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by Gabriel Posted on


 

​For a number of years now as a part of the Vacation Music Fest, together with this 12 months, I’ve performed some tune from a 1956 TV musical manufacturing of A Christmas Carol, that was known as The Stingiest Man in City, which was achieved for The Alcoa Hour.  I had the forged album, and so far as I knew that was all that existed.
 
However as one other of these main treats, I simply discovered a video of the complete 80-minute TV manufacturing!  And if something qualifies as “little-known” for the Vacation Music Fest, that is it.  Usually, I’d publish it on Christmas Eve as befits the story, however that spot is reserved for my favourite adaptation of the story, a BBC radio model with Sir Ralph Richardson and Paul Scofield, so we’ll publish this forward of time.
 
It is very early tv, so the manufacturing and video high quality is a bit creaky.  Nevertheless it comes via positive sufficient and is a respectably achieved model of the story – and is enjoyable, as nicely, seeing one thing from early days of TV…and achieved stay. when maneuvering round a soundstage wasn’t so simple as right this moment.
 
The forged is a part of the deal with right here.  Although most of the names should not well-known right this moment, they have been for the time.  It’s all led by Basil Rathbone as Scrooge, simply essentially the most well-known title within the forged right this moment for his years enjoying Sherlock Holmes within the films.  Marley’s Ghost is performed by Robert Weede, a significant Metropolitan Opera star who later moved into extra standard tradition productions, most notably because the star in Frank Loesser’s Broadway musical, The Most Joyful Fella.  And Bob Cratchit is performed by Martyn Inexperienced, one of many main stars of the famend D’Oyly Carte Opera Firm, a bunch well-known for being thought-about the house of Gilbert & Sullivan productions.
 
There’s one other Metropolitan Opera star right here, as nicely – Patrice Munsel, who made a number of films and TV reveals, and performs Belle on this manufacturing.
 
The present additionally options two standard singers of the period – Johnny Desmond as Scrooge’s nephew Fred, and Vic Damone as Younger Scrooge.  And the favored singing group The 4 Lads carry out as a form of travelling Greek Refrain, filling in some narration.  And I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out one in all my favourite character actors, John McGiver, even in only a very small position.  Right here, he performs the primary of two gents who come to Scrooge’s workplace asking for a Christmas donation.
 
The rating is serviceable, because the expression goes, although there are a number of strong numbers, like “Mankind is My Enterprise” and “Birthday Social gathering for the King.”  The music is by Fred Spielman, with lyrics by Janice Torre, who wrote the teleplay.
 
And positively value noting is that it’s directed by Daniel Petrie, who had a protracted profession directing films and TV.  His most well-known film was A Raisin within the Solar, and for TV he did the movie Sybil for which Sally Subject gained an Emmy as Greatest Actress and established her as a critical actress.

(SIDE NOTE: In the event you stick round to the top credit, they announce subsequent week’s present — which sounds great!  It is Agatha Christie’s A Homicide is Introduced …which has a significantly spectacular forged:  Jessica Tandy, Roger Moore, and the legendary Gracie Fields, as ‘Miss Marple’.  And no, alas, I can not discover a video of it on-line.)
 
Which brings us to Christmas Eve, the very night time that Jacob Marley died seven years in the past…
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