The first time you heard A Christmas Carol?

[Xerus]

When was the very first time you ever heard the story of A Christmas Carol?

My first time was when I was a kid and Rankin/Bass aired The Stingiest Man in Town. The Scrooge in this story was voiced by Walter Matthau. I saw the story of A Christmas Carol and I thought this guy had a such a ghostly nightmare on Christmas night which almost didn't seem Christmassy at all. But then I liked it when the mean old Scrooge became nice in the end. Also for a while, I kind of had the anxieties that those ghosts would haunt my room whenever I go to bed at night.

A few years later, my grade school took a field trip to a theather where we saw A Christmas Carol live and I got to see the full story with live actors. It was a great show. And that same year, I saw Mickey's Christmas Carol in a movie theather.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I remember The Stingiest Man in Town; that was a wonderful adaptation! It was creepy and disturbing at times (the Marley scenes and when Tiny Tim "dies"), then at other times very touching. And it managed to have songs about both Jesus Christ and Santa Claus. And I remember how the Santa song's message was that Santa comes from the power of the parents' love.

But you know, I honestly can't say where I first heard the story. But probably one of the very first (if not the first) was Bill Murray's Scrooged, lol. It was hilarious, but also sweet. You really believe Bill Murray's character and his transformation at the end.

 

[Winslow Leach]

I was first introduced to the story in an abridged book with pictures. Marley's ghost spooked me for the longest time!

 

[D'Snowth]

That's almost like asking when's the first time you saw daylight?

 

[CensoredAlso]

That's almost like asking when's the first time you saw daylight?

Lol, I think you're right! Seems like I've always known about that story.

 

[Fragglemuppet]

Oh, I don't know about that... Maybe...

For me, it was my aunt and uncle giving me the book, (unabridged) on tape one year. I loved the story right away, even if I didn't understand it right away, lol! I think the next one was the muppet version though, so that cleared it all right up..sort of! lol

 

[Winslow Leach]

My favorite film/TV versions of the Carol are

A Christmas Carol (1951) - Alistair Sim as a classic Scrooge

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962) - wonderful version of the story

Scrooge (1970) - my personal favorite adaptation, a musical, starring Albert Finney

The Stingiest Man in Town (1978) - animated adaptation of a 1956 live action made-for-TV version of the same name

Rich Little's Christmas Carol (1978) - the master impressionist plays a myriad of celebs in this classic spoof

A Christmas Carol (1984) - George C. Scott is an excellent Scrooge, and David Warner plays one of the best Bob Cratchits

Scrooged (1988) - spoof with Bill Murray, co-written by legendary SNL scribe Michael O'Donoghue

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) - wonderful adaptation of the classic story