Customer Reviews

Stingiest Man in Town [VHS]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Way, way back at the time of live televison and only black and white pictures, "Stingiest Man In Town" was a Chrsitmas special with Basil Rathbone as Scrooge. It was a musical and, except for an LP recording of the score, quickly faded away. I can still remember sitting glued to the TV watching it. I have the recording and it is always out at holiday time. This was the seed from which this cartoon grew. The scenes were linked, not by Mr. Humbug, but by a quartet of Christmas carolers played by the Four Lads. It is a show that lived only in my momories as I listened to the recording.
Then those wonderful producers, Rankin and Bass took the original TV version and converted it to an animated special. While I would really like a tape of the original, this version is a great substitute. Rankin and Bass always have produced quality programs and this one is no different. It is one of the most enjoyable of the animated versions of this classic Dicken's work. The songs add a lightness to the story which can sometimes become boged down in so much social commentary that it becomes depressing instead of uplifting.
For family viewing, this is an excellent version fo "Christmas Carol" for younger audiences (but adults can hear some lovely music too). When the children are put to bed, the parents can then get out the wonderful Patrick Stewart or George C. Scott versions and enjoy it on another level. For another musical version, check out "Scrooge" with Albert Finney.

I really hope they release this one on DVD. It's the most magical and tender version of Dickens's inmortal tale, filled with songs so powerful that will recall that child within you, felling the glow of Xmas the way It's meant to. It's a family tradition to share this animated treasure for us and it just gets better every year. It is just timeless

Grew up watching this and want a copy! My old recorded VHS is dying. I love the songs and everything Rankin/Bass. Gives me happy feelings.

While this is mostly the Scrooge story that we all know so well, there are some nice ideas thrown in to make it stand out and work well in it's musical format. Because first and foremost, this is a musical. This special has more songs than any other work by Rankin/Bass, the whopping 11 songs include "Yes, There is a Santa Claus", "Birthday Party of the King", "One Little Boy, "Sing A Christmas Carol", "Merry Christmas Uncle Scrooge", "The Chain Song", "An Old Fashioned Christmas", "Song of the Christmas Spirit", "Listen to the Song of the Christmas Spirit", "Golden Dreams", "It Might Have Been", and of course the title song "The Stingiest Man in Town". Janice Tore wrote the lyrics, which is unusual, Jules Bass wrote the lyrics for most of the Rankin/Bass specials. Music supervision by Maury Laws, music arranged and conducted by Bernard Hoffer.

Rankin/Bass studio made yet another hit holiday film with this television special that first aired on NBC on December 23, 1978 in a 1 hour format. Walter Matthau as Scrooge (his son Charles voiced the boy at the end), and Tom Bosley as B.A.H. Humbug the cricket, mostly a narrator. Dennis Day who stars as Fred, also did voice work in "Frosty's Winter Wonderland". The famous voice actor Paul Frees appears as the Ghost of Christmas Past. Robert Morse as Young Scrooge.
Character design was by Paul Coker Jr (from MADA Magazine) who did design for almost every film by Rankin/Bass, both Animagic and traditional cel animation. The screenplay is by Romeo Muller, the most prolific writer at the studio. By the way, this was one of the most expensive efforts put on by the studio. While it did not reach the cost of a theatrical animated feature, the 150 person animation staff spent $1.5 million.

This is a very nice film from the holiday entertainers of Rankin/Bass Studio and I highly recommend. Their studio brought us such memorable holiday classics such as Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Year without a Santa Claus, Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey, Mad Monster Party, The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Mouse on the Mayflower, Here Comes Peter Cottontail, Cricket on the Hearth, Jack Frost, Pinnochio's Christmas, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, the First Easter Bunny. They also made non-holiday films such as the Hobbit, Flight of Dragons, the Last Unicorn. It is incredible that one company is responsible for all those TV specials, 95% of the ones we see every year. Their work includes standard animation, stop-motion Animagic, and live action. UPDATE: Good news, this is now on DVD, a box set called Classic Christmas Favorites includes this classic as one 10 terrific holiday stories in the box set. The release if from Warner Brothers and 9 of the shows are Rankin/Bass, while the other is the Grinch. Great value on this set, it also has the rare "Leprechauns Christmas Carol". The picture and sound appear to be restored, I highly recommend! To see more Rankin/Bass Christmas titles, see my list at Amazon.com titled "Complete list of Rankin/Bass Studios Christmas movies"

I was thrilled to find and be able to buy a copy of this animated story. It arrived quickly and the VHS tape works beautifully. I was only disappointed a bit in the condition of the VHS carton, which was taped on one side and had some frayed edges...not quite the "like new" condition that had been indicated. I would purchase from this vendor again.

If you like Rankin/Bass Christmas specials such as "The First Christmas" with Angela Lansbury, then you will also like this Christmas special! Highly recommended it for Christmas time!

As mentioned in another post I was reading, this particular story is released on DVD now. I just found it today.
It is part of a 10 holiday favorites Classic Christmas Favorites.
I cannot wait to see it! Now, I am patiently waiting on the rest to be released on DVD. :)

I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS DICKENS VERSION AND WOULD SO LIKE TO HAVE IT ON DVD. MY CHILDREN LOVED IT AND NOW I AM PASSING IT ON TO MY GREAT NIECES AND NEPHEWS. I LOVE THIS ANIMATED VERSION AND ONE SPECIAL FEATURE IS THAT THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS IS FOCUSED ON, IF BRIEFLY, AND I LOVE THAT. LOVELY MOVIE FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS. I STILL LOVE TO WATCH IT.

This is the very first rendition of A Christmas Carol I ever saw, even before Mickey's Christmas Carol. The vocies, the songs, the music, LOVE THEM ALL!!!

According to Warner Home Video's website, "Stingiest Man in Town" will be part of this collection of Rankin/Bass Christmas shows: Classic Christmas Favorites. I am thrilled to know this is finally being released on DVD!

Okay, all that aside...honestly the closeups of Marley's face on the door knocker gave me nightmares as a kid. To this day I can barely watch that short moment in the cartoon or hear the music in the background. Other than that, I absolutely love this movie and have since childhood. Walter Matthau made a great singing Scrooge, the animation was well executed and it's something I wish was still shown on TV.