Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
Encyclopedia
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol is a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens
' famous short story A Christmas Carol
starring the character Mr. Magoo
. Aside from the 1950 marionette special The Spirit of Christmas
, it was the first animated holiday program ever produced specifically for television, originally airing in December 1962, and the only one until the stop-motion Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
was first shown in December 1964. The special also inspired the 1964 TV series The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo
. It featured the voice of Jim Backus
as Magoo, with voice over appearances by Paul Frees
, Morey Amsterdam
, Joan Gardner
, and Jack Cassidy
.
held the video rights to the special for a number of years. The special's current owner, Classic Media
, now also owns most of Paramount's short subjects (mostly animated, with some live-action) released between October 1950 and March 1962 through its purchase of Harvey Comics
(this also included rights to many of the original characters created by Famous Studios
before 1959, such as Casper the Friendly Ghost
).
animation studio in its declining days. Commissioned and sponsored by Timex, it first aired on NBC
on December 18, 1962. Although the special led to the Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo television series, the studio ultimately found it could not adapt to the rigors of mass-producing cartoon
s for television
.
The program was broadcast as a TV special many times during the Christmas
season from the 1960s through the 1980s—though not always on NBC—before being released on VHS
in 1994 and on DVD
in 2001. The original 53-minute running time is often cut to make room for additional commercials, primarily by removing the framing device
about Magoo himself.
(music) and Bob Merrill
(lyrics), who collaborated on the musical Funny Girl soon after their work on the special.
As recently as December 25, 2006, many listeners told the National Public Radio program Talk of the Nation
that Mister Magoo was their favorite Ebenezer Scrooge
.
) cast as Scrooge, and Gerald McBoing-Boing
(in a rare speaking role) as Tiny Tim
. The cartoon is written as a Broadway theatre
play, divided into acts with an actual stage curtain. In the often-cut opening and closing, the near-sighted Mr. Magoo arrives at the theatre, takes his bows with the other actors, and accidentally demolishes the stage scenery at the end. The 19th century English
characters Ebeneezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit
, etc., are thus not seen directly, but instead are portrayed by fictional American
actors playing their parts. They generally have no British
accents. The comic song "We're Despicable" is set at the grimmest part of the drama, and self-consciously breaks into the story.
The special was once spoofed in an episode
of The Simpsons
.
Note that sources differ on credits for the Laundress, the Charwoman, and the Ghost of Christmas Past, with June Foray
sometimes credited for each. However, Foray has stated on several occasions that she was not in the show at all. Other sources credit Joan Gardner as the Ghost of Christmas Past.
production.
"Ringle, Ringle", Scrooge's theme song about "coins when they mingle", is half-sung by Jim Backus as Magoo, and serves to delineate the character's change of heart. Initially he appreciates the coins aesthetically and for the wealth they represent, while Jack Cassidy as Bob Cratchit sings in counterpoint
that "it's cold, it's frightfully cold", and musically begs Scrooge to spare the expense of "just one piece of coal" to warm him. Later, in a musical reprise, Scrooge sings that the coins are "meant for passing around" as he spends the coins to help the Cratchit family.
Joan Gardner as Tiny Tim ("played" by the animated character Gerald McBoing-Boing) sings of "razzleberry
dressing" and "woofle jelly cake." in "The Lord's Bright Blessing". The Cratchit children's requests for better food, a tree and presents are countered by Jack Cassidy as Bob Cratchit singing of what the family has, in his view: "the Lord's bright blessing, and knowing we're together" - a togetherness that Scrooge lacks.
In the Christmas Past sequence, Backus/Magoo as Scrooge sings in poignant duet with Scrooge's younger self (sung by Marie Matthews), left behind in boarding school after all the other children have gone home for Christmas. "In perhaps the most touching moment... Magoo is transported back to his childhood, where he stands side-by-side with his youthful self. He watches his 'child' sing Alone in the World, tracing his hand on the blackboard, hoping to find a hand of his own to hold... the quavering elderly voice blending with the clear, sweet youthful one, the invisible Magoo putting a transparent arm around his 'child'."
