*Christmas is the summer of the soul in December —The Muppet Christmas
Carol (1992)*
Charles Dickens might not have written those splendid words that songwriter
Paul Williams put in his characters’ mouths almost 150 years later. But
Dickens would undoubtedly have appreciated the sentiment in this and the
more than 100 other versions of his holiday classic that have appeared on
film over the years. 2022 marked the 30th anniversary of this holiday
classic—but better late than never, this week we’re taking a closer look at
The Best Christmas Movie *Ever.*
It should be no surprise that my alltime favorite Christmas movie is a
version of that Exceptionally Victorian tale *A Christmas Carol. *And
you’ll never convince me that *The Muppet Christmas Carol* isn’t the best
of the best. From the genius casting of Jim Henson’s Muppets in the various
roles—Gonzo as Charles Dickens! Statler and Waldorf as the Marley Bros.!
Fozzie Bear as Fezziwig!—to the irreverent humor, to the emotional
soundtrack that evokes Dickens’s sentimentality without ever becoming
sappy… the film is a technical and artistic triumph. And for me, the
holiday season isn’t in full swing without at least one annual screening.
Never has there been a better on-screen Scrooge than Michael Caine. (Or a
better on-screen dressing gown!)
*A Christmas Carol* hit the Victorian presses in 1843, just when Christmas
festivities were seeing a resurgence, thanks in part to the Royal Family. *Read
more about Queen Victoria, Charles Dickens, and the Victorian Christmas
Renaissance here.*
The Muppets seem an obvious choice to us *now,* but that wasn’t necessarily
the case at the time. It had been 8 years since their last big-screen
appearance, and this time they’d be forging ahead without creator Jim
Henson, who died in 1990. But crew and cast rallied, embracing everything
Dickens *and* everything Muppets, to create a lasting masterpiece.
Statler and Waldorf as the Marley Bros (you’ll recall Dickens only had
Jacob) are unsurpassed in the cinematic universe.
A magnificent musical soundtrack by the legendary Paul Williams is half of
the film’s success. Lyrics that could well have come from Dickens’s pen are
set to delightful and catchy tunes you can’t help but sing along to. *“Wherever
you find love, it feels like Christmas!”*
We all love the Muppets—Kermit the Frog as the put-upon clerk Bob Cratchit
is an obvious choice, but Gonzo as Charles Dickens is as left-field and
Muppety as it gets, yet it works, adding a lighthearted tour guide to a
dark tale. Yet it’s the human cast and their absolute conviction that they
are performing with other *actors*, and not puppets, that makes it all
truly magical.
Ah, Nephew Fred… (Scottish actor Steven Mackintosh), little did you know
you’d be reincarnated one day as a young fictional solicitor…
From his very first “Humbug” to “I will keep Christmas,” Caine inhabits the
role of Scrooge with his whole being, somehow being simultaneously
loathsome and lovable, just as Dickens hoped. His secret was approaching
his role, and his Muppet co-stars, as if they were all members of the Royal
Shakespeare Company—a level of gravity new to the consummately silly
Muppets that has set the standard for Muppetdom ever since.
*The Muppet Christmas Carol* was *at least the twentieth time* Dickens’s
tale had made it to the big screen (and that doesn’t include countless
small screen and stage productions). The first version we know of is 1901’s *“Scrooge,
or Marley’s Ghost”* by British filmmaker Walter R. Booth. Originally
running around six minutes long, only three minutes of the silent film have
survived—but they tell the tale so familiar to viewers then and now. Watch
for the masterful special effects, like the appearance of Scrooge and the
Ghost of Christmas Present at the Cratchits’ holiday feast:
Just like today, Victorian audiences and filmmakers loved seeing—and
putting–Christmas on film. Pioneering French filmmaker Georges Méliès made
his own holiday movie, *The Christmas Dream*, in 1900. And Clement Clark
Moore’s *The Night Before Christmas* made it to film for the first time in
1905, thanks to the Edison Company.
But possibly the very first depiction of the wonder of Christmas on film is
1898’s *Santa Claus* by British filmmaker George Albert Smith, in which two
children are visited by Father Christmas himself. Watch the onscreen magic
unfold:
This and many other classic early British films are available at the *British
Film Institute*.
*The* *Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries* are set in the 1890s—a bit too early
for motion pictures. But I have a good feeling Myrtle would appreciate the
humor, festivity, and faithful adaptation of *The Muppet Christmas Carol*.
Hoity-toity, Mr. Godlike Smartypants! (Dickens wishes he wrote that.)
*The Muppet Christmas Carol* is now streaming on Disney+ by subscription,
or check your local TV listings for upcoming air dates. But if you want my
advice, just pick up a copy to watch all year. Even Scrooge would think
that a worthwhile expense, if it means honoring Christmas and keeping it in
your heart.
Stay tuned next week for still more *Muppet Christmas Carol* fun! (Remember
that glorious dressing gown? Yeah.) I will expect you to have watched the
film several times and be prepared, because there will be a quiz. (There
won’t. But go forth and know it better anyway.)
The post #MyrtleMondays Featuring “The Muppet Christmas Carol!” (Part 1)
appeared first on Elizabeth C. Bunce.