Rating: 
Summary: A Simply Perfectly Wonderful Holiday Classic
Review: It was shortly before Christmas last year when I found that this DVD was available on Amazon, and purchased it immediately, even though I know I wouldn't receive it until after the holiday. Since it's debut on NBC in 1962, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol has become my all time television Christmas favorite. I remember at the time I did not think it would be possible to put the Magoo character into this Christmas Classic, and was afraid they would turn it into more nearsighted jokes for the character. By putting it into the context that Magoo was starring in a Broadway play, they were able to keep the Magoo jokes in when he's Magoo, but thanks to exceptional talent of Jim Backus, as soon as Magoo steps out on the stage, He IS Scrooge!
I don't know why the Amazon reviewer nit picked with the score, but take my word for it, it's a great score by Bob Merrill and Jules Styne, as every song fits every moment in the film perfectly, from I'm All Alone In The World to Jingle Jangle, Coins as they rangle, and We'll have the Lord's Bright Blessing. This Christmas Special should have had better treatment over the years, but now it has the best treatment of all-it's on DVD, and a must have to put you in the holiday mood.
Rating:
Summary: Razzleberry dressing
Review: I dont remember the first time I saw this charming Christmas
special,but along with the 1970 "Scrooge" with Albert Finney, it is one of my favorites. Once Magoo steps on stage as Scrooge, the fun begins. The score is one of the best, and the ghosts shouldnt scare anyone,which is not true for some interpretations of Christmas yet to come which would tend to scare some of the younger viewers,much like the dragon/wicked queen did in Snow White. Would like to see it back on the air again right along wit th "Its a Wonderful life, the ORIGINAL "Miracle on 34th Street"
and the above mentioned "Scrooge".
.
A good family film with a little off the wall humor as only Magoo can provide.
A "World's bright blessing to all" and a bowl of razzleberry dressing too!
Rating:
Summary: A Must-Have For The Old And Young Alike
Review: It's cute, it's funny, it's nostalgic and probably my favorite version of Dicken's story, for whatever reason, it's just a great piece of work.I've watched this numerous times since the early 70's as a child and I purchased it on DVD as soon as I saw it on the rack. I look forward to watching it with my children some day as well, and of course throwing it in on a cold December's day.
Rating:
Summary: Even Mr. Magoo can see that this is a great DVD
Review: Take a timeless character and put him as the star of the timeless tale A Christmas Carol and you get a Timeless Classic. A Christmas Carol is my favorite christmas story and there have been countless adaptations done, and I have seen most of them. Mr Magoo takes this classic and does it justice unlike many of the other adaptations like the muppets or even Mickey. So many times adaptations cut the story so that it is much shorter and leave out some of the most interesting parts, especially the visit from the ghost of christmas past. Magoo does not cut the story short which leaves the story with its sincereness and heart. This is a classic that all families should own. The extras on the DVD are nice too. They include bios of the people who do the voices including Jim Backus who is the voice of Magoo and also known for his role as Thurston Howell III on Giligan's Island. There is a history of Mr. Magoo and a bonus animated short featuring Mr. Magoo. Again this is a must have for any family.
Rating:
Summary: Lost that Xmas spirit?
Review: Christmas feeling a bit off this year????
Watch this and hang up the lights!.
Rating:
Summary: IT'S MY FAVORITE!!!
Review: ALL OF THE CHRISTMAS SHOWS ARE CLASSIC AND MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD. BUT MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL IS EXTRA SPECIAL. EVEN THOUGH THE ANIMATION IS VERY CRUDE BY TODAY'S STANDARDS, THE STORY; THE MUSICAL SCORE; THE CHARACTERS COMBINED ARE IRRESISTIBLE. I REMEMBER THAT, MOST YEARS, IT WASN'T EVEN CARRIED IN THE LOCAL TV LISTINGS. YOU WOULD JUST KINDA COME ACROSS IT ON CHANNEL 9 ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON SOMETIME AFTER THANKSGIVING HAD PASSED. THEN FOR YEARS IT WAS OOP ON VIDEO, AND SELDOM IF EVER BROADCAST ON NETWORK TV. A DECENT COPY ON VHS WAS LIKE A BAR OF GOLD. NOW EVERYONE WILL BE ABLE TO ENJOY THIS TIMELESS CLASSIC. I'VE LOVED THIS CARTOON SINCE I WAS A KID. NOW, I WATCH IT EVERY YEAR ON CHRISTMAS EVE WITH MY KIDS. THIS MOVIE WILL PUT EVERYBODY IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT.
Rating:
Summary: a christmas tradition
Review: for years it has been a tradition for me to watch this at christmas time. i had an old VHS tape that i made from a now-forgotten source, and it shows all the signs of being well-loved, including excessive wear and occasional wrinkled sections of tape from cruddy VCRs i've had in the past. i was embarassingly excited to see that it came out on DVD. this is a fun, sweet version of the christmas carol tale, with all the familiar elements plus some new ideas and musical numbers. fun for the whole family!
