the broadcast was apparently in color. I would have loved to see it in color - and perhaps one day someone will colorize it, even though I generally hate colorization of films. But given that this was originally seen in color, if one day it is colorized then instead of tampering the effort will be more in keeping with restoring - and then, in my book, colorization becomes thoroughly legitimate.

There may be the need for a SPOILER ALERT at this point. Where was I? Oh, yes - there is much in this version that is deplorable, especially by present day standards. Vic Damone as Young Scrooge and Patrice Munsel as Belle are not matched to their roles nor to one another - and their "Golden Dreams" goes on seemingly forever and instead of dreams it conjures nightmares! Time spent with the young Scrooge can't end soon enough. As a matter-of-fact, if Vic Damone as the young Scrooge was what the old Scrooge was truly like when young...no wonder he grew up to be such a rotten apple! Robert Weede as Marley is atrocious. He enters Scrooge's bedroom and it looks like he is wearing a mosquito net and hat on his head. He reminded me of the Edison Frankenstein monster approaching his maker. The song he sings is abysmal and is filled with many musical notes and lyrics - but they all add up and signify...nothing. A song can only touch the heart if it is written from the heart. This one - and "Golden Dreams" - were seemingly written less from the heart and more from the necessity to fill the required scenario.

In watching this, obviously, for the first time and likewise hearing the musical score for the first time (even though the CD has been around, having survived apparent oblivion) I was getting quite disappointed by the production. Basil Rathbone was the only person in the production who knew how to act! The songs were so-so. I think I stifled a yawn. I remember thinking how great the songs were in the earlier live broadcast of Dickens' story - terrific songs that fit the time period of the plot like a hand in a glove - songs by the great Bernard Herrmann. That prior production had Frederic March as a very effective Scrooge and Basil Rathbone superb as Marley's Ghost. I was thinking of how chillingly effective that sequence had been in the March version - great music underscoring a truly haunting, ghostly visitation. Anyway...I was wavering towards a general dismissal of this version. Anytime one thinks longingly of another version of a thing, the one presently before you may be in trouble.

But then Act Two made a quantum leap! First, there is thankfully no Vic Damone in this part. Scrooge has more to do. And then we are given two great songs and three very good ones. The great ones are "One Little Boy" and "The Birthday Party of the King." This is what song-writing is all about! Making us feel! These melodies came, yes, straight from the heart of composer Fred Spielman, wonderfully buttressed by the lyrics of Janice Torre. At last I was hearing songs to remember! Act Two renewed my faith in this version of the Christmas classic.

And then, sadly, Act Three is almost derailed by an absolutely atrocious "Devil's Ballet" that rudely and pointlessly intrudes after Scrooge sees his gravestone - and goes on and on like a dark-side-of-the -moon "An American in Paris" ("Danse Macabre" it ain't!) All the drama of Scrooge's reformation is almost lost due to this long and silly interval. The bad ballet only ends when the demons or whatever they are stupidly "crucify" Scrooge against the cemetery fence - and just when I think that the third act will be two strikes out of three...just then Basil Rathbone returns with "Mankind Should Be My Business." Talk about heart!

Let me say more about Rathbone as Scrooge here. In his opening number "Humbug" I was amazed at how very much Albert Finney sounded like him in the big-screen musical version entitled "Scrooge." Did the great Finney hear a cast recording of this production and pattern his vocal inflection after Rathbone? It is possible. But what is also odd is that Finney's Scrooge has many of the same movements as does Rathbone. Herky-jerky is the style - and Rathbone keeps his arms up, bent at the elbow through much of his performance, as did the later Finney. The song of Scrooge's reformation in this production is also quite similar to the song in the Finney version, or rather vice-versa on that chronology. Back to Rathbone: he sing/talks (like Rex Harrison's Professor Higgins) "Mankind Should Be My Business" and puts so much art and heart into it that it had me wiping my eyes. He is that good - here and throughout the entire show. I always liked Basil Rathbone - and for all of his many fans, what a joy it is to see him in this totally unique performance - and singing, too! And he delivers in spades! By the time he visits the Cratchit family on Christmas Day and reprises "One Little Boy" I knew that - despite all of its many flaws in acting, music, production - this...this would be a perennial in my Christmas viewing lineup. It is not to be missed.

