I watched Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol for the first time in a couple years, and I am glad I did. It's a true classic and a landmark in TV history as the first animated TV Christmas special--that is, the first created for TV. I can't post a link because the misers at the company that owns the special haven't seen to fit to make it available this year except for purchase or rental (I see it may be available on Sling), but here is a clip:
I watched my old DVD copy and had a blast. For me, Quincy Magoo is Ebeneezer Scrooge. Everyone talks about the 1951 Alistair Sim movie as the definitive adaptation of Dickens' classic story, but when I was a lad, Magoo was on each year. If Sim was, I wasn't aware of it, and, hey, where is that version shown nowadays?
Oh, wait, I took a minute to look it up, and Tubi and Plex and other streamers have it. Well, all right, then! That makes it all the more appalling that the Magoo version isn't there!
Anyways, I loved this as a kid, and I loved it now. It's a real shame Quincy Magoo didn't do more work in the legit theater. His Scrooge is a heartfelt performance, loaded with pathos and fire without being treacly. Magoo has issues getting to the theater, but once he is there, he is a master. How lucky we are to have such a faithful recording of the Broadway experience in the form of this special.
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