A Christmas Carol (1971)

This "movie" WAS Christmas at our house when I was a child! I would love to see it again. My children have never seen this version which is the greatest ever! I have watched every version of A Christmas Carol I have ever come across and have always been disappointed. We even went to see it performed live in the theater and, although it was good, it lacked the emotional qualities of this version. I realize that by it being animated, the producers were able to add special effects and stick closer to the dreamlike quality of the original Dickens tale. This movie has been one of my favorites all my life and I would recommend it to anyone who loves Dickens or just a lover of Christmas.

I remember seeing this short animated version back in the early 70's and was both amazed and haunted by it. The production value is like no other animation of its time. The way in which the images were presented, truly convey the fright and horror associated with the ghostly visitations and images of the time. The haunting visions were timeless, and along with the voice of Alastair Sim, it makes this a truly great version of the Dickens tale.My only complaint would be of many others, as the length of the story was all too short. And, in my own opinion, if the producers were afforded the luxury of a longer version, then this version would rival the 1951 version "Scrooge" in which Alastair Sim played as well, of which I believe is the best version ever made. Yes, many rivalries between the Reginald Owens/Alastair Sim versions will play on forever, but this will only allow this Dickens tale to go down in history as one of the greatest fictional stories ever written.

This short, which won an Academy Award, is the best animated adaptation that I've yet seen and is better than a couple of the live-action versions. Everything is top-notch-animation, voice-casting (particularly Sim reprising his performance as Scrooge), production values. The adaptation is quite true to the tone and spirit of the original work, even with the necessary truncation imposed by the brief length. Good to have it in print. Most recommended.

This is my second favorite Christmas Carol. My first being Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. I loved Alastair Sims as Scrooge. I know it's on alot at Christmas but I only got a chance to see it once this year so I just ordered it online. I was not able to find it in any of my local stores. My sister-in-law loves the George C. Scott version better so we always argue about which one is best. Her version doesn't hold a candle to this one as far as I'm concerned! I loved the ghosts and the whole thing and especially his housekeeper!!