Movie · 1970 · Fantasy, Drama, Family · 1h 54m · G · English
Curator score: 5.3/10 (26.3K ratings)
What the Dickens have they done to Scrooge?
Overview
A musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic ghost tale starring Albert Finney.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.3/10
IMDb: 7.5/10
Letterboxd: 3.65/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 74%
Metacritic: 58
TMDB: 6.8/10
Director
Ronald Neame
Production
Cinema Center Films, Waterbury Films
Cast
Albert Finney, Alec Guinness, Edith Evans, Kenneth More, Laurence Naismith, Michael Medwin, David Collings, Anton Rodgers, Suzanne Neve, Frances Cuka, Derek Francis, Gordon Jackson, Roy Kinnear, Mary Peach, Paddy Stone, Kay Walsh, Geoffrey Bayldon, Helena Gloag, Reg Lever, Keith Marsh
Curator Review
Verdict
A lively, big-hearted musical take on Dickens that balances eerie ghost-story atmosphere with showy songs and a surprisingly emotional core. Albert Finney’s performance is the main draw, and the film’s old-school production design gives it a rich, theatrical holiday feel.
Best for
viewers who like classic Christmas movies with a darker edge
fans of stagey, performance-driven musicals
people looking for a more spirited alternative to sentimental holiday fare
audiences who enjoy Victorian atmosphere and ghostly set pieces
Skip if
you want a very faithful, restrained Dickens adaptation
you dislike musical numbers in period dramas
you prefer modern pacing and contemporary humor
you’re specifically avoiding another A Christmas Carol retelling
Overview
Ronald Neame’s Scrooge is one of the most satisfying big-screen versions of Dickens because it commits to both the music and the melancholy. The film doesn’t treat the songs as decoration; they help shape Scrooge’s emotional journey and give the story a buoyant, sometimes unsettling rhythm. Albert Finney is wonderfully volatile in the title role, making the character funny, abrasive, wounded, and finally moving.
Worth noting
What stands out most is the film’s texture. The production design, costumes, and ghost sequences create a proper Victorian fever dream, with enough theatrical flair to keep the familiar story feeling alive. It can be a little broad in places, and some viewers may find the musical style old-fashioned, but that same old-fashioned quality is part of its charm.
Bottom line
If you want a holiday movie that leans into spectacle, performance, and a touch of darkness, this is an easy recommendation. It’s not the most delicate or subtle adaptation, but it is one of the most memorable and emotionally generous.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Vivian (4★) · 320 likes
why did Marley walk around like a gta prostitute 💀
h (4★) · 267 likes
imagine having so many haters that the entire town has a fully choreographed song and dance number ready for when you die
Leighton Trent (3.5★) · 213 likes
"I hate people! I abhor them!When I see the indolent classesSitting on their indolent assesGulping ale from indolent glassesI hate people! I detest them! I deplore them!"
There are about 2.4 million or so adaptations of Charles Dickens' classic, A Christmas Carol, so needless to say I try to avoid almost all of them every Christmas (save for the Muppets, as that classic is wholly separate 😂), but my wife and inlaws insisted, so basically I… more
Brennan (4★) · 124 likes
There are so many good adaptations of “A Christmas Carol” and the majority of the ones I’ve seen are good so I’m always happy to watch the ones I haven’t. Scrooge from 1970 was recommended to me by Benjamin Copelin and I’m glad it was too because I quite enjoyed it!
Really the only parts I didn’t really like were both scenes with Marley. Outside of those two scenes this is right up there with the best adaptations of this… more
Travis Lytle (5★) · 113 likes
Ronald Neame's "Scrooge" is magical. A musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" powered by the melodies of Leslie Bricusse, the film is an enchanting retelling of the holiday classic that looks and sounds sumptuous. Combining evocative production design, an excellent cast, and wonderful songs, "Scrooge" strikes a chord that is charming, heartfelt, amusing, and resonant. It is rich and rewarding cinematic treasure.
A more or less straightforward adaptation of Dickens' novel about economic and human redemption, "Scrooge" finds… more