I can't help but think that if Basil Rathbone had been given the opportunity to play Scrooge in a full-blooded film version - where there is much more time to be had for every element of a production - he would have been up there with the best of the Scrooges. He looks absolutely perfect for the part! (Jim Carrey's computerized, tall and gaunt Scrooge is similar in appearance.) And more importantly, based on what we see here, he would have acted the part richly and well.

Anyway...thanks for reading this. Merry Christmas - and God Bless Us, everyone!

Without a doubt Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol is the most often filmed story in the history of film. It has been retold by everyone from the Muppets to Mickey Mouse and everyone is bound to have their favorite film adaptation. With such a profound field of candidates around it takes something spectacularly special to truly stand out and The Stingiest Man in Town is easily among the top ten Scrooge adaptations ever made but the one most seldom seen having not been seen since it originally aired in the 1950`s.

For those unaware, The Stingiest Man in Town is a fantastic made for TV musical from 1956 that has been lost for decades. Despite being one of the most expensive and lavish productions ever made for television the full color 35 MM print vanished long ago along with all other copies of the film. For nearly sixty years this production has only been able to live on through the tie-in cast recording, which was released to CD in 2006, until now. (There was also an hour long animated version made by Rankin/Bass Productions in 1978 starring Walter Matthau as Scrooge that most people might also be familiar with but this is an extremely truncated version of the original .) Thanks to a recently discovered 16 MM print of a Kinescope The Stingiest Man in Town can finally be viewed by fans of A Christmas Carol and film buffs alike. Since there has been some confusion displayed by some of the reviewers here, I'm going to gear my review to the average consumer in hopes that they will rediscover this excellent adaptation as one of the best versions of Charles Dickens' ghostly little book ever done, a title it most wholeheartedly deserves.

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol happens to be my favorite fictional book of all time and there have been hundreds of adaptations done over the years and The Stingiest Man in Town is hands down the best musical version ever done. The only other one that comes close is Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol but The Stingiest Man in Town features much more plot specific songs but they are very much in the same Broadway vein that Magoo is best remembered for. There have only ever been two other contenders as THE definitive musical version of Scrooge and while I know that each version has their fans I find the 1970 Albert Finney version to be extremely lacking with rather forgettable songs that offer nothing to the plot and the 1994 Madison Square Gardens version that was later adapted into the 2004 made for TV Kelsey Grammar film just doesn't capture the heart of the story at all. The Stingiest Man in Town is among the finest of musicals in that each song progresses the story and moves the plot along. Walt Disney would have been proud. There are no showstoppers in the sense that they bring the production to a screeching halt but there are plenty of memorable songs to behold, which I will hit upon in a moment.

What makes this adaptation of A Christmas Carol so superior is that, like it's contemporary productions such as The Twilight Zone, it doesn't extract the spiritual elements from the story but fully embraces and enhances them as it puts them on full display. You not only get the Ghosts of Christmas and Scrooges redemption but you also have Santa Claus and Christ kept within this story as well, making this a much more well-rounded production of A Christmas Carol. (Charles Dickens', in fact, referenced Biblical alliterations all throughout his most well-known novel, many of which are often ignored when the book has been adapted to film, so keeping Christ in Christmas is not in keeping with the original source material.) In large part this is thanks to the wonderful songs by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre but most adaptations of the Carol shy away from such things and are extremely lacking and rather forgettable as a result. Here we get such poignant and deep songs as One Little Boy, Birthday Party of the King, and Mankind Should Be My Business as well as the haunting I Wear A Chain sung by the Ghost of Jacob Marley and his fellow cursed spirits. The latter is one of the finest adaptations of the scene of Marley's visitation in that it never forgets that this is a ghost story. You will also find a very compelling case for believing in Santa Claus well into adulthood with the sentiments behind the song Yes There Is A Santa Claus. For fans of the cast recording be aware that there are alternate versions to some of the beloved songs found here, in many cases with additional lyrics.

