The
Stingiest Man in Town
Told and
Sung by Tom Bosley
Original
Airdate: December 23, 1978
Does not currently air on TV
Available on the Classic Christmas Favorites DVD box set
One of the most adapted stories of all time is Charles
Dickins’ A Christmas Carol. Rankin/Bass is mainly known for adapting
Christmas stories, so it makes perfect sense for them to adapt this. That’s what they do with this special, which
is also an animated remake of an episode of the anthology series, The Alcoa Hour from 1956. Since this is
a special of theirs that tends to go under the radar, I call this the most
underrated one they ever made.
The story doesn’t need much introduction. The ever-stingy Ebenezer
Scrooge holds a strong disdain towards Christmas and the idea of giving. Through visits from three
spirits, he discovers the penalties of his greed for himself and others, which
makes him more generous and open to the Christmas spirit. In fact, the special
follows this story so closely, you might question why they don’t just call it A Christmas Carol. The title suggests
it’s a different take on the classic story, but it’s the basic story we all
know, so you may be disappointed if you came in expecting something different.
To be fair, the same can be said for the 1956 version even though I’ve
never seen that.
Even if the story is familiar, it’s the execution that makes
it stand out, and through its unique visuals and masterful uses of the songs,
this retelling is an unforgettable experience.
The look of the special transports you to the
streets of “an old-fashioned Christmas” in London. The character designs
also perfectly mesh into the setting, making what we see look like an old Christmas
card come to life. As for the songs, they’re
all amazing for how they elevate the basic events of A Christmas Carol into big grand moments investing you in many
emotions. I can’t call these some of the
best original songs for a Rankin/Bass production though since they’re directly lifted
from another adaptation. This isn’t
unlike songs from a film being used in its stage version or the other way
around, but the songs still aren’t true Rankin/Bass creations. Luckily, when combined with the animation,
the songs stand out in ways they never could anywhere else.
The opening carol and “An Old-Fashioned Christmas” set the tone at the start amidst the glorious shots of the
city. “Humbug” features Scrooge and his
nephew Fred in an entertaining banter about their feelings towards Christmas.
In a character-driven direction, the animation nicely displays Fred’s optimism and Scrooge’s disdain going at each other. The title song follows Scrooge commit various
acts of major cheapness as he makes his way home with a cute distinction of stray
animals performing it. “I Wear a Chain” sells the already frightening factor of the ghost of Scrooge’s partner,
Jacob Marley. It's a chilling warning to Scrooge of the coming spirits and how he must change his
ways to avoid the fate of wearing chains to make up for his crimes in
life. Much time on Marley does make the appearance of the Ghost of Christmas Past pretty sudden though. Still it's an emotional experience when Scrooge observes his past. “Golden Dreams” and “It Might Have Been,” nicely interpret the tragic falling out of Scrooge
and his ex-girlfriend Belle. It's also illustrated with fanciful images of a cottage made
of gold, raising children, and an ending with waves of time transforming them into the old, miserable
figures they are now. The Ghost of
Christmas Present is introduced with the lively “Christmas Spirit” whose jolly
tone is elevated by energetic animation of dancing toys. It's impossible not to get captivated by the joy of the season when hearing it.
The heartwarming showstopper “Yes, There is a Santa Claus” has a lot of strengths to it to perfectly represent what Christmas is all about. It reminds that what Santa stands for lives in everyone, including the poor, via a montage of
generosity all over the city. That's an effective way to get Scrooge to start realizing "how good it feels to give." On another note, it endearingly shows the Cratchets’ desperate
attempts to keep up hope in their troubled times, especially regarding young,
weak Tiny Tim. Watching Fred’s Christmas Eve
dinner further teaches Scrooge generosity through “Birthday Party of the King.”
It helps that it comes with a nice transition from a common nativity to a church’s stained glass
windows. Scrooge’s greatest change is
shown through “One Little Boy” when he learns about what could happen to Tiny
Tim because of his greed. The Ghost of Christmas Present mentions Scrooge’s old ideologies while
Scrooge talks against them set to a montage of how better Tiny Tim would’ve been if
things were different. Once again, a lot of time in the present makes the encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Future far too brief. It still leaves a strong enough frightful impact. Also, Scrooge proving
his change on Christmas morning afterwards is pleasing to see. Then, the special closes with Scrooge’s beautiful
performance of “Mankind Should Be My Business.” Adding to the endearment is another effective
montage of Scrooge being generous to prove his changes as a person will indeed stick with him. A heartwarming establishing shot of the story's main
players at the end is the grandest finish possible. The way the songs help tell the
story we all know creates something truly beautiful, lovely, and memorable.
In addition to some instances of wonky pacing, one other thing about this special that doesn’t work is the
usage of the character, B.A.H. Humbug (get it?). If all he did narrate the story and
sing some songs, it would be just fine.
However, he also walks through given scenes and interacts with some of
the characters, and they all acknowledge his presence. The problem is that Humbug just tags along
and reacts to what happens. His scenes become
distractions that get concerning when you notice that he hardly does anything
constructive. Fortunately, since
everything else is done so well, including Humbug’s narration, this issue is
minor and doesn’t detract from the experience.
It may be a remake of another adaptation, but to me, this
stands as one of Rankin/Bass’ best achievements. The story and its message are strong as ever,
the animation captures the setting's tone splendidly, and the songs are marvels that make the familiar story distinctively captivating. This is worth tracking down, and is a special
you just might want to make a tradition of viewing. That said, I’d personally like to see how it compares to
the 1956 version.
Highly Recommended
The Ranking
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
- The Year Without a Santa Claus
- Frosty the Snowman
- The Little Drummer Boy
- The Stingiest Man in Town
- Rudolph’s Shiny New Year
- Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
- The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow
- ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
- Frosty’s Winter Wonderland
- The Little Drummer Boy Book II
- Cricket on the Hearth
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next special where some of the most popular Rankin/Bass characters come together for the feature-length crossover, Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July.
If you would like to check out other Rankin/Bass special reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
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