If it’s the Friday after Thanksgiving then it must be the start of Balladeer’s Blog’s Annual Christmas Carol-A-Thon! As always I review obscure versions of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol AND well-known versions. I also post new reviews each year PLUS rotate in old favorites from the past. Long past? No, YOUR past.
Kicking off my Eleventh Christmas Carol-A-Thon is this look at many truly rare versions of the Carol. Long-time readers are aware of the obsessive lengths I have gone to over the years to obtain some of these gems but this post doesn’t bore you with those details.
Aren’t we all pretty fed up with the same versions of A Christmas Carol being rammed down our throats like Razzleberry Dressing every Christmas season while many of the clever but lesser known variations of the Dickens Yuletide classic languish in obscurity?
Drawing on the extensive, albeit geeky, expertise that I’ve gained in this subject over the years I’d like to spread the word about some of the versions of the story that can be found in the remote hinterlands of home video or audio.
This post will be a look at variations of the actual Dickens story, set in London in the 1840s. An entirely separate article could be written about adaptations of A Christmas Carol set in different time periods and locales, like Rod Serling’s anti-war parable Carol For Another Christmas, or the 1975 conservation short The Energy Carol or even the year 2000 Brazilian version depicting the Scrooge figure as a drug lord who repents. Just think of me as the Ghost of Christmas Carol Obscurities.
After reading this list you’ll hopefully conduct your own search for versions of the Carol beyond the limited world of Mr Magoo, Alastair Sim and George C Scott (“Dickens, you magnificent bastard! I read yer booooook!”) .
The man all mimes aspire to be … damn them.
Marcel Marceau Presents a Christmas Carol (1973) – Marcel Marceau is possibly the only name that comes to mind if you try to think of famous mimes. In fact “Famous Mimes” would make for one easy Jeopardy category because the response would always be “Who is Marcel Marceau?” Anyway, this BBC presentation featured Marceau acting out a pantomime of the Carol and playing every role.
This was accompanied by narration by another actor who once portrayed Scrooge, Michael Hordern. If you prefer versions of the Carol devoid of any and all speaking there are several silent movie Carols available out there. Continue reading
Two thousand fishermen from Cape Cod had gone off to enlist in the Continental Army, and in their absence the British had repeatedly landed raiding parties to harass the citizens.
Thanksgiving week rolls along here at Balladeer’s Blog with this look at some of the most enjoyable – on whatever level – B-movies from the one and only Leo Fong! Leo’s been called a poor man’s Bolo Yeung cross-bred with an even poorer man’s Joe Don Baker … but I was drunk when I called him that, so make of it what you will. 
MURDER IN THE ORIENT (1974) – Leo Fong IS Lao Tsu, but not THAT one, in this lethargic treasure quest/ revenge story. Leo (He’s ALWAYS Leo to me no matter what his character is named) learns his sister has been killed by the Golden Cobra crime gang. That gang is after a pair of samurai swords on which Imperial Japanese war criminals serving in World War Two engraved a split map leading to a fortune in stolen gold. 
A TALE OF TWO HALVES – The SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY FIRE took it on the road against the AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY GYRENES. The Gyrenes led 7-0 in the 1st Quarter and 13-10 at Halftime. From there the Fire shut out Ave Maria University while going on top 17-13 to end the 3rd Quarter and ultimately winning the game 24-13. 
“GORILLA” WARFARE – Over in D2 the PITTSBURG (KS) STATE GORILLAS visited the WEST TEXAS A&M BUFFALOES. The Gorillas were out in front of their opponents 14-7, 28-21 and 35-28 in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Quarters, respectively. In the 4th, Pitt State polished off the Buffaloes by a final count of 42-28. 
SPIRIT OF SIXTY-FOUR – This game pitted the DORDT COLLEGE DEFENDERS against their hosts the BRIAR CLIFF UNIVERSITY CHARGERS. The Defenders seized a 23-0 advantage in the opening Quarter and never looked back. Ultimately, Dordt College obliterated the Chargers to the tune of SIXTY-FOUR to NOTHING! 
Here at Balladeer’s Blog I like to listen to you readers. Many of you have enjoyed my takes on the earliest adventures of Marvel Comics characters like the Avengers, X-Men, Captain America, Thor and the Hulk. The MOST popular so far was my look at the first 20 Iron Man stories in the 1960s, so here is a bonus I.M. blog post picking up where that original one left off. 
TALES OF SUSPENSE Vol 1 #59 (November 1964)
Synopsis: The Black Knight (Nathan Garrett), usually a supervillain opponent of Giant-Man & the Wasp, was in prison following the recent clash between the Avengers and Baron Zemo’s original Masters of Evil, of which he was a member. The Knight’s winged horse Elendil at last located its master’s cell window, allowing him to retrieve some chemicals from its saddle-bag. With those chemicals the Black Knight dissolved the bars of his cell, mounted Elendil and flew off, wanting revenge. 
For Balladeer’s Blog’s review of the first episode of this 1971-1973 series about London by Gaslight detectives from both the Victorian and Edwardian Ages you can simply click 
Episode: THE SENSIBLE ACTION OF LIEUTENANT HOLST (March 4th, 1973) 
John Thaw portrays Lieutenant Holst but neither boozes like Inspector Morse nor manhandles suspects like he did in his Sweeney days. Holst displays a casual savviness and a street-smart air, especially when dealing with a slippery hotel front desk employee. “Professional” is the defining adjective for Thaw’s Holst. 
FIRST RESPONDERS & MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY – The SAINT THOMAS UNIVERSITY BOBCATS (should be the Tomcats) welcomed the WARNER UNIVERSITY ROYALS yesterday. After a scoreless 1st Quarter the Royals led 7-6 at Halftime. That became a 10-6 edge in the 3rd Quarter before the Bobcats tied things up at 20-20 in the 4th. In Overtime STU won out 27-20. 
S.A.M. – SERVICE ACADEMY MANIA – Saturday saw the annual rivalry game between the UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY MARINERS and the COAST GUARD ACADEMY BEARS. A 7-7 1st Quarter tie became a 10-7 Mariners advantage at the Half. The 3rd Quarter ended with the USMMA up 17-7 before exchanging Touchdowns with the Bears in the 4th to win it 24-14. 
VIKING VALLEY – The VALLEY CITY STATE VIKINGS traveled to face the DAKOTA STATE TROJANS. The Vikings kept the Trojans off the scoreboard until the 4th Quarter as they led 7-0 in the opening Quarter and 14-0 by the midpoint. Neither team scored in the 3rd Quarter and Valley City State won by a final count of 14-6. 