So Not Scrooge!

While hunting around for Scrooge-related collectibles online, it's somewhat surprising how often I see this 1997 Hallmark ornament identified as Scrooge:

It does look quite a bit like Scrooge looking out the window on Christmas morning, perhaps about to tell the kid to get the prize turkey, but...

The caption says, "When, what to my wondering eyes should appear..." That's a quote from "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement C. Moore (maybe), colloquially known as "The Night Before Christmas," not "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Duh!

The back of the box makes that clear:

As does the underside of the ornament itself:

Which raises the question as to whether the online sellers don't know the difference or are trying to trick potential buyers into thinking it's actually Scrooge!

And do the potential buyers not know the difference?

It's one of those things that shouldn't really bug me, but it just does, you knw?

What bothers me more, though, is that I want one anyway!

Totally Rad!

Here's a snazzy ornament from Christopher Radko:

No surprise that it goes for big bucks on the secondary market!

"Boys' Life" (December 1998)

Here's an cool illustration by Bill Cigliano for the December 1998 issue of "Boys' Life" magazine:

Not sure what's inside, but the characters we see on Scrooge's hat are intriguing, including the very Ann Rutherford-looking Ghost of Christmas Past!

Compare and contrast with the 1952 issue of "Boys' Life" we saw way back when!

On Model!

Enesco was back with another Scrooge Jack-in-the-Box, but this time it was Scrooge McDuck from "Mickey's Christmas Carol":

Now we're talking!

They also issued Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit:

Very fun!

Easy Does It!

"A Christmas Carol Easy Piano Picture Book" (1998)

Faber and Faber

Text: Kenneth Lillingam

Illustations: Annabel Spenceley

Here's an interesting edition of "A Christmas Carol" that blends an illustrated kid-version of the story with "easy" piano versions of Christmas carols!

A sample of the story:

A sample carol:

Kind of fun!

Cup of Joe!

This circa 1991 coffee mug from Denny's is pretty cool...

It looks like this:

Until you pour a hot beverage into it, and:

If only Bob Cratchit had made a coffee run!

Japanese!

This Japanese edition published in 1999 by Shinchosha has an interesting cover:

That 's a mischievous Ghost of Christmas Past leading Scrooge. I guess the toys represent Scrooge's childhood?

I'm sure some foreign language editions use illustration from other editions, but I haven't seen this cover art elsewhere.

More McDuck!

This coloring book from 1994 seems interesting:

What catches my eye is that this is billed as "A Christmas Carol" rather than "Mickey's Christmas Carol" so how is the story presented?

I wonder if I can still get a copy for 99 cents?

Modern Stone Age!

This is pretty cool:

Signed by Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera!

That Charles Brickens, though - what a ham!

"When Love is Gone" (1992) - Martina McBride

"When Love is Gone" (1992)

Martina McBride

BMG Kidz

Kate Winslet as Belle's song "What If" makes me think of Belle's song from "The Muppet Christmas Carol" (1992), "When Love is Gone, which we all know was deleted from the theatrical movie shortly before release (as discussed here).

But it doesn't make think of the song as sung by Meredith Braun as Belle, but rather the studio version as sung by country star Martina McBride and played over the end credits.

So, let's give that one a listen:

Why did they cut that again?

"You... You/Once Upon a December" - Michael Chertock (1998)

"You... You/Once Upon a December" (1998)

Christmas at the Movies

Michael Chertock

Telarc

Here's a cut from the 1998 album "Christmas at the Movies" by pianist Michael Chertock.

I've had the CD since it first came out and it's really nice, but due to my OSD, this particular track has always been my favorite because it features the song "You... You" from the 1970 musical version of "Scrooge."

This haunting song by Leslie Bricusse is kinda/sorta "sung" by Albert Finney while thinking about his lost love.

It's mashed up here with the similar sounding "Once Upon a December" from the 1997 animated feature "Anastasia."

An interesting tie-in with this song is that the lyrics (not heard here) are by Lynn Ahrens, who also wrote the lyrics for "A Christmas Carol: The Musical." Throw in that Kelsey Grammer who played Scrooge in the TV-movie of that musical also does voicework in "Anastasia" and you come back around again!

