One of the most famous characters from literature of all time, A Christmas Carol’s Ebenezer Scrooge stands among the likes of Sherlock Holmes and Dracula as one of the most prolifically portrayed characters to have ever been written. Lionel Barrymore famously acted the part on a number of radio productions for decades while Charles Dickens’ himself was said to be brilliant when he slipped into character during his 150+ readings of his novella for the stage.
For the better part of a century though, the character has been made famous to new generations through the many Hollywood adaptations of Dickens’ legendary story. From timeless classics which have endured for decades to more recent iterations of the story which have re-imagined the character in interesting ways, these portrayals of the renowned miser stand as some of the best to have graced our screens.
15
Tim Curry
'A Christmas Carol' (1997)
Image via 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
1997’s animated musical iteration of A Christmas Carol offers ample proof that a great Ebenezer Scrooge doesn’t necessarily always correlate to a brilliant adaptation of Dickens’ novella. Amid a litany of pitfalls including the unremarkable songs, clunky story progression, underwhelming animation, and even some uncharacteristically weak work from some of the supporting cast, the film’s sole highlight is Tim Curry’s turn as Ebenezer Scrooge.
The actor’s voice work provides an effervescent energy to the character, giving him an infectious decadence that, even in spite of the film’s other woes, is able to maintain something of a transfixing villainy. What little joy the movie contains amid its heavy-handed messaging derives from Curry’s exuberant and charismatic performance, which would certainly be remembered in a far better light were the film around him a better picture.
A Christmas Carol
Release Date
December 20, 1997
Director
Stan Phillips
CastTim Curry
, Whoopi Goldberg
, Michael York
, Ed Asner
, Frank Welker
, Kath Soucie
, Jodi Benson
, John Garry
, Amick Byram
, Ian Whitcomb
, Joe Lala
, David Wagner
, Jerry Houser
, Sam Saletta
, Alan Shearman
, Jarrad Kritzstein
, Cathy Riso
, Sidney Miller
, Kelly Lester
, Anna Mathias
, Judy Ovitz
, Bettina Bush
A five-time Oscar nominee, Albert Finney enjoyed an illustrious career spanning over 50 years earning acclaim for his performances in Murder on the Orient Express, Tom Jones, and Erin Brockovich. He also provided one of the more unique portrayals of Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1970 holiday musical, Scrooge.
Bringing the character’s ugliness to light in the most jarring of fashions, Finney played the part of a slack-jawed brute who slobbered his seasonal spite to the masses. The intense physicality of the performance certainly made Finney’s depiction of Scrooge his own and, while it may not be the most faithful to Dickens’ story, it gave audiences a different take on the iconic character.
Scrooge
Release Date
November 5, 1970
Director
Ronald Neame
Cast
Albert Finney
, Alec Guinness
, Edith Evans
, Kenneth More
, Laurence Naismith
, Michael Medwin
, David Collings
, Anton Rodgers
, Suzanne Neve
, Frances Cuka
, Derek Francis
, Gordon Jackson
, Roy Kinnear
, Mary Peach
, Paddy Stone
, Kay Walsh
, Geoffrey Bayldon
, Helena Gloag
, Reg Lever
, Keith Marsh
, Marianne Stone
, Molly Weir
, Richard Beaumont
, Philip Da Costa
, Clive Moss
Runtime
113 minutes
13
Cicely Tyson
'Ms. Scrooge' (1997)
Image via USA Network
Plenty of newer screen adaptations of A Christmas Carol have sought to inject a new intrigue and thematic focus into the story by shifting the demographic of their Scrooge. While it isn’t without its flaws, 1997’’s Ms. Scroogeis a prime example of this. The modernized take on the classic story follows the miserly Ebenita Scrooge (played by Cicely Tyson), a stingy businesswoman in Rhode Island who is forced to re-consider her cold-hearted ways when she is visited by the ghost of a former mentor and partner, and the three ghosts of Christmas.
There is a little lost in the transition of the story from London to New York, but the charm that remains is worn proudly on the television film’s sleeve. Most of that charm is due to Tyson’s touching and delicate portrayal of Scrooge, with the esteemed actress balancing the character’s grouchy prickliness and her softening towards her ultimate redemption with exceptional grace.
