An American Christmas Carol was actually filmed in the town I grew up in. According to folks in town, Henry Winkler was incredibly kind & super respectful. They had nothing but great things to say about him.

The 1984 version with George C. Scott is my favorite. Coincidentally, my wife and I watched it last night and I mentioned the Rich Little version, which my dad loved.

The Patrick Stewart one is a favorite of mine, as well. So is Scrooged, which I consider the Christmas version of Groundhog Day

I'm always amazed how, " Scrooge " (1970) with Albert Finney, and Alec Guinness is always skipped over and is always the hardest to find. I'm glad I finally own a copy of it. I don't know if it's because it's called Scrooge instead of A Christmas Carol or if it's because of copyrights of the two most famous actors who have ever played Scrooge & Marley. I just don't understand it. If anyone has any real information it would be most welcome.

It isn't a direct adaptation, but I do recommend The Man Who Invented Christmas. Dan Stevens plays Charles Dickens while he goes through the process of creating A Christmas Carol. And we get to see Christopher Plummer play as Ebenezer Scrooge during the inception of the tale. It's a fun movie and became part of my holiday watching since release a couple years ago.

I can't believe that I took the time to research that Scrooge, would infact, know what ketchup was. Maybe not the EZ squeeze bottles made from plastic though.

The trippy 1971 animated version (that won the Oscar!) was my favorite.

Albert Finney was 34 when he starred in Scrooge (the 1970 musical), and played the old man so convincingly that you forget he's not really an old man. And keep in mind, that's while singing and dancing as an old man. The one thing that really gives him away are his fat, young fingers. By the time you see him as young Eb, you may forget that it's the same actor.

My favorite overlooked adaptation of A Christmas Carol is the early 1970’s Chuck Jones animated version voiced by Alistair Sim.

Blackadder Christmas Carol is a good reverse version of the story

The host of Supermarket Sweep playing Scrooge in 2013 is somehow the most 2020 thing ever.

You mentioned that you're surprised there weren't more Christmas Carol sequels. There is one I can think of. The 1985 Anthology series "George Burns Comedy Week" had for its second to last episode "Christmas Carol II: The Sequel". The series itself would be worthy of an episode as it was from Steve Martin and Carl Gottlieb and was riding the brief anthology tv series craze of the mid 80s.

A Muppet Christmas Carol is my personal favourite. Michael Caine's serious dramatic performance contrasted with the silly muppets is iconic

I could watch henry winkler wash his hands. Love him

I thought he sounded familiar, the scrooge from "Mister Scrooge to see you" is the host os Supermarket Sweep. So weird to see him in something other than a fantastically hideous sweater, but I guess you gotta continue to work. This is a wonderful hodgepodge list of movies. Will have to watch them sometime for fun.

My personal favorite is the 1970 Scrooge with Albert Finney and Alec Guinness.

For a minute there, I mistook the actor playing Scrooge in ''Scrooge To See You'' for Dereck Jacobi, but then I couldn't understand how a low budget Christian film company could afford him. Then it occurred to me that it was actually David Ruprecht, the host of the old ''Supermarket Sweep'' gameshow. Other than Supermarket Sweep, Ruprecht's big claim to fame was playing the guy that married Janet in the last season of ''Three's Company''.

I watch the Blackadder version every year!

They should remake the Christmas Carol starring Henry Winkler now that he's old, and use the footage of Young Henry for flashbacks

Albert Finney's "Scrooge" is the one my family watches every year.

I'm so glad you included the Henry Winkler version, which came out when I was a (very media-aware) 11-year-old. He was at peak popularity then -- he could write his own ticket, and I think he chose this project to get as far away from The Fonz as he could. I watched at least some of it and remember thinking, "Huh, he pulled it off pretty well."

The '51 version with Alastair Sim is still to this day the definite and best one. Scrooged is a personal favorite of myself and my wife. You forgot to mention the 1997 movie Ebenezer with Jack Palance as Scrooge, I've never seen anyone even remotely remember it being made

I love An American Christmas Carol. I saw it for the first time on The Family Channel when I was a kid. Now I have it on Blu-ray. My favorite Christmas Carol has to be the Patrick Stewart version

Yes, the TNT Patrick Stewart is a good one.

Our family favorite is the 1970 British, musical version titled Scrooge. A young Albert Finney does an excellent job as Scrooge. From the Smith family, we wish everyone a very merry Christmas 🎅 🎄 ♥

My favorite versions are a tie between A Muppet Christmas Carol with Michael Caine and Scrooge with Albert Finney. My least favorite is probably the Disney animated version with Jim Carey, it's an uncanny valley nightmare.

one version that wasn't as bad as I expected was "Ebenezer", a Western version starring Jack Palance

I was somewhat raised on Rich Little's Christmas Carol. It is enjoyable for what it was, though I do agree it should have been much shorter, less Dickens more Rich Little.

