If you got the chance to watch the 1979 TV-movie "An American Christmas Carol," I'm sure you'll agree it's an interesting take!
Let's talk a bit about the star, Henry Winkler as the Scrooge surrogate character, Benedict Slade.
Winkler is definitely best-known for his portrayal of Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, AKA "The Fonz" on the long-running (1974-1984) TV series "Happy Days."
I was a kid when "Happy Days" premiered and I was as big a fan of the show and Fonzie as every other kid I knew. The whole Fonzie thing was the biggest cultural phenomenon that I personally recall being swept up in.
Like most such things, you really had to be there to appreciate it!
So, this TV-movie came along in 1979, which was right in the middle of the "Happy Days" run, but it was already a couple of years after the show had literally "jumped the shark."
By the time the 1977 shark-jumping episode aired, I had already thought the Fonzie character was too super-human and featured too much on the show.
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| I liked it better when Fonzie sometimes wore a cloth jacket and was shadier! |
That happens sometimes when an intriguing side character becomes the breakout character and sort of moves away from what you liked about the character to begin with.
In any event, I can totally see why Henry Winkler took on this project to expand his acting horizons.
He has some interesting comments in this latter-day clip:
I think he does a good job in the role, not seeming like the Fonz at all, as he disappears into the Slade character.
It's not that jarring in 2022, as he's still around and we're used to seeing him older and in more varied roles.
But what a shock it was in 1979!
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