The Stingiest Man in Town (1978) - Part 1

The Stingiest Man in Town (1978)
Directors: Arthur Rankin, Jr., Jules Bass
Scrooge: Walter Matthau

We go back to the video world for the 1978 animated version of "The Stingiest Man in Town" from the Rankin/Bass studio.

This, of course, is based on the 1956 television production of the same name. In 1978, the kinescope of that 1956 show had not yet been discovered, so it was just a memory with a soundtrack at that point!

The 1978 cartoon is not particularly well-remembered. I think most people have never heard of it, despite it coming from the producers of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman" and other holiday classics.

In fact, I do not remember this from the 1970s at all and I don't think I've ever seen it in a TV listing since.

I'm not sure why this was not on my radar back then, as a new Rankin/Bass special based on "A Christmas Carol" would totally have been in my wheelhouse.

Whatever the case, this showed up as an "extra" on a DVD box set of Christmas specials. Not sure why it was on the "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" DVD, but, hey, it's good to have.

So, is this something of a lost gem? Alas, not so much.

Why is that?

Partially I think it's because this special is traditional animation rather than the stop-motion "Animagic" process that makes a lot of the Rankin-Bass specials so great.

This Santa always kind of creeped me out!

The character designs by Paul Coker, Jr. are most reminiscent to me of his work on "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," which I think is generally considered a second-tier R/B special. Here the designs are just idiosyncratic, with the dots on the noses and cheeks and such. I'm not a huge fan of that look.

These are funny, though!

I remember Coker's work in MAD Magazine around this same time and he was never one of my favorites. Where was Jack Davis when they needed him?

Also, I have some issues with the voice cast, starting with the star!