Rating: 
Summary: This made-for-TV "Carol" has endured
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" when it first was broadcast on television back in 1962. Not only did it feature the then well-known lovable bumbler Magoo, as played by the great Jim Backus, but the musical score was absolutely wonderful. All of the songs in this "Broadway"-style rendition are catchy, and some of them are truly touching and memorable.Since this brief animated production was created nearly forty years ago, there have been countless new "Christmas Carol" productions featuring everyone from George C. Scott to the Muppets to Fred Flintstone (really!) And yet the VHS release of the Magoo version, still apparently as appealing now as it was decades ago, is my own children's favorite version of Dickens' classic yuletide tale. In fact, my younger son at age three used to beg me to play this video again and again at Christmastime, calling it "Back, Back, Back," based upon the opening song in which Magoo sings about how it's "great to be back, back, back on Broadway." This cartoon is reasonably true to the details of the original story, and yet adds its own bits of humor and whimsy. There also is a generous dose of Magoo "nearsightedness" humor associated with the premise that Magoo is playing the role of Scrooge in a Broadway production. As other reviewers have indicated, the casting overall is first-rate and the production is superb throughout. This is truly a gem of a Christmas video and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Rating:
Summary: Simple but Beautiful
Review: I am one of 5 siblings who absolutely LOVE this cartoon version of Dickens' classic; we watched it on Dec 18th, 1962 (Network premiere) and have followed it ever since. Yes, it's mostly due to the MUSIC...not only the great songs written by one of Broadway's best teams at the height of their fame, but the FABULOUS BACKGROUND SCORE by Walter Scharf as well....it is beautifully shaped to the emotional context of the show and exqusite in it's orchestral textures and sounds (check the moment when Magoo/Scrooge's bed curtains flash with light to reveal the Ghost of Christmas Past----we hear (in quick succession) tympani and xylophone, a rattle of maracas, and a luminous "ahh" from the chorus, with a repeated glockenspiel note, as the chorus recedes into a tranquil hum. Superb stuff! The high, divided string writing during the second verse of "I'm All Alone in the World" and the touching harmonies and colorings of "The Lord's Bright Blessing" are but a few of the inumerable touches of brilliance in this (almost continous) score--a real feast for the ear (and heart!) Incidentally, "The Lord's Bright Blessing" was released on a Nick at Nite CD entitled "A Classic Cartoon Christmas Too" in 1997 with OK sound. Why, oh Why has the full soundtrack NEVER been released???? The endlessly overused term "CLASSIC" really applies to this one! Regarding the casting of the voices---what's all of this "June Foray" stuff??? She's not in the cast---it's just a mistake that's being perpetuated via the internet. (Even the son of producer Lee Orgel now mentions her.) Her name is NOT listed in the credits, and the voice which she supposedly does (GHost of Christmas Past) is OBVIOUSLY read by the same actress who does Tiny Tim--Joan Gardner. Regarding Royal Dano, the impressive actor whose superb rendering of Jacob Marley's lines is one of the highlights of this version----I had the pleasure of spending THREE HOURS with Mr. Dano in his Santa Monica living room in September of 1988. He had an incredibly VIVID memory of his 40 year career in stage, TV and movie production, and could recall the tiniest detail about anything he had appeared in. His comments on "Magoo's Christmas Carol" were quite fascinating. (...) Anyway, Magoo's Christmas Carol is a CLASSIC! Get it!
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Summary: Memories of my childhood
Review: This was one of my favorites when I was a child. Now me and my daughter enjoy it together. The story is done very well and the music is above average for a cartoon. The DVD picture and sound are excellent.
Rating: 
Summary: The new DVD is fine
Review: I just watched the new DVD of "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol," and it seems as good a representation of the program as we're ever likely to see. I doubt it looked much better when it originally aired in 1962, but considering the video technology of that time, no home viewers would have seen it at its best then. There may have been some very infrequent white specs on the image, but if you're not consciously seeking them, you're not likely to see them. They are so few, they're barely noticeable. As some viewers have remarked that the colors seem washed-out, I have a radical suggestion. Turn the color intensity up on your TV. I did so, and the colors looked solid and well-balanced throughout the program once I'd adjusted the intensity to a reasonable level. I directly compared this DVD to a copy of the laserdisc edition, which has been much sought-after by collectors since going out of print years ago. They are almost identical, except for a slightly sharper image on the DVD. An audio re-mix, maybe even in stereo, would have been great, but certainly costly. I wonder if the original studio tracks are even available for this anymore. In any case, the mono soundtrack works fine, and is practically distortion-free. If you watched this as a kid, and haven't seen it since then (like me), I can only say: Wow, what a strong jolt of nostalgia it is! I find it hard to agree with Amazon's editorial reviewer, who characterizes the songs in this production as "forgettable." That may be because I first heard them in 1962 at around the age of nine, and haven't quite forgotten them since. I suspect I'm not alone in this, either. This program isn't high art, and an adult who doesn't have that nostalgic connection to it may not be able to embrace it, but for those who remember, it leaves you with that warm, fuzzy feeling. I'm very happy to have this DVD edition.