Rating:
Summary: Thank you, THANK YOU!
Review: I humbly wish to thank Good Times Video for re-releasing this holiday treasure--and I write these words well into January. I ordered this DVD in a fit of nostalgia, and as I watched it for the first time since I was a child, I felt tears streaming down my face. I soon realized I hadn't seen this wonderful program since I believed in Santa Claus! I couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 since that last time I saw it, yet it has stuck in my mind and heart ever since--the INCREDIBLE Stine/Merrill score, the wonderfully "early 60s" animation style, the faithful retelling of the Dickens classic, the adorable Tiny Tim, the terrific voice performances by Jim Backus, Jack Cassidy, and many others. "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" might not have been the most sophistically animated Christmas special ever broadcast, but its warm heart and passionate script make it one of the most truly unforgetable (and beautiful) TV experiences of my lifetime. If you have a family with small children, perhaps ages 5 and up, order this program and enjoy it with them. Perhaps they too will have a holiday memory that will last as strongly as mine. Thank you, Good Times Video and Amazon--no make that an uppercase THANK YOU--for blessing me with this cartoon classic that I feared was lost forever. And those songs..........those wonderful,loving, memorable songs!
Rating:
Summary: Razzleberry Dressing and Woofle Jelly Cakes.
Review: Great music and delightful humor make this animated Christmas special of 1962 a holiday treat. Mr. Magoo (voice of Jim Backus) returns to Broadway to star in a musical adaptation of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." In a hilarious prologue, we see the nearsighted Magoo dealing with big city traffic and creating havoc as he arrives late at the theater. Magoo, of course, is Scrooge. In an inspired moment, we view the play as if we are in the theater audience. We even have to peer around a lady wearing prominent horn-rimmed glasses. The curtain rises and falls with each act of the play. A lot of talent went into the making of this Christmas tale, including the voices of Jack Cassidy and Morey Amsterdam, but the original songs put this feature in a class all its own. The Cratchit family dinner includes the lively song about the Christmas that is more glorious than grand. Tiny Tim keeps chiming in about "razzleberry dressing" and "woofle jelly cakes." This is certainly a high point of the story. The tender song "The Winter Was Warm" prompts heart-tugging emotion truly unusual in a cartoon. Magoo manages a chuckle-headed charm as the cranky Ebenezer Scrooge. Humor is never far away amid the holiday sentiment. Note the "We're Despicable" song and dance routine, even down to the rat that is alarmed by Scrooge and the Spirit of Christmas Future at the window. Scrooge's encounter with the lad outside his house on Christmas morning is fine comedy. This is a great way to introduce the younger generation to the zany world of Mr. Magoo. ;-)
Rating: 
Summary: Here's a thoroughly strange package
Review: This new DVD edition of _Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol_ is a strange package, and not just because of the TV special (which is unusual enough).
_Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol_ was the last hurrah for the once-great UPA animation studio, which produced a string of Oscar-winning short films during the 1950s. But UPA never found a way to incorporate its revolutionary new style of animation into feature films, and thus never found a way to expand into more lucrative theatrical markets. By the late 1950s UPA had effectively lost its creative edge, and found itself working in low-budget television animation. (UPA's sole attempt at a feature film, _Mr. Magoo's 1001 Arabian Nights_, deservedly flopped in 1959, which sealed the studio's fate.)
_Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol_ is an example of UPA's low-budget television animation, which, though a far cry from UPA's glory days, is not quite as bad as one might expect. The animation is more subtle and the acting more nuanced than Hanna-Barbera's work from the same period (proof that UPA's creative spark was not completely extinguished).
The real glory of this television special, however, is in the soundtrack. Songs by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill are more than serviceable, and at least one ("Winter Was Warm") is a little-known gem of a show tune. Orchestrations are lush, and the vocal talent (singing and speaking) is consistently top-notch.
The most jarring aspect of the production is that the soundtrack seems too lavish for the bare-bones, limited animation -- as if low-budget television animation deserved a soundtrack to match.
The DVD release is acceptable, but no better. Occasionally the colors seem faded (although at other times they seem perfectly vivid), and the film shows considerable grain. But, having seen this special on television, I can say that the print has undergone fairly considerable restoration for this release (though much more could still be done). More importantly, the sound is clearly subpar, and could easily benefit from a new remix. Still, this Christmas special probably hasn't looked or sounded better since its initial broadcast.
Extras are minimal, but worth a mention. Several short text pages provide information on Mr. Magoo, Styne and Merrill, and key voice talent. A theatrical poster advertises a cheap children's double-feature entitled "Mr. Magoo's Holiday Spectacular," assembled from this special and "Little Snow White" (another television program featuring Mr. Magoo). Finally, the DVD features a brief, amusing short ("Magoo meets McBoingBoing") made for television.
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