Release Date
December 10, 1997
Director
John Korty
Cast
Cicely Tyson
, Katherine Helmond
, Michael Beach
, John Bourgeois
, Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly
, Karen Glave
, Ken James
, William Greenblatt
, Michael J. Reynolds
, Shaun Austin-Olsen
, Julian Richings
, Ashley Brown
, Natasha Greenblatt
, Allegra Fulton
, Michelle Moffett
, David Felton
Many of the more fun and childlike iterations of A Christmas Carol have come in the form of television special spins on the novella from major television series. While Mr. Magoo’s take on the holiday classic—Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol—is far from the best of such reworkings of Dickens’ classic story, but its titular star does make for the perfect Ebenezer Scrooge.
The animation of the little old man makes for the perfect grouchy and contemptuous miser, but it also lends itself to his sense of glee and wonder when his ultimate redemption comes in the story’s climax as well. In a way, it is a small tragedy that the television adaptation has aged so poorly through its inability to connect with new generations, because Jim Backus’ performance as Ebenezer Scrooge is one of the best the animated form has seen.
Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
Release Date
December 18, 1962
Director
Abe Levitow
Cast
Jim Backus
, Morey Amsterdam
, Royal Dano
, Paul Frees
, Jack Cassidy
The most recent entry on this list, Guy Pearce’s Ebenezer Scrooge comes from Steven Knight’s A Christmas Carol miniseries which re-imagines the classic tale as a gothic dark fantasy. It’s definitely one of the story’s more imaginative adaptations, and Pearce excels at leaning into the genre while maintaining the core of the character.
The miniseries garnered mixed reviews, with the drastic tonal shift robbing a lot of the story’s inherent charm, but Pearce earned wide praise for his haunting performance. The series also starred Andy Serkis, Joe Alwyn, Charlotte Riley, and Jason Flemyng and, while its criticisms are fair, is worth a watch for people who like fresh takes on old stories.
Renowned for his iconic portrayals of Professor Charles Xavier and Captain Picard, Sir Patrick Stewart is no stranger to making the most of an iconic role. His iteration of Ebenezer Scrooge in 1999’s made-for-television film A Christmas Carol realizes the character as a cunning, blunt, and bitter man.
The calculating miser excels at seeing through people and picking at their insecurities with a cold ruthlessness. Even his eventual turn at the end of the story presents more cynical take on the character, with Stewart imbuing the emotional shift with an awkwardness that feels true to the character while remaining a charming end to the story.
A Christmas Carol
Release Date
December 5, 1999
Director
David Hugh Jones
Main Genre
Fantasy
9
Jim Carrey
'A Christmas Carol' (2009)
Image via Disney
While it’s not Jim Carrey’s best performance of a holiday grouch (that honor goes to his role in How the Grinch Stole Christmas), his take on Ebenezer Scrooge is still a worthy showing of his talent. It was by far the best part of Robert Zemeckis’ animated take on the Christmas classic, with motion capture technology allowing the ever-emotive comedian ample space to make the part his own.
He portrayed the three ghosts of Christmas in addition to the part of Scrooge and, in the midst of the occasionally distracting animation, put in an earnest performance in all his roles. While the film itself garnered mixed reviews, it has proven to be worth a watch for Carrey’s performance alone.
Release Date
November 4, 2009
CastJim Carrey
, Steve Valentine
, Daryl Sabara
, Sage Ryan
, Amber Gainey Meade
, Ryan Ochoa
Runtime
98 minutes
8
Michael Caine
'The Muppet Christmas Carol' (1992)
Image via Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
A lot of the renditions of A Christmas Carol targeted at children have seen Ebenezer Scrooge lose a lot of what makes him such a compelling character. That can’t be said of Michael Caine’s performance in The Muppet Christmas Carol where he maintains an emotional depth you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a Muppets adaptation.
Not only is his hostility towards Christmas on point, but when his eventual realization of the error of his ways finally occurs, Caine plays it with a tragic pathos which brings an inflection of time lost to the redemption arc. All that put alongside one of the most slapstick, goofy, and utterly hilarious versions of the story probably shouldn’t work, but somehow it just does.
Release Date
December 11, 1992
Runtime
85minutes
7
Christopher Plummer
'The Man Who Invented Christmas' (2017)
Image via Elevation Pictures
The Man Who Invented Christmasopts not to re-tell Dickens’ story but rather tells the story of Dickens’ struggles while writing A Christmas Carol. Appearing as an imaginary figure the author interacts with, Christopher Plummer’s Scrooge is truly one of the more unique and creative appearances of the character in film.