Jane Kean as Belle, once beloved of young Scrooge, sings of the cooling and hardening of his feelings toward her in "Winter Was Warm", a song of lost and yearning love. She is saddened that he has chosen gold over her, and he protests that that is the "way of the world", as he forlornly tries to cling to her. Broadcast television airings starting from the late 1980s cut the scene in which Belle sings "Winter Was Warm", despite the fact that the theme permeates the score as bridging music. Additionally, a chorus rendition of "Winter Was Warm" during the end credits was replaced by a reprise of "The Lord's Bright Blessing".
Veteran voice actor Paul Frees
sings two roles in "We're Despicable (Plunderer's March)". The laundress, charwoman, and the undertaker go to Old Joe's rag & bone shop to sell the items that they have taken from the newly-deceased miser "with him lyin' there", and gleefully cackle their way through such lyrics as, "We're rep-re-hensible. We'll steal your pen-and-pencible".
For a finale, Scrooge and the Cratchitts sing a reprise (with happier lyrics) of "The Lord's Bright Blessing".
A longstanding story suggests that "People" was originally written for Mr. Magoo, but Theodore Taylor's biography of Styne disputes this.
----
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
' famous short story A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
starring the character Mr. Magoo
Mr. Magoo
Quincy Magoo is a cartoon character created at the UPA animation studio in 1949. Voiced by Jim Backus, Quincy Magoo is a wealthy, short-statured retiree who gets into a series of sticky situations as a result of his nearsightedness, compounded by his stubborn refusal to admit the problem...
. Aside from the 1950 marionette special The Spirit of Christmas
The Spirit of Christmas (TV program)
The Spirit of Christmas is a Christmas television special performed by marionettes. It was first aired in 1950. Its half-hour showing time is divided into two segments, one dramatizing "A Visit from St. Nicholas" and one telling the story of the Nativity. The film is narrated by Alexander...
, it was the first animated holiday program ever produced specifically for television, originally airing in December 1962, and the only one until the stop-motion Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a Christmas television special produced in stop motion animation by Rankin/Bass. It first aired Sunday, December 6, 1964, on the NBC television network in the USA, and was sponsored by General Electric under the umbrella title of The General Electric Fantasy Hour...
was first shown in December 1964. The special also inspired the 1964 TV series The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo
The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo
The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo is an animated television series, produced by United Productions of America, which aired for one season...
. It featured the voice of Jim Backus
Jim Backus
James Gilmore "Jim" Backus was a radio, television, film, and voice actor. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr...
as Magoo, with voice over appearances by Paul Frees
Paul Frees
Paul Frees was an American voice actor and character actor.-Biography:He was born Solomon Hersh Frees in Chicago...
, Morey Amsterdam
Morey Amsterdam
Morey Amsterdam was an American television actor and comedian, best known for the role of Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show in the early 1960s.-Early life:...
, Joan Gardner
Joan Gardner
Joan Gardner was a British actress. She married Zoltán Korda and had a son, David.Joan was born in Chesham, Bucks, UK. She made her stage debut immediately on leaving school and by age 18 had achieved success there...
, and Jack Cassidy
Jack Cassidy
John Joseph Edward “Jack” Cassidy was an American actor of stage, film and screen.His frequent professional persona was that of an urbane, super-confident egotist with a dramatic flair, much in the manner of Broadway actor Frank Fay...
.
Rights
Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
held the video rights to the special for a number of years. The special's current owner, Classic Media
Classic Media
Classic Media, LLC, is an American production company and distributor of family programming. It was founded in 2000 by former Marvel Entertainment CEO Eric Ellenbogen and former Broadway Video executive John Engelman in hopes of acquiring mismanaged classic properties and giving exposure to...
, now also owns most of Paramount's short subjects (mostly animated, with some live-action) released between October 1950 and March 1962 through its purchase of Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out the small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B...
