When I first caught this movie on cable a few years ago, I expected it to be of the "Flintstones Meet The Jetsons" fare, or something equally par for the standard TV course. But I was happily surprised, and went out the next day to buy the videotape. True, the sub-plot of Fred ignoring work, friends, and family to rehearse his upcoming role as Scrooge for the Bedrock Community Players (and to give in to grandiose dreams of Broadrock Way) are of the typical fare we've been used to for a couple of decades now. But once the actual production gets underway, try to forget the rest because you will be as happily surprised as I. The voice talent seems to take their roles in "A Christmas Carol" very seriously, and most do a formidable job, handling the script with reverence and affection. Well, let's face it--what actor doesn't want to be in "A Christmas Carol" just once for the sheer fun of it? But Henry Corden is the surprising stand-out in this, proving that he can do more than just play straight man to Barney and Wilma's cutting one-liners. He treats this role as if he's been studying to play Scrooge
for years. You get a hint of what's to come in the Ebonezer/Fanny/Ghost of Christmas Past scene, mixing a balance of fragile loss and forced bitterness very well indeed. By the time the Ghost of the Future shows up, Henry really sports his acting chops, and by the last few scenes he pulls off a terrific and moving performance, showing the delicate sadness, guilt, and the pivotal dichotomy of the fear of living and fear of dying that the character of Scrooge is really made of. OK, so it's not Albert Finney in "Scrooge"; but it's certainly not the kind of acting one expects of a Flintstones cartoon--well, not since the passing of Alan Reed, and the mass-production of Saturday morning Flinstones cookie-cutter shows. It's refreshing to see Henry Corden pull out all the stops and remind us that he is an actor, not just a Fred substitute. Although one wonders and mourns what Mel Blanc could have brought to this tour-de-force as Barney/Cragit...(sad sigh). During the curtain call, all pull back and fall into typical Hanna-Barbara "filler humor", but what has just happened should more than make up for those last 4 minutes. Overall, this is a wonderful addition to anyone's Scrooge collection, and should be picked up to enjoy while decking the Bedrock halls for years to come!