In any event, give it a listen:

Fleer Christmas Trading Cards (1995)

Here's a snappy little subset of trading cards issued by Fleer in 1995 as part of a larger Christmas series.

It's an extremely condensed version of "A Christmas Carol" in seven cards:

Pretty fun how the "human" characters are mice and the spirits are birds. A good way to introduce this story to kids!

"A Christmas Carol" All-Star Team - Day 19

 

As we continue to put together our All-Star Team, we encounter the Ghost of Christmas Past!

This particular spirit is the one that varies the most from one adaptation to another, due to the hard-to-capture description in the book, which is hard to depict in illustrated form, let alone live-action!

One depiction to me captures the "like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed through some supernatural medium" pretty well, though - Joel Grey in the 1999 made-for-TV version starring Patrick Stewart:

I think Joel Grey has always had a child-like quality anyway and with his age at the time (67) and some special effects, he nails it!

Of course in my little world, the Oscar, Tony and Grammy winning Mr. Grey is best-known as the son of master song satirist Mickey Katz:

But that's a whole 'nother story!

"A Christmas Carol" All-Star Team - Day 6

 

We continue to assemble our All-Star Team of characters from "A Christmas Carol" with Belle, the former fiancée of Ebenezer Scrooge.

There are some good Belles out there, but my pick is Meredith Braun from 1992's "The Muppet Christmas Carol."

Of course, she gets a lot of sentiment because her big song, "When Love is Gone," was unceremoniously cut from the film before its theatrical release.

But we get to enjoy the song as a deleted scene and she does an awesome job!

There's more info at this previous post!

Scrooge meets... Emmett Kelly?

 Here's a crossover even I think is wacky: Ebenezer Scrooge meeting Emmett Kelly!

Emmett Kelly (1898-1979) being perhaps the most famous circus clown ever, but not particularly known for hanging around Victorian London!

But here he is in his "Weary Willie" persona, serenading Mr. Scrooge, as depicted by painter Barry Leighton-Jones.

Adding to the wackiness is that here are a couple of other variations on this theme.

I'm not sure which came first, the painting or this collector's plate depicting a similar scene:

The back of the plate helpfully tells us this is the tenth in the annual Christmas series and bears the title of "Merry Christmas Mister Scrooge" and was issued in 1995:

It's interesting that the painting and plate have the same theme, but a number of differences, not the least of which is that Weary Willie switched from violin to flute!

Scrooge doesn't seem impressed by either!

We're not done yet, however!

There was also an ornament issued in 1995:

Yes, it's the same scene, as the box tell us:

It's certainly unusual to have a twentieth century figure meet the actual Ebenezer Scrooge rather than a Scroogesque surrogate.

Very clever and lots of fun!

"Mickey's Films" Stamps - Ghana (1994)

"Mickey's Films" Stamps (1994)
Ghana

The African country of Ghana also got in the fun of Mickey Mouse's 65 anniversary with a set of stamps featuring "Mickey's Films" in 1994.

Their salute to "Mickey's Christmas Carol" (1983) features this iconic image:

I absolutely love this special take on the classic Mickey opening card that begins the cartoon. I remember when I first saw "Mickey's Christmas Carol" and that image made me know it was going to be good!

Here's the classic, used from  through 1953:

Now back to the hunt for more stamps!

"Mickey Mouse Movie Clips" Stamps - Grenada (1993)

"Mickey Mouse Movie Clips" Stamps (1993)
Grenada

Here's another stamp from another Caribbean island, this time Grenada with one of its series of "Mickey Mouse Movie Clips" from 1993.

One of the stamps naturally features "Mickey's Christmas Carol" (1983) with perhaps the most used "clip" from that cartoon:

Can't go wrong with that!

This set was issued for Mickey's 65th birthday. The cover here featuring "Mickey's Trailer," an awesome short from 1938 is equally awesome:

"The Muppet Christmas Carol" (1992) Lobby Cards

Before the lobby card train leaves the station, we have another theatrical adaptation to check out" "The Muppet Christmas Carol" from 1992!

Here are some:

Good fun!