(this also included rights to many of the original characters created by Famous Studios
Famous Studios
Famous Studios was the animation division of the film studio Paramount Pictures from 1942 to 1967. Famous was founded as a successor company to Fleischer Studios, after Paramount acquired the aforementioned studio and ousted its founders, Max and Dave Fleischer, in 1941...
before 1959, such as Casper the Friendly Ghost
Casper the Friendly Ghost
Casper the Friendly Ghost is the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. As his name indicates, he is a ghost, but is quite personable...
).
Overview
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol was produced by Henry G. Saperstein and the UPAUnited Productions of America
United Productions of America, better known as UPA, was an American animation studio of the 1940s through present day, beginning with industrial films and World War II training films. In the late 1940s, UPA produced theatrical shorts for Columbia Pictures, most notably the Mr. Magoo series. In...
animation studio in its declining days. Commissioned and sponsored by Timex, it first aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
on December 18, 1962. Although the special led to the Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo television series, the studio ultimately found it could not adapt to the rigors of mass-producing cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
s for television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
.
The program was broadcast as a TV special many times during the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
season from the 1960s through the 1980s—though not always on NBC—before being released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
in 1994 and on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in 2001. The original 53-minute running time is often cut to make room for additional commercials, primarily by removing the framing device
Framing device
The term framing device refers to the usage of the same single action, scene, event, setting, or any element of significance at both the beginning and end of an artistic, musical, or literary work. The repeated element thus creates a ‘frame’ within which the main body of work can develop.The...
about Magoo himself.
Reception
Audiences and critics consider this program to be a holiday classic, due in part to the original songs of the Broadway team of Jule StyneJule Styne
Jule Styne was a British-born American songwriter especially famous for a series of Broadway musicals, which included several very well known and frequently revived shows.-Early life:...
(music) and Bob Merrill
Bob Merrill
Bob Merrill was an American songwriter, theatrical composer, lyricist, and screenwriter.Merrill was born Henry Merrill Levan in Atlantic City, New Jersey and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Following a stint with the Army during World War II, he moved to Hollywood, where he worked as a...
(lyrics), who collaborated on the musical Funny Girl soon after their work on the special.
As recently as December 25, 2006, many listeners told the National Public Radio program Talk of the Nation
Talk of the Nation
Talk of the Nation is a talk radio program based in the United States, produced by National Public Radio, and is broadcast nationally from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Its focus is current events and controversial issues....
that Mister Magoo was their favorite Ebenezer Scrooge
Ebenezer Scrooge
Ebenezer Scrooge is the principal character in Charles Dickens's 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol. At the beginning of the novel, Scrooge is a cold-hearted, tight-fisted and greedy man, who despises Christmas and all things which give people happiness...
.
Comparisons with the Charles Dickens story
The story is the familiar Dickens tale with Mr. Magoo (voiced by Jim BackusJim Backus
James Gilmore "Jim" Backus was a radio, television, film, and voice actor. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr...
) cast as Scrooge, and Gerald McBoing-Boing
Gerald McBoing-Boing
Gerald McBoing-Boing is an animated short film produced by United Productions of America and given wide release by Columbia Pictures on November 2, 1950...
(in a rare speaking role) as Tiny Tim
Tiny Tim (A Christmas Carol)
Timothy Cratchit, called "Tiny Tim", is a fictional character from the 1843 novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. He is a minor character, the young son of Bob Cratchit, and is seen only briefly, but serves as an important symbol of the consequences of the protagonist's choices...
. The cartoon is written as a Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
play, divided into acts with an actual stage curtain. In the often-cut opening and closing, the near-sighted Mr. Magoo arrives at the theatre, takes his bows with the other actors, and accidentally demolishes the stage scenery at the end. The 19th century English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
characters Ebeneezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit
Bob Cratchit
Robert "Bob" Cratchit is a fictional character who is the abused, underpaid clerk of Ebenezer Scrooge in the Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol...
