Musical Monday

Since its early days, American television has been using ACC for holiday programming; sometimes bad and occasionally very successful. Today is one of the surviving endeavors of early U.S. television from 1954 starring Frederic March and Basil Rathbone.

For me, the latter half of the 1980’s was a great time for seeing and collecting various versions of A Christmas Carol. VHS was in its heyday and, at that time, many of the ACC versions made available were being seen for the first time in years, sometimes decades. The 1954 U.S. television A Christmas Carol was another exciting prize when first released on VHS.

This presentation is not actually a “stand-alone” special or movie; it was a holiday season episode of a regular anthology/variety series called Shower of Stars on the CBS network. It was originally shown in color though very few had the ability to view color programming. Only a black and white kinescope copy has survived. When one watches the surviving B&W, the show’s announcer is heard proudly proclaiming it’s in color during the intro. The surviving kinescope is the 1955 live broadcast in its second year. This is far from being one of the “great” interpretations, but I seem to like it a bit more than many other folks. As usual, I approach this in context of its time and venue. I used to actually have a lukewarm reaction to this version. It steadily found greater favor by me over the years; I’m now fond of it and watch it every year.

My original VHS copy included the show’s original opening and the original commercials. The opening introduced the production’s stars and sponsor. The DVD version is a clean compilation taking out the intro and commercials. It’s interesting to view them both ways. The nostalgia junkie in me likes the old sponsor commercials; the DVD version where they are cut out makes it feel like a slightly more serious presentation.

I think my personal reason for always giving this venture some slack, even before it slowly grew on me, is because of the creative talent behind it. The adaptation and teleplay are by dramatist Maxwell Anderson. Anderson was a very good playwright in his time. He not only authored very successful plays (many turned into successful films) but was very adept at adapting other works to stage and/or screen (Key Largo, The Bad Seed), hence this teleplay for ACC. FYI, Frederic March starred in the film version of his play Mary of Scotland. Music and songs are by Bernard Herrmann. Herrmann was a very competent and successful composer, predominantly for films. He worked often with Orson Wells and Alfred Hitchcock. A prolific composer with an impressive list of film scores, one of his most recognizable works is the music for Psycho. He composed up to his death in a career that included Citizen Kane to Taxi Driver. Though minimal, the choreography is by two-time Tony award winning choreographer Donald Saddler.

With all the creative talent, coupled with some top-notch performers, this had the potential to be a much better offering than what was finally presented. However, it still worth viewing although it had to be narrowed down to a one-hour live performance that included some musical numbers and the sponsor’s television commercials.

It’s considered a musical, but I’ve always categorized it as a semi-musical. Though the songs are original, few are performed by the characters. Some of the original songs are performed, quite well, by the insertion of carolers, first in the opening and then between scenes, played by a group known as Roger Wagner Chorale. This is the second time a television adaptation used a choir during its presentation. (It was also done in the unfortunate 1949 U.S. television version). The music and songs are very good! There is a great piece right after Marley’s visit that is both beautiful and haunting.

The familiar story is performed but condensed. Frederic March gives a decent performance as Scrooge. Sometimes there are genuine moments of treasure in his enactment.

A very interesting twist is done by March after he delivers the familiar “…they had better do it and decrease the surplus population” line. Immediately after its delivery, he cocks his head to the side with a nasty smile and a short, evil chuckle as if happily picturing the event while being pleased with himself at the same time. Quite a nasty fellow!

There are some instances of drawn out musical interludes where March gives non-vocal, emotive performances. There are a couple of times I find it an unsuitable aspect of his enactment, but there is a good one that stands out. After Marley’s ghost leaves Scrooge, there is a beautiful and haunting instrumental where Scrooge moves around his room in a silent state that conveys terror and confusion as he realized what happened is not a dream. Frederic March is very good in this scene.

Basil Rathbone does well as Jacob Marley – not one of the best, but better than some others. By 1954/55, Rathbone was a seasoned ACC veteran; in the 1940’s, he starred as Scrooge on radio in a performance that was recorded and released on album. As Marley, he obviously takes the role seriously as a dramatic vehicle. When I sat to watch this for the first time on my original VHS copy, there was a small, anticipatory fear that this would make March and Rathbone participate in some ill-conceived song or production number. Thanks be that doesn’t happen and they are wisely regulated to providing the dramatics. There are some original tidbits with Marley that are well done. He presents Scrooge with a ghost version of a ledger recording their business to show how bad they were; Marley calls it “The Injustices Done by the Firm of Scrooge & Marley.” Before Marley leaves, he throws down the ledger in disdain. As Marley slowly backs out of Scrooge’s room while fading, he wails. “Oh God, oh God! There is so little help for me. Oh God, oh God!” I believe this eerie lament was used in place of the tortured wandering spirits which are always shown among various versions. After this production, Basil Rathbone appeared as Scrooge in the next made for U.S. television musical version, 1956’s The Stingiest Man in Town!