Every Scrooge musical adaptation should forever be judged in how well this version captures the essence of Dickens' timeless story and that is why none have come remotely close in my mind. While the book for this version oddly enough rarely quotes the famous prose from the book it has some interesting interpretations. It finds humor in the situation of Scrooge's invisibility as he visits the present and mischievously moves things around people's homes to watch their reactions and it makes the connection between the young urchin who sings the Christmas Carol in the opening scenes who Scrooge chases away as being the one and same street urchin who fetches the turkey in the famous closing scenes. Scrooge also lives in the back of his counting house, which is something else I don't every recall seeing before in an adaptation of the Carol but a very interesting interpretation that you'd think we'd have seen more often. This is also the only film version of Scrooge that I'm aware of that seriously addresses Scrooge's future where we see him sharing the fate of Jacob Marley at the hands of the other cursed spirits and all of the terror that goes with it. (The Albert Finney version sends Scrooge to Hell but it does so in an extremely campy way.) We don't simply see the vagabonds looting his home and his gravestone but the spiritual aftermath afterward. Why this is so important is that for one of the few times on the screen we are able to understand the depths of horror Scrooge sees in his own future that finalize his change of heart by the addressing of the stock of his spiritual soul. The aforementioned songs, some of which include concepts not directly from the book, also enhance this story.

As I mentioned before, the print for this film was obtained from a 16 MM print of a Kinescope, however don't let this deter you for I have never seen a Kinescope print look this crisp and clear EVER. It is much more like looking through a textured window (which is fitting given the subject matter) than a recording of a TV screen, which is what a Kinescope is for the laymen (To make a quick, cheap copy for reairings in the early days of television it was commonplace for TV stations to have a camera film a TV screen of a production rather than make a costly printed copy of the film. Typically such prints are blurry and blotchy and often have distortion throughout the image, being filmed from a rounded out TV screen. The flipside is that without Kinescopes we would not have thousands of films from the first twenty-five years or so of television.) I have seen hundreds of these over the years and in many cases we have no other copies of these films from the infant days of television and this is by far the best print of a film I've ever seen captured through this method. There are no distortions or diffusions of color and very little distortion to the picture and what little slight distortion there is is resigned to the corners of the screen and even so appear more like grease smeared on a window than a truly distorted image. There's also very few artifacts in the film when compared to other similar films of the period and I didn't find these to be at all distracting. (Considering the source material and how it was kept for 6 decades it's surprising that the film has as few artifacts as it does) In fact this Kinescope is so pristine that it doesn't look at all like a Kinescope (I hope someone can post some stills.) This Kinescope print is so good that I would even suggest that Legend Films take note and consider colorizing it as they have colorized other kinescope prints that didn't look nearly as good as this one does. Since The Stingiest Man in Town was originally shot in color and intended to be seen that way this is not tampering with history but allowing us to see this film as it was intended to be. It is very unlikely we will ever be able to see it in color any other way.

The sound presented is in mono, as it originally aired, and for being a Kinescope the sound is very crisp and clear. Do not listen to the complaining comment of the uninformed viewer found here. There is no issue with the sound at all and, again, I'm surprised that this is all from a Kinescope. Whoever restored and treated this film print deserve kudos all around for they have pulled off what I would have thought to be impossible. I'm sure they could have adjusted the film even further but what we get is beyond miraculous and such a wonderful Christmas present that both Christmas buffs and Basil Rathbone fans have been dreaming of for decades. This is no cheap DVD dump found in the dollar bins of your local dept. store, it is obvious that a lot of care has gone into this release to ensure that this film does not vanish from existence entirely and will endure for generations to come.

