Rich Little: 1963 vs. 1978

Since we just reviewed the "Rich Little's Christmas Carol" 1978 TV special and had previously reviewed his 1963 LP "Scrooge and the Stars," the natural thing to do now is compare them!

SPOILER: I prefer the earlier LP for a number of reasons.

I think a project like this works better in audio form, as you can picture the "celebrities" in your mind as you hear the voices. With the video, you're at the mercy of how close the makeup artists could make Rich Little look like the celebrities.

I find that I can lose myself better in the illusion of audio. I'm a big fan of Old-Time Radio anyway, so I'm no stranger to the theater of the mind.

I thnik the material is a bit stronger on the LP as well. Both projects credit Rich Little as the sole writer, so it's a fair fight.

My retro mindset also makes me like the 1963 pop culture refences more than the 1978 ones.

And, last but not least, the LP is about half as long as the TV special. For a novelty, Mr. Shakespeare was not lying when he wrote, "Brevity is the soul of wit."

Still, some fun to be had with both projects.

Next!