The Stingiest Man in Town, 1956

The Stingiest Man in Town is the next musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol viewing.  This is a very good show and I have to reign myself in as it could result in a very long post; so I’m trying to keep this on the shorter side.

This was another musical offering by American television done in 1956. It has some similarities to its 1954 predecessor musical of ACC: 1)It was a holiday episode of an anthology series; 2) it was an original musical adaptation; 3) it was an early color broadcast with only a black & white kinescope surviving; 4) there is a small chorus of carolers that sang between scenes; 5) they both starred Basil Rathbone (but in different roles).  That’s where most of the similarity ends.

This was the Christmas episode of the series The Alcoa Hour and was presented live. The 1954 version was filmed and, despite its ambitions, is best described as a semi-musical. The Stingiest Man in Town is a full-blown, second-half-of-twentieth-century musical proper. It was believed lost for years and only became available a few years ago after the discovery of a surviving kinescope!

Although Basil Rathbone stars in 1954’s Shower of Stars version of ACC as Marley’s Ghost, he goes all the way to the top in the title role of The Stingiest Man in Town.

While this is the traditional ACC story, the attempt here is a musical comedy for the purpose of light entertainment. It does well with both but more so as a musical. This is very much thanks to the music of Fred Spielman (coupled with Janice Torre’s lyrics).  Spielman was a very successful songwriter. One his songs that is still well known is Paper Roses. This was well received enough that there used to be an available  soundtrack album of the songs.

Throughout the show, there is a quartet of carolers (sometimes beggars) that sing during the introduction, between scenes, and after the finale.  The carolers are played by pop vocal group The Four Lads.

The opening scenes lead us, of course, to Scrooge & Marley’s counting house. Basil Rathbone’s singing parts are tailored for a non-singing actor.   For one verse in the song “Humbug,” Rathbone changes from live performance to lip-synching a pre-recorded verse, with studio echo effects (most likely to make him sound better).

Johnny Desmond is very pleasing as nephew Fred. As this is a musical and Fred is a singing part, Desmond’s voice is pleasant to contemporary ears.

John McGiver appears as one of the two gentlemen charity collectors. Though it’s a small part, I had to give this a mention. I’ve always spotted McGiver in small but noticeable parts in dozens of movies and television show. He is easily recognizable in this role.

Something a bit unusual in this version is the appearance of a cleaning woman character at Scrooge & Marley’s. It’s a small speaking role, too.

Robert Weede, twice Tony Award nominated, is Marley’s Ghost. Marley wears an opaque veil as part of his costume, removing it in Scrooge’s room and replacing it when he leaves.

Ah! The Wandering Spirits are shown here. They become part of the musical number “I wear a Chain” performed by Marley’s Ghost.  The Wandering Spirits work as part of a musical number in this version, unlike the strange one Marley and the spirits enact in the 1994 animated version. A Unique moment: Scrooge recognizes one of the Wandering Spirits as another former friend of his who was very successful in life but now suffers in death! (This was copied/repeated in 2004’s A Christmas Carol: The Musical.)

Ian Martin is the Ghost of Christmas Past – not bad but not memorable. This version’s Ghost is done as an old man. As a big radio show buff, I have to point out that Martin appeared in almost 200 episodes of CBS Radio Mystery Theatre. In the past sequence, the school part is not done although there is mention of Fan.  Fan is only talked about, not shown.  The past concentrates on the Fezziwig ball where the focus becomes Young Scrooge and Belle.

Opera star Patrice Munsel is Belle. She’s a nice counterpoint to the Young Scrooge of Vic Damone. I’ve never cared much for Damone and even a musical version of A Christmas Carol doesn’t sway me into fandom.  But despite Damone, the musical sequence he performs as Young Scrooge with Belle is ingenious.  In the song “Golden Dreams,” a large production number, Scrooge amasses gold as it grows into a brick wall separating Belle and him.

Robert Wright is the Ghost of Christmas Present. He is a traditional looking version of the spirit and makes his appearance in a chorus production number. He doesn’t sing solo until the visit to the Cratchit home.

Bob Cratchit is portrayed by Martyn Green, who was well known for doing Gilbert & Sullivan and was a veteran of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company.

Martha Cratchit’s role is a bit larger than usual as she has a solo song she sings to Tiny Tim (“Yes, There is a Santa Clause”)

The Ghost of Christmas Present then has a song he sings to Scrooge (“One Little Boy”). Next, with the visit to Fred’s house, there is actually a religious inspired song, “The Birthday Party of the King”).

In the future, Scrooge only witnesses the undertaker and housekeeper talking about his death and is then shown his gravestone. There is no visit to the future Cratchit home or any mention of Tiny Tim’s death.

What is given is an instrumental musical number, “Concerto Inferno,” with dancing spirits in the cemetery while taunting Scrooge. Remember, it’s a musical (which is okay!).

At the beginning of the reformed Scrooge, the well-known exchange with Scrooge and the boy in street is given a twist. The exchange isn’t with a boy at all. Instead, Scrooge speaks with an unseen neighbor woman. Once again there is the well borrowed scene of Scrooge visiting the Cratchit home on Christmas Day. However, as the show ends with the finale number, Scrooge is leaving to go have dinner at his nephew’s house.

This is a very enjoyable version of A Christmas Carol that succeeds with it’s aim to be fun and entertaining without really spoiling the classic tale.

Jump ahead years later to 1978; The Stingiest Man in Town was remade as an animated musical Rankin-Bass special. That will be tomorrow’s post.

Unique

There is a unique interchange between the reformed Scrooge and Tiny Tim when Scrooge is at the Cratchit home on Christmas Day. Scrooge approaches Tiny Tim and begins to a personal exchange with him concerning doctors and the future; he asks him “…will you help me change the shadow of the future?”

 Missing

• Phantom hearse
• Wandering spirits
• Young Scrooge at school flashback
• Fan is discussed but never shown
• Dick Wilkins
• Ignorance & Want
• Future Cratchit home visitation
• Boy in the street