, etc., are thus not seen directly, but instead are portrayed by fictional American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actors playing their parts. They generally have no British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
accents. The comic song "We're Despicable" is set at the grimmest part of the drama, and self-consciously breaks into the story.
The special was once spoofed in an episode
'Tis the Fifteenth Season
Tis the Fifteenth Season is the seventh episode of The Simpsons fifteenth season. This episode is notable as being the first to make reference to Lisa's Buddhism, to which she converted in an earlier Christmas episode, "She of Little Faith".-Plot:...
of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
.
Comparison with the book
The credits for the cartoon state that it is "freely adapted" from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This adaptation mostly serves to shorten the story to fit the television special's one-hour time slot. The Ghost of Christmas Present appears before the Ghost of Christmas Past, and no reference is made to Scrooge's nephew Fred or the metaphorical children Ignorance and Want. Nor is Scrooge's sister Fan seen in the Christmas Past sequence. Two of the post-redemption scenes from the book are rewritten and combined, so that Scrooge visits the Cratchits instead of Fred, and threatens Bob (as a self-mocking prelude to raising his salary) at home rather than waiting to do so at work the following day. At the same time, however, the remaining scenes are remarkably faithful to the original, with characters often speaking the lines as Dickens wrote them, and little or no simplification of the language to suit a younger audience living over a century later. A number of references to Scrooge's (more accurately Magoo's) poor vision are sprinkled through the story, a nod to the Magoo character, but except for the beginning and ending pieces which occur outside the framework of the Dickens story, there are none of the usual Magoo catastrophes.Cast of voices
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Jim Backus Jim Backus James Gilmore "Jim" Backus was a radio, television, film, and voice actor. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr... |
Ebenezer Scrooge Ebenezer Scrooge Ebenezer Scrooge is the principal character in Charles Dickens's 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol. At the beginning of the novel, Scrooge is a cold-hearted, tight-fisted and greedy man, who despises Christmas and all things which give people happiness... Mr. Magoo |
| Morey Amsterdam Morey Amsterdam Morey Amsterdam was an American television actor and comedian, best known for the role of Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show in the early 1960s.-Early life:... |
James Brady |
| Jack Cassidy Jack Cassidy John Joseph Edward “Jack” Cassidy was an American actor of stage, film and screen.His frequent professional persona was that of an urbane, super-confident egotist with a dramatic flair, much in the manner of Broadway actor Frank Fay... |
Bob Cratchit Bob Cratchit Robert "Bob" Cratchit is a fictional character who is the abused, underpaid clerk of Ebenezer Scrooge in the Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol... |
| Royal Dano Royal Dano Royal Edward Dano was an American film and television character actor.-Early life:Dano was born in New York City to Mary Josephine , an Irish immigrant, and Caleb Edward Dano, a printer for newspapers. He reportedly left home at the age of twelve and at various intervals, lived in Florida, Texas... |
Marley's Ghost Jacob Marley Jacob Marley is a fictional character who appears in Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol.- Relationship with Scrooge:In life, Marley was the business partner of Ebenezer Scrooge. As teenagers, both men had been apprenticed in business and met as clerks in another business... |
| Paul Frees Paul Frees Paul Frees was an American voice actor and character actor.-Biography:He was born Solomon Hersh Frees in Chicago... |
Charity Man Fezziwig Fezziwig Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig are characters featured in the Charles Dickens novella A Christmas Carol. Mr. Fezziwig is the owner of a warehouse business; Ebenezer Scrooge and Dick Wilkins worked as apprentices for him. Mr. Fezziwig is a happy, foppish man with a large Welsh wig. In Stave 2 of A... Eyepatch Man Tall Tophat Man |