The Patrick Stewart version is my favorite, followed closely by the Disney version.

I love Christmas Carol like every single one I don’t really have a favorite

The 3rd movie actually looks really wholesome

Oh man, I remember watching Rich Little’s Christmas Carol as a kid. Even then I knew it was cringe city.

My favorite is Scrooge with Albert Finney. Such a great movie. I still haven't seen Scrooged for some reason though, and I love Bill Murray.

I taught this in college English class--we would read the Dickens text in class, and I would show four versions: 1951 (Alastair Sims), "Scrooged,," the George C. Scott (1984) version, and Patrick Stewart (1999) version. Patrick Stewart's version received about 75% of the votes over a ten-year period of teaching this curriculum.

Man, ever since I first saw the "Rich Little's 'A Christmas Carol'" I fell in love with it and never missed it when it was on (originally on HBO). Been looking for a high quality video commercial version of it for years. Best I could find was a somewhat fuzzy one on KZfaq years ago.

My least favorite adaptation is Christmas Carol: The Musical starring Kelsey Grammar! The one version I liked the best is Scrooged starring Bill Murray.

When you play a time traveling Ebenezer Scrooge and you hear the beep, think of the fun you could have on Supermarket Sweep!!

About Mr. Scrooge to See You, the one time he went to the future it was comparatively close to his own starting point when everything was still recognizable. Getting chucked a full two centuries beyond his time makes a big difference.

My favs are Albert Finney, Rowan Atkinson and Bill Murray, though I like George C Scott and Alistair Sim too. To be fair its a great story so any version is usually worth a watch.

I get so excited whenever you post a new video. No matter the subject, I know it will be quality. Keep up the great work.

The Henry Winkler version played regularly year after year until the 90s. Maybe not on the big networks, but you could always find it somewhere.

My father made us suffer through Rich Littles Christmas Carol for years... He laughed away as we counted down the minutes to watch something else. I like Rich Little now, but damn it was torture when i was young haha.

I love that last version, it is exactly my kind of corny and I would never have heard of it but for your video. Adaptations are just such a cool topic tbh. Good video

I was hoping you'd touch on Ebenezer, a western version of the story starring Jack Palance. Saw it when I was a kid and it's always stuck with me.

Have you ever seem the BBC's Black Adder's Christmas...it's hilarious adaptation where a good man turns into a mean-spirited soul. It's a TV show but it's creative...take a gander at this re-telling.

The 1970 musical "Scrooge" is my favorite behind the '95 version

I also love the Patrick Stewart version. I also love The Muppet Christmas Carol, Mickey’s Christmas Carol, and the 2009 animated movie with Jim Carrey as Scrooge.

Back in 1985 there was a TV show on CBS called the George Burns Comedy Week. It was an anthology show that had a new hour long story every week. One was a Christmas Carol II: The Sequel. It takes place one year after the events of A Christmas Carol. James Whitmore plays Scrooge. The ghosts come again to visit him. Scrooge is confused and asks has he not been a generous and giving person? The ghosts tell him yes but he has a new problem, that everyone sees him as an easy mark who gives out money without question. Even the Cratchet family sees him as someone they can pump money out of. The lessons at the end is be kind and generous but don't be a sucker and if you just give money to people without question they will feel entitled to it and won't love or respect you for it. I remember seeing it when I was in high school and it's stayed with me all these years. It's got a great message and it's well acted. I wish it was available to watch somewhere.

Excluding the Muppets and Mr Magoo, I'd have to say the animated Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim is one of my favorites.

Hats off to you my man

Regarding Mister Scrooge to See You, you can't equate a dream-like journey to the near future with being thrust a century into the actual future where so much has changed. The fish out of water elements, while debatable funny, are appropriate to the premise.

You are correct about the Rich Little special. Another problem it had was the canned laughter throughout. The only time I remember laughing was when Little as Inspector Clouseau Christmas Yet To Come first appears. He ominously intones in the dark, ""Ebeneezer Scrooge!" He takes a step and trips. The rest was so unmemorable that I do not remember any of it. I forgot all about the Rich Little special until you mentioned it.

"Scrooged" is my favorite version, with Sir Patrick's a close second.

