Christmas Carol-A-Thon 2017 continues!
This is a filmed presentation of the stage play by San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theatre and originally aired December 21st, 1981 on the Arts Channel.
The adaptation was by Dennis Powers and Laird Williamson and starred William Patterson as Ebenezer Scrooge. The only real mistake this Carol makes is that it’s one of those versions that reads WAY too much into Scrooge’s relationship with his father, even making up beatings that are never mentioned in the Dickens original. Other than that this production features some very nice touches.
During the Christmas Past segment Young Scrooge (Thomas Harrison) and Belle (Janice Hutchens) are ice-skating under starlit skies while having their breakup scene, which livens up this often tedious bit of business. When the Ghost of Christmas Present (Lawrence Hecht) shows Scrooge the Continue reading
NUMBER ONE – Since President’s Day weekend is in February it’s no surprise that the top post that month was my look at PRESIDENTS FROM EISENHOWER TO TRUMP. 
NUMBER TWO – One of my Ancient Science Fiction items came in second for the month of February, IN SEARCH OF THE UNKNOWN (1904). 
NUMBER FOUR – From the 1886 story THE MAN IN THE BLACK CLOAK I examined the title figure – a neglected forerunner of Pulp heroes like Judex and the Shadow. 
NUMBER FIVE – Coming in in fifth place for February was this item about a female research fellow and her courageous examination of viewpoint harassment and discrimination on American college campuses by Faculty Lounge Fascists. 
series 21st Century Golem. For two seasons that edgy, irreverent show presented Jewish folklore’s clay monster the Golem defending Israeli children and the elderly from blood-crazed Hamas butchers with time out to battle the Muslim Brotherhood and Boko Haram for good measure. 
A JETSON CHRISTMAS CAROL (1985) – Christmas Carol-A- Thon 2017 continues here at Balladeer’s Blog! This 1985 animated version of the Dickens classic incorporates the characters from the Hanna Barbera program The Jetsons. They were a family who were the far-future counterparts of the Stone Age family The Flintstones. 
TAKUGINAI (December 1988) – As always I enjoy reviewing some of the most obscure and/ or neglected versions of the Carol that I can find. 
Every year the Friday after Thanksgiving kicks off Balladeer’s Blog’s Annual Christmas Carol-A-Thon in which I post new reviews of various versions of A Christmas Carol along with some classics from Carol-A-Thons Past. Long past? No, YOUR past. 
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?
THE MANIPULATORS (1970) – The words “gritty” and “streetwise” seem never to be used when describing vintage television programs from Canada but they certainly apply to The Manipulators (Originally the title was to be The Clients). 
Balladeer's Blog 