A Christmas Carol (1984) - Part 2 - Great Scott!

 A star gets his name above the title in the same same size font!

George C. Scott gives a fascinating performance in the 1984 TV adaptation of "A Christmas Carol."

He was an actor's actor, always bringing a lot to his roles and commanding the screen whenever he was on camera. So, you knew he wasn't going to phone it in!

First of all, he has a great "look" as Scrooge. I don't know if the ginormous mutton chops are period authentic, but when you see him, you know he's Scrooge.

He also uses his normal speaking voice rather than trying to affect a British accent. I think that's a good choice, as it allows you to focus on the performance instead of being distracted by a wacky accent. There's also enough British stuff around him that the production does not seem. Americanized.

The difference with this Scrooge here, is that more than perhaps any other, Scott plays him as a tough businessman instead of just a miser.

Not that other Scrooges aren't tough businessmen, but they usually have at least a touch of eccentric miserliness, and if they can get over it, are relatively easily reformed.

Not this cat, though! Talk about a tough nut to crack! He is cold through and through.

He can deflect anything that's thrown at him by the spirits and think better of himself for it.

In the Christmas Past sequence, for example, instead of weeping over how lonely he was as a boy, he seems proud of how he was able to "make do."

In the Christmas Present sequence, when the ghost repeats Scrooge's "surplus population" remark, he seems more annoyed than ashamed.

And he's always ready with a quick comeback. If MAD magazine had existed back then, he could have handled the "Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions" feature like a Victorian era Al Jaffee!

As the story moves along, he actually ramps up his rationalizations, but it's clear that this is a defense mechanism.

What I like is that his facial expressions betray what he's really thinking, despite his glib patter. A great actor can let you know what he's thinking without saying anything or perhaps saying something else.

More than almost any other Scrooge, this guy really needs to be scared in order to reform.

But, reform he does. He doesn't go absolutely crazy when he does. He's still a bit reserved and thoughtful. This actually probably makes the whole thing more realistic than some other portrayals.

All in all, it's that realism and believability that earns him a spot on that Scrooge Mount Rushmore!