As a big fan of different versions of A Christmas Carol, I really enjoyed this. I've never even heard of "Mister Scrooge To See You", so thank you for introducing me to that! I'll have to seek it out. One thing - you mention during that one that there hasn't really been a version of a continuation of the story. I actually wrote a version that was produced by the A&E Network in 2004 (and shown on the Hallmark Channel for many years after that before they started making so many of their own Christmas movies) called "Karroll's Christmas" that is basically a continuation of the story. The conceit is that it worked so well with Scrooge, that they've been doing it every year since saving another person. And in my film, set in present day, they make a clerical mistake and end up at the Scrooge character's next door neighbors house. He's a perfectly nice guy who loves Christmas, but hates his jerk neighbor, and ends up having to go through his neighbor's past, present, and future.

Next year there should be a part-2 of this. There are more than enough adaptations to pick from

My dad's friend worked on the George C. Scott Christmas Carol and it was filmed in my home town and I've visited the filming locations many times.

Big fan of the 1999 made for tv version of A Christmas Carol starring Patrick Stewart myself. Glad I own a copy of so I can watch it every year at Christmas. Being a second-generation Muppets fan, The Muppet Christmas Carol is another favorite of mine. I still treasure the fact that I got to see on the big screen back in 1992.

Thank you for the upload! Have a great Christmas! Keep up the great work!

Watched An American Christmas Carol the other day. One of my favorite versions

The last one showed a very valuable lesson: If you don’t have the budget to do CGI, don’t do it.

Obviously, the most underrated version of A Christmas Carol is the one that the All Dogs Go To Heaven TV series did. Ernest Borgnine as Scooge? Dom DeLuise, Sheena Easton and Steven Webber as the ghosts? And they're ALL DOGS?? Inspired! :P

Been teaching this to my students this past month. Lovely to see this video. Thank you always for your content :)

Alastair Sim’s version is the only one that matters. Nothing else compares to his performance.

My favourite adaptation is a reverse Scrooge story. "Blackadder's Christmas Carol" features the titular character being overwhelmingly nice to everyone. He's visited in the night by a ghost who shows him what utter arseholes his ancestors were and he awakens in the morning haven turned over a new leaf. While the story is more of a seasonal vehicle for the cast to flex their comedic muscles, Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Robbie Coltrane, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie et al give sterling performances.

Anyone else get a weird Back To the Future 2 vibe from that last movie? "It's Bob Cratchit's kids, Ebenezer! Something's gotta be done about his kids!"

OMG, you covered two of my dad’s favorite versions: Rich Little and Henry Winkler’s versions! I love the Pimp ghost of Christmas future!

Merry Christmas to Hats off Entertainment!! And Merry Christmas to all my fellow Hats Off Entertainment subscribers!

MERRY XMAS TO YOU HATS OFF....Thanks for all the great videos👍😊👍❤❄❄❄❄❄

A tv version was made in the late 90s/early 2000s(?) where a yr later Scrooge is revisited by the spirits to warn him that Tim will grow up to be like he was if he doesn`t intercede and help him change his ways. In one scene a college lady friend calls Tim Tiny Tim and he says, "It`s not Tiny Tim it`s Tiny Timothy!" sounding like a snoot.

Scrooged and Muppets are my favorites, by far. I love how wacky they both are

Check out Carol for Another Christmas, written by Rod Serling as a film to support and educate the public on the mission of the United Nations. It’s got a great cast, music by Henry Mancini, and definitely has that Twilight Zone vibe.

Scrooge not knowing what ketchup is doesn't make much sense since tomato ketchup since it was around since at least 1817 and the novel came out in 1848.

Mr. Magoo's is my favorite version. Saddest song ever is in it.

My favorites are Finney and George C Scott. I was disappointed in the Kelsey Grammar version (considering all of the talent involved), but they did a unique spin that I haven't seen in other adaptations (and I don't remember from the novella): When Scrooge and Marley become successful young men, they foreclose on Fezziwig. I'm also a fan of the FX horror movie version, which I found was the most creative.

The Patrick Stewart one is my favorite. He is the only person alive who can speak Victorian English like he grew up speaking it.

Thanks, Joe. I'd heard of (but never saw) the Henry Winkler one, but the other two were news to me. I love WC Fields, but would always rather watch Fields himself than any impersonator. Although a good Fields impression is always enjoyable for the length of a comedy sketch. My favorite live-action version is still the Alastair Sim one from 1951, not just because that was the year I was born, haha. The cast boasts several great character actors: Michael Hordern, Kathleen Harrison, Hermione Baddely, Mervyn Johns, etc. And Richard Addinsell's score beautifully enhances the grimness, regret, dread and joy of the tale. And my favorite animated version is still Mr Magoo, even whittled down to a skimpy half-hour. The songs, and Jim Backus' Scrooge, are delightful. Happy Holidays to you and yours, and best wishes for health and happiness in 2021.

