The Stingiest Man in Town

I remember watching this special as a little kid in 1978. I still believed in Santa then. Walter Matthau, Tom Bosley, Theodore Bikel and Dennis Day make up for a delightful animated cast with their distinctive voices. Walter should have played Scrooge in a live action movie, he would have been delightful like he was with Oscar in The Odd Couple. The songs aren't exactly Oscar quality, but what the hell. Its a nice cartoon the kids will enjoy and even though we only hear his voice, Matthau does a splendid acting job, he just cannot sing very well. He makes Scrooge's transformation from miser to nicer very convincing. I remember one song that warmed my heart in particular was Yes there is a Santa Claus.

Once again, Rankin/Bass did a another great Holiday special, This time a Charles Dickens Best Work, A Christmas Carol, this time they renamed The Stingiest Man in Town, Cast did a good job, Walter Matthau did a great job as the voice of Ebenezer Scrooge who learn a lesson about Christmas when 3 Ghosts came to visit them, Paul Frees who is the voice of both Ghost of Christmas Past and Ghost of Christmas Present, but Ghost of Christmas Yet of Come is quiet but no Voice Actor, Tom Bosley is a voice of the B.A.H. Humbug the Storyteller of this special, This animated special got good music, good storyline and good acting, It's a heartwarming story and A Good Holiday Special.

This movie is one of the best renditions of "a Christmas carol" that i have ever seen, and yet most people have never heard of it! it doesn't get to all aspects of Dickens' original work, but it hits all the major points, and is coupled with great creative and original songs that get stuck in your head for days. The third person narration by B.A.H. Humbug it a very cute extra touch. In my opinion, the movie is neck-in-neck with Mickey Mouse for the best take on "Carol." It doesn't always get a yearly playing, but it is definitely worth keeping your eye out when scanning your TV guide around Christmas. It is really a fantastic retelling of a classic!!

This is the only animated version of "Stingy" I've seen,and it's great, but for years at the Cabaret Supper Theater in Fort Sill, OK, we did this show every year on the stage. The music is superb; the songs wonderful, and the opportunity for children to 'be in a show" are boundless. Our director, the late Ray Shermeyer (who played Scrooge, naturally) held open auditions and cast just about every kid who showed up. He started this around 1967 and when the Cabaret finally was forced to close its doors (as many "supper theaters" did) in 1989, many of those children, then in their late teens or early twenties, came to the mike and said it had given them the confidence to get into shows. Several went on to showbiz careers.

It's a wonderful show for the Christmas season, and it's even a more wonderful play for amateurs (and especially children) to feel the thrill of being on the stage for the first time. HOLLY-HO!

I am thrilled to find out that a record of this movie actually does exist. I remember seeing this as a kid, even though I'm only 19, and loving it. I remember that we had it recorded on a tape and my siblings and I would watch it every year. Walter Matthau does a great job as Scrooge, as he contributes his unique voice and vocal characteristics to the role. Be sure not to overlook the presence of Tom Bosley as the Humbug. Recognizing his voice from the voice of "Mr. C." from Happy Days shouldn't be a stretch for anyone. This is a great animation of Dickens' tale, and should definitely be experienced by families to come.