''A Christmas Carol'' is a British-American animated adaptation of

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

's 1843 novella. The film was broadcast on U.S. television by ABC on December 21, 1971, and released theatrically soon after. In 1972, it won the

Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film is an award given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as part of the annual Academy Awards, or Oscars, since the 5th Academy Awards (with different names), covering the year 1 ...

Plot

The place: London. The time: 1843. Ebenezer Scrooge is about to meet the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future to teach him the true spirit of the season. This adaptation includes scenes of miners and sailors singing carols that were left out in previous adaptations.

Cast (voices)

Alastair Sim Alastair George Bell Sim, CBE (9 October 1900 – 19 August 1976) was a Scottish character actor who began his theatrical career at the age of thirty and quickly became established as a popular West End performer, remaining so until his ...

as Ebenezer Scrooge *

Michael Redgrave Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave CBE (20 March 1908 – 21 March 1985) was an English stage and film actor, director, manager and author. He received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''Mourning Becomes Elec ...

as Narrator *

Michael Hordern Sir Michael Murray Hordern Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE (3 October 19112 May 1995)Morley, Sheridan"Hordern, Michael Murray (1911–1995)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, online e ...

as Marley's Ghost *

Diana Quick Diana Marilyn Quick (born 23 November 1946) is an English actress. Early life and family background Quick was born on 23 November 1946 in London, England. She grew up in Dartford, Kent, the third of four children. Her father was Leonard Qui ...

Ghost of Christmas Past The Ghost of Christmas Past is a fictional character in Charles Dickens' 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol''. The Ghost is one of three spirits which appear to miser Ebenezer Scrooge to offer him a chance of redemption. Following a visit from ...

Joan Sims Irene Joan Marion Sims (9 May 1930 – 27 June 2001) was an English actress, best remembered for her roles in the ''Carry On'' franchise, appearing in 24 of the films (the most for any actress). On television, she is known for playing Gran i ...

as Mrs. Cratchit * Paul Whitsun-Jones as

Fezziwig Mr. Fezziwig is a character from the 1843 novella '' A Christmas Carol'' created by Charles Dickens to provide contrast with Ebenezer Scrooge's attitudes towards business ethics. Scrooge apprenticed under Fezziwig. Despite this, the older Scroog ...

/Old Joe * David Tate as Fred/Charity Man *

Felix Felton Robert Forbes Felton (12 August 1911 – 21 October 1972), known professionally as Felix Felton, was a British film, television, stage and voice actor as well as a radio director, composer and author. Radio work In his earlier years Felton cons ...

Ghost of Christmas Present The Ghost of Christmas Present is a fictional character in Charles Dickens' 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol''. The Ghost is one of three spirits which appear to miser Ebenezer Scrooge to offer him a chance of redemption. Following a visit fr ...

*Annie West as Belle *

Melvyn Hayes Melvyn Hayes ('' né'' Hyams; 11 January 1935) is an English actor and voice over performer. He is best known for playing the effeminate Gunner (later Bombardier) "Gloria" Beaumont in the 1970s BBC sitcom ''It Ain't Half Hot Mum'', for appea ...

Bob Cratchit Bob Cratchit is a fictional character in the Charles Dickens 1843 novel ''A Christmas Carol''. The abused, underpaid clerk of Ebenezer Scrooge (and possibly Jacob Marley, when he was alive), Cratchit has come to symbolize the poor working condi ...

Mary Ellen Ray Mary Ellen Ray (3 January 1931 – 10 September 2004) was an American-born actress who had a career in the United Kingdom. Early life She was born as Mary Ellen McPherson in Springfield, Missouri in 1931 to 17 year-old Hayzle McPherson and ...

as Mrs. Dilber * Alexander Williams as Tiny Tim (uncredited)

Production

''A Christmas Carol'' was directed by Richard Williams and its visual style is also largely due to Ken Harris, credited as "Master Animator". It starred

as the voice of Ebenezer Scrooge — a role Sim had previously performed in the 1951 live-action film '' Scrooge''.

likewise reprised his 1951 performance as Marley's Ghost in the same film.

narrated the story and veteran Looney Tunes animator Chuck Jones served as executive producer. Williams' son Alexander Williams, then aged four, provided the voice for Tiny Tim.

Aesthetics

This adaptation of ''A Christmas Carol'' has a distinctive look, created by multiple pans and zooms and by innovative, unexpected scene transitions. The visual style, which is unusually powerful, is inspired by 19th century engraved illustrations of the original story by John Leech and the pen and ink renderings by illustrator Milo Winter that graced 1930s editions of the book. The intended audience does not include young children, and the film's bleak mood and emphasis on darkness and shadows lead some to consider it the most frightening of the many dramatizations of the Dickens classic.

Reception and legacy

Originally produced as a 1971

television special A television special (often TV special, or rarely television spectacular) is a standalone television show which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Some specials provide a full range of ent ...

, the quality of the animation on ''A Christmas Carol'' was considered so well done ( even at the time when it was made) that it was subsequently released theatrically, thereby rendering it eligible for Oscar consideration, and the film did go on to win the

a year later. Some industry insiders took issue that a short originally shown on television was given the award, and the Academy responded by changing its policy, disqualifying any future works initially shown on television eligibility.

References

External links

''A Christmas Carol'' (1971) on YouTube
*

Retrieved January 2013 {{DEFAULTSORT:Christmas Carol (TV special 1971 films 1971 animated films 1971 short films 1971 television specials 1972 films 1972 animated films 1972 short films 1970s American television specials 1970s animated short films 1970s fantasy films American animated short films American Broadcasting Company television specials American Christmas films British Christmas films Animated Christmas films Animated films based on novels 1970s animated television specials Best Animated Short Academy Award winners Films based on A Christmas Carol Films directed by Richard Williams 1970s Christmas films American Christmas television specials Animated Christmas television specials Films produced by Richard Williams (animator) 1970s English-language films 1970s American films 1970s British films Films set in 1843 Films set in the 1840s