Mickey's Christmas Carol



Mickey's Christmas Carol is a 1983 American animated featurette produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution. It was directed and produced by Burny Mattinson. The cartoon is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, starring Scrooge McDuck as Ebenezer Scrooge. Many other Disney characters, primarily from the Mickey Mouse universe, Robin Hood, and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, were cast throughout the film.

Mickey's Christmas Carol was largely an animated adaptation of a Disneyland Records 1974 audio musical entitled An Adaptation of Dickens' Christmas Carol. The musical featured similar dialogue and cast of characters with the exception of the first and last Christmas ghosts.

This was the first original Mickey Mouse theatrical cartoon produced in over 30 years. With the exception of re-releases, Mickey had not appeared in movie theaters since the short film The Simple Things (1953). Many additional characters seen in the film had also not appeared in a theatrical cartoon for several decades. The film was also the last time in which Clarence Nash voiced Donald Duck. Nash was the only original voice actor in the film as Walt Disney (Mickey Mouse) and Pinto Colvig (Goofy) had died in the 1960s, Cliff Edwards (Jiminy Cricket) and Billy Gilbert (Willie the Giant) in 1971, and Billy Bletcher (Pete and the Big Bad Wolf) in 1979.

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1984, but lost to Sundae in New York. It was the first nomination for a Mickey Mouse short since Mickey and the Seal (1948). It was also the only Mickey Mouse short on which John Lasseter was involved as an animator (he later went on to work for Lucasfilm, Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios).

Plot
On Christmas Eve in 19th-century London, Ebenezer Scrooge (Scrooge McDuck), a surly money-lender, does not share the merriment of Christmas. He dismisses Rat and Mole's collecting money for charity and declines his nephew Fred's (Donald Duck) invitation to Christmas dinner. His loyal employee Bob Cratchit (Mickey Mouse) requests to have Christmas Day off, since there will be no business for Scrooge on the day, to which he reluctantly agrees.

Scrooge continues his business until just before midnight and then heads for home. In his house, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his deceased business partner Jacob Marley (Goofy), who warns him to repent his wicked ways or he will condemned in the afterlife like he was, informing him that three time-travelling spirits will visit him during the night. As Marley leaves, he falls down the stairs after he avoids tripping over Scrooge's cane.

Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past (Jiminy Cricket), who takes him back in time to his early life. They visit his time as an employee under Fezziwig (Mr. Toad) who is throwing a Christmas party, Scrooge attending and meeting a young woman named Isabelle (Daisy Duck), whom he falls in love with. However, the Ghost shows Scrooge how ten years later Isabelle left him when he chose his wealth over her. A distraught Scrooge dismisses the Ghost as he returns to the present.

Scrooge next meets the gigantic, merry Ghost of Christmas Present (Willie the Giant). The Ghost shows Scrooge the poverty-stricken Cratchit family, who still keep a festive attitude in their home despite their hardships. Scrooge takes pity on Bob's young son, Tiny Tim, whose family can barely feed him more than a small portion. Before he disappears, the Ghost comments that Tiny Tim will likely not survive until next Christmas.

The Ghost of Christmas Future (Pete) arrives, appearing as a silent, cloaked figure and takes Scrooge into the future. Escorted to a cemetery, Scrooge discovers that Tiny Tim has died. He then overhears two gravediggers (Weasels from The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad) who are amused that no one attended the funeral of an unnamed colleague while digging a grave. After the weasels leave to take a break from their work, the ghost points out Scrooge's own name on the gravestone, revealing that Scrooge was the man who died. Realizing this, Scrooge vows to mend his ways as the ghost, now revealing himself as Pete, shoves him into his empty coffin sitting in a deep grave atop the fires of Hell.

Awakening in his bedroom on Christmas Day, Scrooge decides to surprise Bob’s family with a turkey dinner. He ventures out to spread happiness and joy around London. He donates much of his money to the charity officials (Rat and Mole) and wishes his nephew Fred a Merry Christmas as well. Scrooge then goes to the Cratchit house, at first putting on a stern demeanor, but reveals he intends on raising Bob’s salary and making him his partner in his counting house. Scrooge and the Cratchets celebrate Christmas.

Opening street scene

 * The Big Bad Wolf, collecting for charity (voiced by Will Ryan)
 * The Three Little Pigs, caroling

Party at Fezzywig's

 * Lady Kluck, dancing with Secretary Bird
 * Rabbit children, clapping
 * Uncle Waldo; clapping, later dancing
 * Grandma Duck; clapping, later dancing
 * Horace Horsecollar, dancing with Clarabelle Cow
 * Gus Goose, dancing with Clara Cluck
 * Angus MacBadger, dancing
 * Chip and Dale, dancing
 * Huey, Dewey, and Louie, decorating Christmas tree

Closing street scene

 * Skippy Bunny and Toby Turtle, playing in the street
 * Mother Rabbit and Grandma Owl, standing in the street
 * Practical Pig, chasing two of the Three Little Wolves
 * Cyril Proudbottom, pulling Donald's cart

The film also includes unidentifiable dog, fox, pig, squirrel, bear, raccoon, goose, and chicken characters. The DVD print reveals that the graveyard scene also includes tombstones containing famous performers, including Gladys Knight & The Pips, Bob Mills, and Warren Oates.