After Marley exits, Scrooge sees the ghost ledger that is left behind. He picks it up, realizes what he is holding, and runs terrified into his bed.

This is the first version I know of where some of ghosts appear as doppelgangers for other characters.

Sally Fraser tackles the dual role of The Ghost of Christmas Past and Belle. I’m not familiar with this actress. She’s attractive and I used to admire her wonderful singing voice. After many years of viewing, I found out her voice is dubbed by the great Marilyn Horne! It’s always seemed to me that in musical adaptations of ACC, Belle usually gets one of the best songs. In this show her song turns into a duet with the actor playing a younger Scrooge. The visit to the past completely bypasses the boy Ebenezer at school but begins with Fezziwig. Also, Belle breaks off the engagement with Scrooge at Fezziwig’s party.

I have always really liked Ray Middleton, particularly from Man of La Mancha and 1776 (musical geek that I am). He has the second of the two dual roles in this version. Middleton doubles as Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, and the Ghost of Christmas Present. As much as I like him, he’s not well suited for the part of Fred. He fairs much better as the Ghost of Christmas Present. However, the drawbacks to this conception of the Present Ghost I don’t blame Middleton for. First, this is one of those times the Present Ghost’s costume is a total divergence from Dickens’ description. Second, the outfit is not at all flattering to a man with Middleton’s build. I think it would very much have better suited him to be in a more traditional Ghost of Christmas Present costume…and with a beard! This can be counted as one of the times a traditional rendition did a Present ghost without a beard.

The dual roles of Belle/Christmas Past and Fred/Christmas Present have a loose logic to them. The resemblance is meant to be noticed by Scrooge. The Ghost of Christmas Past appears as his great past love, Belle, and he comments on the “resemblance.” The Ghost of Christmas Present should then be fittingly represented by his Christmas loving nephew, Fred, whom he had seen just hours earlier. Scrooge again comments on the resemblance. It feels like it takes its lead from the MGM adaptation of The Wizard of OZ.

Featured actor Bob Sweeney is adequate as Bob Cratchit. For what is usually an important part in the story, his role is small, and his performance is uninspired. Sweeney was a very active television actor during his career but he’s not memorable here.

As I’ve done in the past, I’ll make a small note of interest here to Queenie Leonard, the actress playing Mrs. Cratchit. She was an English born actress and cabaret performer. She had a very respectable and varied career as a performer. This is the second time she played Mrs. Cratchit in a television production. She first played the role in the bland 1949 television version of The Christmas Carol. Though I never heard her sing, it’s too bad Leonard wasn’t given some singing in this musical imagining as she was an experienced singer.

Alas, there are some big groans along the way. At least the attempts at English accents from the non-English actors, even if poorly done, outweigh the Americans that don’t even try…meaning of course we still have home-turf nasalings here. This becomes particularly bad during the visit to the past at the Fezziwig party. Although Frederic March is American, his distinguished inflections as old Scrooge still contrasts with the pure American tone of the actor portraying young Scrooge. Better still, there is an actress with two lines at the party where I’m positive she speaks them in a U.S. Southern accent!

Most of the events with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come are gone. It is a brief scene where Scrooge is transported to a cemetery and is shown his grave.

All-in-all, many of the events that help reform Scrooge are missing.

Unique

There are a few original bits here, but I’ll stick with one. The most unique offering, usually criticized, is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. In one of the biggest ever deviations for a traditional version, the 3rd Ghost appears as a myna bird! There could be much speculation as to the reason or any intended symbolism with this concept, but for now I’ll leave that to someone else. However, the myna just doesn’t come out of anywhere as the ghost. The myna is seen early in the show if one pays attention. From the moment he arrives from his counting house, it is first seen as a stuffed and mounted perched bird on Scrooge’s table in his room. During the Ghost of Christmas Present’s musical number, when first appearing to Scrooge, he picks up the stuffed bird and breathes life into it; the resurrected bird then flies out the bedroom window as the shutters magically close behind it. The next time Scrooge sees the bird, it is immediately after the Ghost of the Christmas Present leaves. Scrooge’s attention is then drawn to a window and notices with surprise the bird on a tree branch and looking at him as his final visitor.

Missing

There’s much more that can be listed, but these are the larger or more obvious omissions from this version:

• Phantom hearse
• Wandering spirits
• Young Scrooge at school flashback
• Fan (Scrooge’s sister)
• The minors, ship, and lighthouse
• The Comely Matron (Belle)
• Ignorance & Want
• Fred’s wife and visit to Fred’s house – Scrooge has dinner with the Cratchits instead
• Most of the future events with the Christmas Yet to Come segment

Silly

The silliest thing for me in this version is the prosthetic nose Frederic March wears as Scrooge. It’s completely unnecessary in assisting March to do the character and I often get distracted to what’s going on by focusing on it. It’s a true “what were they thinking?” bit.

Before They Were Famous

The late Bonnie Franklin, most well-known for the U.S. television show One Day at a Time, appears as one of the Cratchit children.