11:50 - It's lit like a TV soap opera. That alone greatly contributes to cheap look.

I'm new to your channel but I'm loving your interesting takes on pop culture! Keep up the good work. Also - I believe that was Supermarket Sweep's David Ruprecht as Scrooge in "Mr. Scrooge to See You"!

For me, my personal favorite adaptation of A Christmas Carol is the 2009 film with Jim Carrey. I know the mo-cap animation may look uncanny to some, but I love how that version wasn’t afraid to scare you straight and embrace the darker tone of Dickens' book. (Especially considering it was a Disney movie!)

My uncle used to stay up until the early hours of morning on Christmas Eve just to watch the 1938 version and decorate the living room.

11:55 For just a minute I thought that was Ethan Phillips. Proportions are in range, and that line delivery just screamed Neelix.

If I have to pick a "favorite" adaptation, I will have to go with two. In terms of typical versions of the story: The Muppets. Because The Muppets. In terms of obscure: The first ever adaptation, Marley's Ghost. A silent film, and the first film adaptation. In terms of in between: Animaniacs' "A Christmas Plotz."

Thank you, sir for this commentary on 3 versions! Very insightful ideas! I own EVERY film, TV, animated version mentioned here in 413 comments: everyone's comments except two, (James Witmore as Scrooge and Stingiest Man Rathbone) 85 versions in total. One crazy, funny film is, "ALL American Christmas Carol" with Taryn Manning, 2013. A dead-beat trailer-trash woman with 3 kids is visited by her 3, dead ex-husbands to save her soul (had one child with each one). But, my 3 favorites are: Patrick Stewart, 1999, Alastair Sim, 1951 and George C. Scott, 1984. You UK people should find the 1977 BBC version starring Michael Hordern (he played Marley in 1951 Sim version). And then, there's the XX porno version, 1975, The Passions of Carol, in New York City.

The Guy Pierce FX miniseries should not be missed. An original and almost psychological thriller take on the story.

My favorite adaptation (comedic wise), was A Diva's Christmas Carol starring Vanessa Williams as Ebony Scrooge; a tightwad music star. It was produced by VH-1 with Kathy Griffin as the spirit of Christmas past, Andy Taylor as ghost of Christmas present, and (spoiler alert) VH-1 itself was the ghost of Christmas yet to come. Very funny take on the Dickens classic.😂

I have An American Christmas Carol on DVD and absolutely adore it!

Timothy Cratchitt the 6th is the greatest name to ever be put on screen.

I love this Chanel And a lot of fun you definitely have a lot of knowledge about film which it’s great to see another self-described film historian like myself

I hope next time you do this, you include the episode from the Back to the Future cartoon where biff is scrooge and Marty plays the ghosts.

Mickey Mouse one, Mr. Magoo one, and the 1984 version have always been my favorites to watch

Dude you are definitely one of my favorite channels to click on fast..

The 1951 Alistair Sim version is by far the most iconic, timeless version which has stood the test of time. You see Sim and you see Scrooge. It packs an emotional punch and should be looked upon as in the same vein as "Its a Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Story" when one thinks of perennial classics.

I wouldn't say that An American Christmas Carol is quite that forgotten. It's readily available on both DVD and Blu-Ray in a nicely restored edition. I had completely forgotten about the Rich Little one but I do remember seeing it either at the time or on various repeats on the CBC.

My favorites were the Muppets one and the one with Albert Finney, though recently I've become quite partial to the Guy Pierce version on FX.

Thanks for reminding me of the Henry Winkler version that I watched all those years ago. To bad someone didn't convinced him to act a little more like the old man the special effects make-up tried to make him resemble.

I believe I heard of Rich Little before. He did the Pink Panther’s voice for two shorts and did a big number of voices for Lucky Luke in Daisy Town.

As soon as I heard the name, Rich Little, my heart sank.

Rich Little's Christmas Carol crawled slightly so that Orphan Black could fly

Sort of a side note comment: I’ve yet to bring myself to watch the CGI Christmas Carol. Mostly an “Uncanny Valley” thing. Generally I feel you can’t go wrong with any version in black and white though

Carol For Another Christmas. Rod Serling Post Apocalypse Christmas Carol. Crazy talented cast. Saw it once on KZfaq but gone now.