Reception
Film critic Leonard Maltin said that rather than being “a pale attempt to imitate the past”, the film is “cleverly written, well staged, and animated with real spirit and a sense of fun.” Robin Allan stated that the film calls to mind the similarities between Walt Disney and Charles Dickens, in terms of both the work they produced and their work ethic.

However, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert of At the Movies gave it “two thumbs down”. Siskel felt there wasn't enough emphasis on Mickey's character, in spite of the title, and that it didn't rank with most of Disney's full-length animated features. Ebert stated that it lacked the magic of visual animation that the “Disney people are famous for” and that it was a “forced march” through the Charles Dickens story without any ironic spin.

Mickey's Christmas Carol was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Animated Short Subject of 1983.

Releases
Mickey's Christmas Carol premiered in the UK on October 20, 1983 alongside a re-issue of The Jungle Book, and was released in the US on December 16, 1983, with a Christmas 1983 re-issue of The Rescuers. It has been broadcast on various television stations throughout the years. It started on NBC (1984–1990), then on to The Disney Channel (1987–1999; 2002–2006), and CBS (1991–1996), occasionally on ABC (2000, 2003), before moving permanently to ABC Family (2001–2015). It was aired on Toon Disney in 2008. The run on ABC Family includes Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too and was part of their "25 Days of Christmas", but with several abrupt edits including the "Chocolate Pot Roast with Yogurt" line and Marley tripping on the stairs and falling down, letting out a Goofy holler. In Canada, it airs on CBC, and has been aired every Christmas season since 1985. It typically airs the Sunday before Christmas. For many years, the short film would air on CBC as a one hour program, as mentioned below. In addition, Mickey's Christmas Carol would be shown unmatted. In recent years however, Mickey's Christmas Carol is only aired in a half-hour time slot and in high definition matted widescreen, presumably to be more suited for modern television screens.

The short film was released several times on VHS and laserdisc throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Some editions featured The Making of "Mickey's Christmas Carol" as a bonus.

The short is also featured, without its opening credits, in the direct-to-home release, Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse. It is also available on the ninth volume of the Walt Disney Classic Cartoon Favorites DVD collection, as well as in the Walt Disney Treasures set Mickey Mouse in Living Color - Volume 2; however, the latter is the only DVD to be released in its theatrical 1.66:1 widescreen aspect ratio, however it is simply cropping the 1.33:1 version. The short is also on the Disney Animation Collection Volume 7 DVD (1.33:1). On November 5, 2013, the 30th Anniversary Edition of this short was released on DVD and for the first time on Blu-ray; however, it was further cropped to 1.78:1 widescreen and featured a heavy use of noise reduction. Various other shorts were included in the DVD.

The aforementioned broadcasts in the 1980s and early 1990s spanned a full hour, with the first half consisting of the following older cartoon shorts: Donald's Snow Fight, Pluto's Christmas Tree, and The Art of Skiing. Each of the four items in the program was preceded by a narrative wraparound segment in which one of the Disney cartoon characters (Donald, Pluto (with Mickey translating), Goofy, and Mickey, respectively) would talk about his favorite Christmas, thus leading into the cartoon in question. From 1988 onwards, The Art of Skiing was excluded from the annual broadcast, replaced at the end of the hour by one segment or another. The 1993 telecast, for example, featured a behind-the-scenes featurette on The Nightmare Before Christmas. Later broadcasts simply reduced the timeslot to half an hour, showing Mickey's Christmas Carol by itself.

A clip of this film in Swedish was shown on Donald Duck's 50th Birthday to illustrate Donald's international appeal.

This short film was featured in Disney's Magical Mirror Starring Mickey Mouse. The shot of Mickey holding Tiny Tim's crutch is also seen in the opening of Epic Mickey.

Production credits

 * Story Adapted by Burny Mattinson, Tony L. Marino, Ed Gombert, Don Griffith, Alan Young, Alan Dinehart
 * Based on the book A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
 * With the Voice Talents of Alan Young as Scrooge, Wayne Allwine, Hal Smith, Will Ryan, Eddy Carroll, Patricia Parris, Dick Billingsley, Clarence Nash
 * Animators: Glen Keane, Mark Henn, Ed Gombert, Dale Baer, David Block, Randy Cartwright
 * Effects Animators: Ted Kierscey, Jeff Howard, Mark Dindal, Jack Boyd
 * Animation Consultant: Eric Larson
 * And the Creative Talents of Richard Hoppe, Barry Temple, Dave Suding, John Lasseter, Retta Davidson, Tom Ferriter, Walt Stanchfield, Jane Baer, Sylvia Mattison, Douglas Krohn, Matthew O'Callaghan, Susan I. Craig, Jay Jackson, Terrey Hamada, Fujiko Miller, Toby Shelton
 * Art Direction: Don Griffith
 * Layout: Michael Peraza, Jr., Sylvia Roemer, Gary M. Eggleston
 * Background: Jim Coleman, Brian Sebern, Kathleen Swain, Tia W. Kratter, Donald A. Towns
 * Production Manager: Edward Hansen
 * Editors: James Melton, Armetta Jackson
 * Music Editors: Jack Wadsworth, Dennis Ricotta
 * Assistant Director: Timothy O'Donnell
 * Production Assistant: Don Hahn
 * "Oh, What A Merry Christmas Day" words and music by Fredrick Searles and Irwin Kostal
 * Music Composed and Conducted by Irwin Kostal
 * Produced and Directed by Burny Mattinson