Rating:
Summary: The best "Christmas Carol" available
Review: Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol has been my favorite retelling of the classic Dickens story for years, but I was always embarrassed to admit it, given the simplistic presentation. Finally, I realized that it was that very simplicity, and brevity, that makes this version so appealing. Without benefit of Technicolor storybook pictures or breath-taking effects, these animated characters give an honest, concise telling of the story of Scrooge's redemption. Any animated feature is only as good as the voices that speak for the characters and this one is chock-full of winners. Jim Backus moves beyond his usual Mr. Magoo voice to find new colors to fit Scrooge's character. The transformation from penny-pinching miser to good-hearted soul via a Scrooge terrified by the visitations is complete. Jack Cassidy is a sympathetic Bob Cratchit and the multi-talented June Foray (of Rocky and Bullwinkle fame) is the Ghost of Christmas Past. Surprisingly, even in a 52-minute format this version sticks carefully to the Dickens story line and retains all the essential story elements, something that cannot be said for the majority of the filmed versions which feel compelled to "explain" Dickens with extraneous dialogue and scenes. The only addition -- other than the preliminary play-within-a-play set-up that shows Mr. Magoo arriving at the theatre to get ready to go on stage - is the songs. And what delightful songs they are! "The Winter Was Warm" is a beautiful ballad, "I'm All Alone in the World", sung as a duet between the old and young Scooge is a real tear-jerker, and the "La, La" chorus of the rag-pickers, has me laughing just as much now as it did the first time I saw this in the early '60's. What is it about those wide open mouths and visible tonsils in close-up? Viewing Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol at least once (usually more) each year is part of my Christmas celebration.
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Summary: Good to see a forgotten classic reemerging
Review: [...] Despite its limited animation and bizarre story framing (I never could understand why Abe Levitow thought he needed the Broadway subplot - the story does not require it), this is one of the top five greatest Christmas shows of all time. I include in that top five movies and TV programs such as Alistair Sim's "Scrooge", "A Charlie Brown Christmas", and "It's a Wonderful Life". I'm a grown man, hard and cynical after all these years, but at Christmastime there are still things that can bring the tears to my eyes. Sim's Scrooge apologizing to his nephew and his wife is one; "IAWL"'s final scene and the words 'Remember no man is a failure who has friends' is another. But the one that really gets me, every year, is the young Magoo, abandoned at school for the holidays, singing "When You're Alone In The World". It's amazing that this cartoon could convey so much emotion through its crude animation. Much of the credit for that must go to the Styne/Merrill songwriting team. It's a shame how this cartoon has been forgotten all these years - back in the 1980s, the only way to see it was if you were lucky enough to stumble over it during a Saturday/Sunday afternoon channel surf of small local stations during the holiday season. Thank goodness this is finally available on DVD, so that all can rediscover this classic piece of film and remarkable performance by Jim Backus.
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Summary: ...I'm All Alone In The World.....
Review: If this one don't get you , you're made of stone ,baby !! Without a doubt , THE BEST CHRISTMAS CARTOON , and that includes Charlie Brown . ( Uh-oh , my son won't like that ! ) Great Broadway-like score , the greatly-missed Jim Backus , Super cast , a real story(Dickens) with a loving screenplay make for an unforgettable Christmas event. This disappeared from broadcast TV for a few years , so they could air junk like Garfield & Ghostbusters Christmas !! Can you Imagine ?? Magoo is back, and he'll be on view in my house EVERY YEAR. Not the greatest DVD package , but better than the crummy VHS dupe I've watched the last couple of years. MAGOO , YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN !!
Rating:
Summary: Mr. Magoo Makes a Great Scrooge
Review: When I was little I used to watch Mr. Magoo cartoons every Saturday morning, and I remember watching his version of "A Christmas Carol" and liking it very much. Over the years it would be shown on TV occasionally, but it was getting harder to find. I ordered it last week from Amazon and watched it as soon as it arrived. The original songs are precious, and the funniest part is the scene where the ragpickers sell Scrooge's belongings that they have stolen after his death. This version is great for everyone in the family.
Rating:
Summary: Best Animated Adation of the Classic Story
Review: After waiting for a number of years, this animated classic has finally been re-released including on DVD. The images a crisp and clear. The sound track is fantastic. The single flaw in the DVD version is that the 'chapters' should have conformed to the curtain breaks (original version was released for TV and that's where the thousand copies of Kid's World, etc. toy store commercials were inserted). As a matter of fact, the last few times I saw this broadcast, a number of important scenes (e.g., the scene with the two men asking Scrooge to donate monies) was deleted in order to fit in more commercials. The DVD extras include a retrospective of composer Jules Styne & lyricist Bob Merrill who are both renown for their work on Broadway plays and pop hits from the 50s through the 70s (Funny Girl [both], How Much is That Doggie in the Window? [Merrill], Carnival [Merrill], Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow [Styne]). There is also a bonus video in which Magoo babysits his nephew (Gerald McBoing Boing) who has a distinct resemblance to Tiny Tim. It's great to see this classic hasn't disappeared and a new generation can laugh and cry to wonderful compositions contained within it.
Rating: 
Summary: New DVD Dissapointing
Review: Here's a wonderful old holiday favorite, with charming music and a fast paced story-line. Unfortunately, this new DVD from Goodtimes is poor. The color is faded, and the sound has noise in it. The extra bonus cartoon, "Magoo Meets McBoing" is missing the original opening, and new end credits and funky music have been added. There is no insert inside the DVD to provide any information. A real cheap release. I can only hope this is re-released at some date by someone other than Goodtimes. Still a great classic show!
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