It should also be noted that this is a live production from 1956 with all of the flubs and accidents early live TV sometimes had. (Modern audiences will be most familiar with this sort of thing from the late night shows and Saturday Night Live as TV drama is no longer filmed in this manner. In the earlier days of TV and radio it was considered to be far better to do a program live than via a recording.) This, however, doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the production but enhances the understanding of what you are seeing. Can you imagine producing a live 90 minute musical for television and all of the production chaos that could ensue? It's a miracle that such productions don't exhibit even more snafus than they do and just go to prove how much on the ball professionals these people truly were. One does wonder if this production inspired the backdrop of the 1988 dark comedy loosely based on A Christmas Carol, Scrooged.

But also keep in mind that this is a theatrical STAGE version of Scrooge with all of the energy that a live stage musical possess. This isn't one of the well-polished, long in the can, lavish made for TV Christmas films you find airing on cable every holiday season. This is indeed their ancestor but a very different animal. This is much more akin to the production values found in a filmed version of the Nutcracker which is the only example I can think of that most people could be universally familiar with. That's not to say that this was a shoddy performance. It's very well done with highly detailed sets and props and costumes and even showcases some film effects I never knew were possible in early live TV production. If you are familiar with Mary Martin's Peter Pan, which is probably the most well-known of this made for TV live musical genre then you'll know what to expect. All throughout the production you get a theatrical interpretation of the material such as Scrooge literally building a wall between himself and Belle as they sing In My Golden Dreams/It Might Have Been. If you are not familiar with stage entertainment give this a chance and discover all that this sort of entertainment could be. The only negative comment I can make about this musical is that at times the framing is a bit tight and I wish that the camera had been set a bit further back so we could see more of the choreography but this is the way early TV productions of the time, especially live ones with multiple set and scenery changes, were done.

As for the actors themselves, Basil Rathbone's vocals on the cast recording have been regarded as one of the best vocal versions of Scrooge ever captured if not THE greatest. Given that he was a radio actor and knew how to contort his voice to create pictures in the audience's head this is not at all surprising. The double edge sword of that in this particular case is that for over fifty years that cast recording has been the only way for audiences to experience this version of the Carol and as an inevitable result everyone has their own expectations and interpretations of what the visuals to those vocals should be. That being the case you will need to set aside such expectations, as I did, and which no production could never possibly live up to before you view this film to further enhance your enjoyment of the production. Once you put the dream production from your mind's eye out of your head you can take this production for what it is. Basil Rathbone (who is best remembered today as the definitive film Sherlock Holmes) gives an interesting performance of Ebenezer Scrooge. While not as subtlety multidimensional as Alastair Sim or some of the other most beloved film Scrooges, Rathbone gives a more broad theatrical stage presence with his interpretation. Interestingly when we first see Rathbone he seems to be stiff and heavily made up but as the production progresses he becomes more at ease and humanized. I'm sure this was intentional and I can't recall of another film Scrooge who has ever done this before. At times Rathbone also looks more like the original John Leech illustrations of Scrooge than any other cinematic Scrooge that comes to my mind. Does his visual performance measure up to his vocal performance? No, but what could for the aforementioned reason? He does hold his own rather well and is probably the best theatrical stage Scrooge ever captured on film. This isn't the conundrum of the awful Seymour Hicks (THE Scrooge of his day) portrayal in the 1930's version. Rathbone is much more in keeping with the flavor and tone of the book and isn't a burlesque parody such as Hicks is remembered for. Rathbone rightfully deserves a place of honor in the hall of fame of the best Scrooges ever captured on film.

