An American Christmas Carol, actor Henry Winkler

While I was looking up this movie recently, I found a lot of negativity from critics. It was more or less from the time of release. I understand that anytime you try and tackle a classic story someone will get bent out of shape. But there are so many variations of this story, why get upset with just this one? Did they not like a tv star taking on their beloved classic? Or do they just prefer to hate everything that the audiences love? I'm not sure but I really do love this story.This was a tv movie back in 1979 if I am reading correctly. I would have been 8 or 9 when this came out. So I do not really remember it much and probably didn't watch it at all after that. Of course I loved Happy Days but when you are a kid you want to see your favorite characters AS your favorite characters, and the Fonz was both alive and well in a tv show and an animated show, during those formative years. I have only recently found this again. I streamed it at first about four years ago and watched it every year since. I finally found it on Blu Ray and I am very happy with the purchase. The video could probably be better, especially for blu ray but it seemed like all they did was port over the dvd version without rescanning or remasterring. Regardless, it's still a joy to own. I think because it was on tv they may have used videotape and not film which would severely limit their ability to do a better remaster.While the concept is pure Dickens, the story is embedded in a purely American aesthetic that can be easily identified with by anyone who has ever lived through lean times. And that includes pretty much everyone. It's of course a tale of the rise and fall of a great man that ends with their redemption. It is a great variation of the original and, to me, is fun to watch and to be enthralled by. Even though Winkler has pretty much been typecast his whole life because of a singular roll, doesn't mean he plays that same character all of the time. His well-honed acting abilities shine through giving the production a very sincere and earnest quality that never seems pretentious or overbearing.For all of those who love the original Dickens tale, no matter who is your favorite actor portraying Scrooge, you will thoroughly enjoy this retelling using a new character with similarly crooked past. And of course both characters end up becoming better people at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I know that you will too. Just remember this tale does not replace Scrooge's story it simply lives alongside of it. I highly recommend.

When I was a kid, I walked through my living room and my dad had a show on TV. All I saw on my way though was a bicycle scene, with bicycles coming around a corner. I asked Dad what he was watching and he said "another version of a Christmas Carol." I did not see any more of it that day, or ever again. Years ago that image of the bicycles came back to me. I spent a lot of time searching "Ebenezer on a bicycle," "Scrooge on a bicycle," "Christmas past scene at a park," and I never got a hit. This became a yearly tradition where I would search it and not find it. I even did a search on IMBD back when there was a forum there, and no one could help me (though I vaguely remember one person suggesting I try the Henry Winkler version, but I could not stream or get a copy of it back then). Just recently we have tried some streaming with a Roku and Prime (with satellite internet everything is hard) so I did a Prime search. I saw this Henry Winkler version and it was the right time period, so I rented it. Low and behold, there was SLADE on a bicycle. It wasn't Ebenezer Scrooge on a bicycle, it was Benedict Slade. The mystery is finally solved.Henry did a great job and they did a great job aging him. I don't think a businessman would have really let his hair get so unkempt, but I let that go. What I really didn't like was that Helen's hair was not styled for the period at the Christmas party. She looked like she was from the 70's but dressed in older period clothes. Her hair should have been up, pulled back, and then hanging down just in the back since she was a young woman, but not big and fluffy. No one did big and fluffy hair back then. It just bothered me. The chicken landing on the table with a thud was funny, and I liked the full-circle ending. I really liked how he handles the orphans when they come for donations, and how he rejects his family for his own gain, thus really showing his greed and his final turning point on his road to wealth and power at the sake of others. Using the quarry and the need for jobs connected it to the correct time period. It was good!

The choice to place this in New England in the Depression is perfect so of course the Scrooge like character would repo people's stuff. And there would be hope that a factory would reopen. That the march of progress would displace a furniture maker tied to old methods with factory production. The addition of an adoptive father works nicely as well.On the other hand, Winkler's performance is overdone in places. He's cold and nasty in the just right amount but no effort to age his voice. The makeup reflects the TV budget and he ages far too much for the amount of time (whereas the woman he lost in his youth ages little).All things considered, this is a favorite of mine. Different enough from the original to not be easily compared (Winkler is no George C. Scott or Alastair Sim but Slade is different enough from Scrooge).

I ordered this DVD because Henry Winkler had the lead role of acting a Scrooge by the name of Slade. My youth was lived in Upstate NY and New England. The background revived memories of buildings and settings about the Depression Era which I heard from my older relatives. Slade ruins Christmas by his ruthless repossession of debtors. On Xmas eve he dismisses his assistant, Thatcher?! In his apartment the3 Ghosts - Xmas past, present and future - challenge the vicious truths of Slade's past and present. Sladelearns the true meaning of Christmas - even mentoring a young lad?! This is an excellent story to add tomy collection of treasured holiday classics and worthy of a 5-gold star rating!

Great Movie, good price

Filmed here in 🇨🇦 Canada it was released in 1979 staring “ The Fonz” from “ Happy Days”This version of “ a Christmas Carol” is really nice. It captures the feel of Canada in the early twentieth century and has a very real vibe to it. Good supporting cast too

In order to view one of the first feature films on which I was a boom operator

I'm buying this because it's pretty good, I'm a Christmas Carol lover, most of the actors are Canadian and because it is filmed in beautiful Elora, Ontario. I'm only giving four stars because the above aren't given the credit it's/they're due

So bought this when Amazon suggested it and we had never seen it let alone seen it. Watched last evening (yes mid January but that is when it arrived and there was a blizzard). Not a great version of the classic tale and no one will top Alistair Sim as Scrooge but a decent enough watch for the season. My better half liked it so there you go.