Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol
First animated Christmas special made for television.
In 1962, UPA released *Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol*, an hour-long animated musical made for television. It adapts Charles Dickens' 1843 story *A Christmas Carol* and stars UPA's nearsighted character Mr. Magoo as Ebenezer Scrooge. The special debuted on NBC on December 18, 1962, marking the first time an animated Christmas special was created specifically for TV.
Jim Backus voices Magoo, with additional performances from Paul Frees, Morey Amsterdam, Joan Gardner, and Jack Cassidy. Abe Levitow directed, Jule Styne composed the songs, Bob Merrill wrote the lyrics, and Walter Scharf arranged and conducted the orchestra.
The plot follows Mr. Magoo as he arrives late to a Broadway theater where he plays Scrooge in a musical. Due to his poor eyesight, he stumbles in 30 minutes late and accidentally injures the director. In the Victorian London story, Scrooge is a miserly moneylender underpaying his clerk Bob Cratchit. After refusing charity, he grudgingly gives Cratchit Christmas off. That night, the ghost of Jacob Marley warns Scrooge of three spirits. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows him the Cratchit family counting their blessings, warning that Tiny Tim will die if nothing changes. The Ghost of Christmas Past reveals Scrooge's lonely boyhood and his lost love Belle, who left him because of his greed. The Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come shows Scrooge his own neglected death and Tiny Tim's grave, prompting Scrooge to repent. He wakes on Christmas morning, donates to charity, sends a turkey to the Cratchits, gives Bob a raise, and helps Tiny Tim recover. The musical ends with applause; Magoo brings the director onstage, but stage props fall on him. He declares he's "brought down the house" and wishes everyone a Merry Christmas.
The cast includes Jim Backus, Marie Matthews, Morey Amsterdam, Jack Cassidy, Royal Dano, Paul Frees, Joan Gardner, John Hart, Jane Kean, Laura Olsher, and Les Tremayne. Songs include "It's Great to Be Back on Broadway," "Ringle, Ringle," "The Lord's Bright Blessing," "Alone in the World," "Winter Was Warm," and "We're Despicable (Plunderer's March)," among reprises.
UPA produced the special during its final days after Henry G. Saperstein acquired the studio. It later made *The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo*, where Magoo played other literary characters, but the series ended as UPA couldn't mass-produce TV cartoons. The special's
- Release year
- 1962
- Network
- NBC
- Director
- Abe Levitow
- Voice cast
- Jim Backus, Paul Frees, Morey Amsterdam, Joan Gardner, Jack Cassidy
- Composers
- Jule Styne (music), Bob Merrill (lyrics)
- Production company
- UPA
Lore & Background
The special uses a framing device in which Mr. Magoo, due to his nearsightedness, arrives late to a Broadway theater where he stars as Ebenezer Scrooge in a musical production of A Christmas Carol. The plot follows the traditional Dickens story: Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet-to-Come, leading to his redemption. The special depicts the ghosts in a different order than the book, with the Ghost of Christmas Present appearing before Past.
Reader's Guide
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol holds significance as the first animated Christmas special produced for television, premiering on NBC in 1962. It was produced by UPA during its final years as an animation studio. The special was rerun on NBC through 1969, then aired in syndication in the 1970s and 1980s, on cable channels in the 1990s and 2000s, and returned to broadcast television in 2011. Its legacy includes influencing later holiday specials and being referenced in popular culture, such as in the film Scrooged and The Simpsons episode 'Tis the Fifteenth Season. The special has been released on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray, and has been adapted as a live stage production by the Actors Fund.
Did You Know?
- Tiny Tim in the special resembles UPA's character Gerald McBoing-Boing.
- The special was the first animated Christmas special produced specifically for television.
- The song 'Winter Was Warm' was removed from some airings on Cartoon Network in the 2000s.
- The special's plot order differs from the book, with the Ghost of Christmas Present appearing before the Ghost of Christmas Past.
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