The rest of the cast doesn't stand out as much as Rathbone but this obviously his vehicle. Whereas the 1938 MGM version is known as the Bob Cratchit version of Scrooge (interestingly enough we see very little of Scrooge's clerk here) this could be called the Nephew Fred version for we spend more time with Fred than I think we do in any other filmed version I`ve ever seen. Here Fred is played by singer Johnny Desmond, the other major player of the production, second only to Rathbone himself. Desmond is the first actor we see and he sings three songs. Vic Damone is the other notable actor of the time who plays Scrooge as a youth. The pop group The Four Lads host the production as a group of Christmas Carolers who narrate the production through song. I'd also like to mention Robert Weede's depiction of the Ghost of Jacob Marley. Although he doesn't look like the typical interpretation of the character he has the best vocal of Marley I've ever heard. You truly believe that this is the voice of a tortured and tormented soul.

The DVD doesn't come with any bonus features but it does contain a nice booklet with editorials by Christopher Torre Perky, son of lyricist Janice Torre who was instrumental in The Stingiest Man In Town being made at all, and Dickens in Film expert Fred Guida. If you enjoy A Christmas Carol or the world of Charles Dickens I'd also highly recommend Fred's extensive book A Christmas Carol and Its Adaptations as a tremendous guide and resource for the most complete history and background of the cinematic history of A Christmas Carol that can be found. If this release is ever updated with a colorized version of this film print I'd like to see any background information on the production that can be included such as photographs (if any exist and can be located) such as has been done on the various DVD releases of the Alastair Sim version of the Carol. But what we do get here is welcomed and in some ways completely unexpected.

I can not sing enough praise for this version of A Christmas Carol for this is an essential Christmas DVD that belongs in every holiday collection. Whether you're a fan of A Christmas Carol, Christmas films, or are just looking for something from the past to rediscover at Christmas time then by all means give The Stingiest Man in Town a chance. I hope that my review has been able to give you a much more informed purchase and appreciation for this fantastic treasure from Christmases past. If enough interest is garnered perhaps we will one day see an updated remake done with modern production values or even a Broadway production of this Carol playing alongside The Grinch, Elf, and It's A Wonderful Life: The Musical. One can only dream that this could be in a Christmas yet to come. This is a Christmas film that deserves to be seen and given new life and should be unwrapped and opened under your cinematic Christmas tree every Christmas season. Indeed, God bless us everyone!

- Ed McCray

Creator of Jill Chill and author of The Sword & the Gauntlet, The Monsters' Review, Folked Up America! and Jill Chill & the Christmas Star.

You got to be kidding.My grand mother had a copy of the soundtrack at her house.She gave it to me and as a kid I wore it out from over playing.I heard it was lost for good-Then last year I got it on CD. What shocked me was I still remembered it word from word even after 40 years.The music is that good filled with STRONG Christian Messages.Now the unbelievable is coming to life.They found a copy of this.WOW!AMAZING! I can't wait to get my copy of this and see it 10 or 20 time before Christmas. This is the HOLY GRAIL of the Charles Dickens classic.Songs like-I WEAR A CHAIN-CREEPS THE CRAP OUT OF ME.Golden Dreams-Mankind should be my business-One little boy-and The Birthday party to the king are such powerful song they will move you to tears.THE SONG -IT MIGHT OF BEEN -hits people hard who live with any kind of regret. The strong message that no matter how lost you may feel in your life -their is always time to change your direction and make a difference.THANK YOU to who ever found this gem.

My family has been playing the audio on record and cd for last 30 Christmas seasons. We searched online for any info regarding this Alcoa Hour presentation
for many years. We had all but given up when my brother spotted it on line this
year. The picture is a bit grainey, black and white, sound very good. If you are a true fan of Scrooge this production will delight. Written insert about how film finally surfaced very interesting. Enjoy!

This was a Christmas present for my autistic son. He loves all versions of "The Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. He had the animated version for this and now he has this one, too. He collects books and movies about this wonderful classic and now he is delighted to have another to add to his collection. Thanks for having it!!