| Joan Gardner Joan Gardner (voice specialist) Joan Gardner was an American voice specialist. Also a screenwriter, songwriter, actress, author and composer. Married Edward Janis, producer, and wrote under the name Joan Janis.Her works include:... |
Tiny Tim Tiny Tim (A Christmas Carol) Timothy Cratchit, called "Tiny Tim", is a fictional character from the 1843 novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. He is a minor character, the young son of Bob Cratchit, and is seen only briefly, but serves as an important symbol of the consequences of the protagonist's choices... Ghost of Christmas Past Ghost of Christmas Past The Ghost of Christmas Past is a character in the well-known work of the English novelist Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol.The Ghost of Christmas Past was the first of the three spirits that haunted the miser. Ebenezer Scrooge in order to prompt him to repent... |
| John Hart | Billings Stage Manager Milkman |
| Jane Kean Jane Kean Jane Kean is an American actress.-Career:Jane Kean and her older sister, , formed a comedy duo that worked the nightclub circuit throughout the 1940s and '50s, and the two appeared on Broadway as sisters in the short-lived 1955 musical Ankles Aweigh.She studied acting with Sanford Meisner at the... |
Belle |
| Marie Matthews | Young Scrooge |
| Laura Olsher | Mrs. Cratchit |
| Les Tremayne Les Tremayne Les Tremayne was a radio, film, and television actor. Born Lester Tremayne in England, he moved with his family at the age four to Chicago, where he began in community theatre. He danced as a vaudeville performer and worked as amusement park barker... |
Ghost of Christmas Present Ghost of Christmas Present The Ghost of Christmas Present is a character in one of the best-known works of the English novelist Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. The Spirit closely resembles Father Christmas from local folklore.... |
Note that sources differ on credits for the Laundress, the Charwoman, and the Ghost of Christmas Past, with June Foray
June Foray
June Foray is an American voice actress, best known as the voice of many animated characters...
sometimes credited for each. However, Foray has stated on several occasions that she was not in the show at all. Other sources credit Joan Gardner as the Ghost of Christmas Past.
Songs
The cartoon's framing device consists almost entirely of Jim Backus as Quincy Magoo singing "It's Great To Be Back On Broadway", thus explaining in song that the character Magoo is portraying a character in a Broadway theatreBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production.
"Ringle, Ringle", Scrooge's theme song about "coins when they mingle", is half-sung by Jim Backus as Magoo, and serves to delineate the character's change of heart. Initially he appreciates the coins aesthetically and for the wealth they represent, while Jack Cassidy as Bob Cratchit sings in counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
that "it's cold, it's frightfully cold", and musically begs Scrooge to spare the expense of "just one piece of coal" to warm him. Later, in a musical reprise, Scrooge sings that the coins are "meant for passing around" as he spends the coins to help the Cratchit family.
Joan Gardner as Tiny Tim ("played" by the animated character Gerald McBoing-Boing) sings of "razzleberry
Razzleberry
Razzleberry is a type of pie commonly made with raspberries and blackberries. Reference is made to razzleberry in the 1962 Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol....
dressing" and "woofle jelly cake." in "The Lord's Bright Blessing". The Cratchit children's requests for better food, a tree and presents are countered by Jack Cassidy as Bob Cratchit singing of what the family has, in his view: "the Lord's bright blessing, and knowing we're together" - a togetherness that Scrooge lacks.
In the Christmas Past sequence, Backus/Magoo as Scrooge sings in poignant duet with Scrooge's younger self (sung by Marie Matthews), left behind in boarding school after all the other children have gone home for Christmas. "In perhaps the most touching moment... Magoo is transported back to his childhood, where he stands side-by-side with his youthful self. He watches his 'child' sing Alone in the World, tracing his hand on the blackboard, hoping to find a hand of his own to hold... the quavering elderly voice blending with the clear, sweet youthful one, the invisible Magoo putting a transparent arm around his 'child'."
-
- A hand for each hand was planned for the world
- Why don't my fingers reach?
- Millions of grains of sand in the world
- Why such a lonely beach?
-
- (Lyrics source with screenshot.)
