There are at least 135 film
adaptations of Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol.” The “Bah! Humbug!”
of Ebenezer Scrooge is transformed to a hearty “Merry Christmas” thanks to
visits from the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. With 12 shopping
days left until Christmas, a lot of us may lean closer to “Bah! Humbug!” than
to “God bless us, everyone!” Who wants to hear Paul tell the Philippian
Christians to “Rejoice! And again I say unto you, rejoice!”?
This is a tough Christmas. A lot of
us are trying twice as hard to do three times as much in half the time to make
up for everything we missed out on last year because of the pandemic.
Even so, may I suggest you make time
to watch the 1962 animated version, Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol. It’s
only 53 minutes long, features an all-star cast of classic actors, with songs
composed by Broadway stalwarts Jule Styne and Bob Merrill.
In one particularly poignant — and
joyful — number we hear the children of the wretchedly poor Cratchit Family,
including Tiny Tim, gathered around the table asking in song whether there will
be meat for dinner, stockings, presents and a tree decorated with a star. Bob
Cratchit, their father, admits they can’t afford any of those things for now,
but it will still be a magnificent Christmas because:
We’ll have the
Lord’s Bright Blessing in knowing we’re together,
knowing we’re
together heart and hand.
We’ll make the
whitest Christmas, the very brightest Christmas,
a Christmas far
more glorio
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