In my attempt to watch every version of "A Christmas Carol" I came across this curiosity of 1979.
Here Henry Winkler plays the unmistakable Ebeneezer Scrooge character, this time set in Depression Era America rather than rat infested DIckens England.
Winkler plays Ben Slade, and in today's lingo he is a payday advanced loan jerk who has fleeced the community and lives well while others suffer. Then on Christmas Eve, he is met by ghosts who show him his past, present and future. The future ghosts amused me as it was...DECIDEDLY 1970's attire. Gold chain and all. The movie also has lighter moments. Comedy works best in this darkness.
The rest is the standard: sees the errors of his life and realizes leaving a legacy means more than money.
All good stuff.
The problem comes with some odd casting choices. Starting with Henry Winkler. Perhaps it was too close to "Happy Days" but the poor guy couldn't shake the attitude in his voice. Even though, he's seen here in heavy poorly constructed t.v. budgeted old-dude makeup he still sounded like...the Fonz. You half expect when the ghosts to show up for him to say "Oh heeey, the G of Christmas P" Unfortunately, Winkler went this route. But I also suspected producers may have actually wanted this. I mean, why get The Fonz if you can't hear the Fonz.
The guy who plays the Bob Cratchet character is sorely mis-casted. Though seen in most incarnations as a nebbish book worm, this dude just comes off as a nerd. I mean, worse, a Canadian nerd. He doesn't have the gravity of playing an adult nor presence of being one. He doesn't seem as if he could endure Slade's ways. Even as the transformations to good occur, the actor doesn't seem the bit surprised. He just goes along with the flow (which is mostly the director's blame).
The t.v. movie isn't bad. Although what appears to be pieced together by random standing sets and props, I can't imagine this movie cost much to make.
The heart is DEFINITELY in the right space. And in the spirit of the holidays, it does do its job.
It was a nice attempt at a novel idea on overused Christmas story.
It isn't a complete waste of time. But beware of the corny within.