-
Jane Kean as Belle, once beloved of young Scrooge, sings of the cooling and hardening of his feelings toward her in "Winter Was Warm", a song of lost and yearning love. She is saddened that he has chosen gold over her, and he protests that that is the "way of the world", as he forlornly tries to cling to her. Broadcast television airings starting from the late 1980s cut the scene in which Belle sings "Winter Was Warm", despite the fact that the theme permeates the score as bridging music. Additionally, a chorus rendition of "Winter Was Warm" during the end credits was replaced by a reprise of "The Lord's Bright Blessing".
Veteran voice actor Paul Frees
Paul Frees
Paul Frees was an American voice actor and character actor.-Biography:He was born Solomon Hersh Frees in Chicago...
sings two roles in "We're Despicable (Plunderer's March)". The laundress, charwoman, and the undertaker go to Old Joe's rag & bone shop to sell the items that they have taken from the newly-deceased miser "with him lyin' there", and gleefully cackle their way through such lyrics as, "We're rep-re-hensible. We'll steal your pen-and-pencible".
For a finale, Scrooge and the Cratchitts sing a reprise (with happier lyrics) of "The Lord's Bright Blessing".
A longstanding story suggests that "People" was originally written for Mr. Magoo, but Theodore Taylor's biography of Styne disputes this.
Releases
All home videos are Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1, Rating G (MPAA certificate #20330), Running time 52 or 53 minutes (exclusive of any extra features).- US Television Release Date: December 18, 1962
- Production Company: United Productions of America (UPA)
- Available Formats: VHS • Laserdisc • DVD • VHS: Clam Shell • VHS: Slip Sleeve
----
- 1970 Theatrical release; United Productions of America (UPA)/Maron Films Limited
- Mr. Magoo's Holiday Festival "Matinee Only" Motion Picture Double Feature:
- Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
- Mr. Magoo's Little Snow White
- 1977; Book version adapted from the cartoon feature by Horace J. Elias. 64 pages.
- September 28, 1994; VHS, Paramount Home Video, NTSC, ASIN: 6301175239, UPC: 097361269337
- January 1, 1999; Laserdisc
- October 23, 2001; VHS, Good Times Video, NTSC, ASIN: B00005OLAZ
- UPC: 018713074584 (VHS Clam Shell); UPC: 018713766656 (VHS Slip Sleeve) ISBN 0766208583
- October 23, 2001; DVD, Good Times Video, Region 1, ASIN: B00005OLB3, UPC: 018713812391
- DVD Features: Audio: English, mono Dolby; A history of Mister Magoo in film and TV; Retrospective of composer Jules Styne & lyricist Bob Merrill; Movie poster; Bonus Magoo cartoon short
- September 24, 2002; VHS, Sony Wonder (Video), NTSC, ASIN: B00006HB09, UPC: 074645433332
- September 24, 2002; DVD, Sony Wonder (Video), Region 1, ASIN: B00006HAWI, UPC: 074645433394
- DVD Features: Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 2.0); A history of Mr. Magoo in film and TV; Career retrospective of the composer and lyricist; Poster; "Mr. Magoo Meets Gerald McBoing Boing" short
- September 14, 2004; DVD, Sony Wonder (Video), Region 1, ASIN: B0002I82ZA, UPC: 074645864198/073892864104
- Format: Color, Dubbed, Original recording remastered, NTSC; Run Time: 60 minutes
- Sep 4, 2007; DVD; Classic Media
- Nov 10, 2008; DVD; UCA
- Nov 16, 2010; Blu-ray/DVD; Classic Media; 2 Discs - Collector's Edition
- Oct 4, 2011; DVD; Classic Media
External links
- Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol on Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
. - Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol on JuleStyne.com.
- Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol on Big Cartoon DatabaseBig Cartoon DataBaseThe Big Cartoon DataBase is an online database of information about animated cartoons, animated feature films, animated television shows and cartoon shorts....
- Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol: The Making of the First Animated Christmas Special, by Darrell Van Citters
- Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol on Popdose.Com