As such, the character exists as a different entity in the film, occupying more of a representation of Dickens’ own doubts and insecurities, but that’s not to say he doesn’t show glimpses of being the Scrooge we know and love. In fact, the film will probably leave you wishing Plummer had played the role in an adaptation of the novella as well.
Release Date
November 22, 2017
Director
Bharat Nalluri
6
Seymour Hicks
'Scrooge' (1935)
Image via Twickenham Film Studios
In what was his second film appearance as Ebenezer Scrooge, Seymour Hicks’ performance in the 1935 adaptation of the novella brought a remarkable depth to the character which has seldom been repeated. Playing the part with a genuine feebleness, Hicks’ performance evokes pity from the audience even as he carries out his misdeeds and wrongdoings.
The overwhelming sense that the character knows he is fundamentally wrong makes for a compelling viewing while his interactions of the ghosts exhibit Hicks’ phenomenal acting talent. While the film’s visual quality is quite poor, it’s still worth watching as one of the most emotionally loaded iterations of the story.
Scrooge
Release Date
November 26, 1935
Director
Henry Edwards
Cast
Donald Calthrop
, Seymour Hicks
, Robert Cochran
, Mary Glynne
, Garry Marsh
, Oscar Asche
, Athene Seyler
, Maurice Evans
, Mary Lawson
, Barbara Everest
, Eve Gray
, Morris Harvey
, Philip Frost
, D.J. Williams
, Margaret Yarde
, Hugh E. Wright
, Charles Carson
, Hubert Harben
, Marie Ney
, C. V. France
, Claude Rains
Runtime
78 minutes
5
Bill Murray
'Scrooged' (1988)
Image via Paramount Pictures
While he technically isn’t Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1988 Christmas comedy, Bill Murray’s corresponding lead performance sees Scroogedcoast by on the comic’s deadpan demeanor to be a brilliantly acidic take on the festive fable. It follows Frank Cross, a cynical and selfish television executive whose callous nature has seen him drive away the love of his life. When he is visited by three ghosts, however, he is given a chance to re-evaluate his decisions and realize the error of his ways.
There would be many who herald Murray’s turn as Cross as the best Scrooge-type performance. He occupies a striking modernity that makes the modernized take on the story one of the most refreshing and accessible. As such, his unusual yet brilliant spin on Charles Dickens' character is revered as one of the most vibrant and unique ever put to screen.
Scrooged
Release Date
November 23, 1988
Runtime
100 Minutes
4
Scrooge McDuck (Alan Young)
‘Mickey’s Christmas Carol’ (1983)
Image via Disney
Created as a greedy miser defined by his frugality, Scrooge McDuck first appeared in 1947. Over the years the character was altered to the point where he eventually became a heroic adventurer of sorts in Disney’s stories. Mickey’s Christmas Carol however saw the character return to his roots, portraying Dickens’ famous fiend who he was based on.
As an origin point for young children to be introduced to the story, Mickey’s Christmas Carol is a delightful re-invention which pairs the company’s gorgeous animation with Dickens’ charming story. The 26-minute short has become a hallmark of many family Christmases with Scrooge McDuck (voiced by Alan Young) the best animated depiction of the character ever put to screen.
Release Date
December 16, 1983
Director
Burny Mattinson
Cast
Alan Young
, Wayne Allwine
, Hal Smith
, Will Ryan
, Eddie Carroll
, Patricia Parris
, Dick Billingsley
, Clarence Nash
While it isn’t the first screen adaptation of ‘A Christmas Carol’ ever made, the 1938 take on the story is quite possibly the earliest to achieve classic status on the strength of its storytelling and performances. Essential to this is Reginald Owens’ phenomenal performance as Ebenezer Scrooge, with the actor in sync with the film’s decision to tone down the menacing undertones of the story in favor of a more heart-warming and wholesome viewing experience.
The picture does make some minor changes to the story in this pursuit, but they prove to be a service to the adaptation and, most importantly, Dickens’ idea of Scrooge remains firmly intact. Owens is perfect as the cantankerous old miser who is confronted with his faults and yearns to make amends. In fact, his Scrooge resembles the first time the character went from being merely an enactment of the book to occupying the screen with an air of individuality, as his visual power transcended the art of adaptation.
A Christmas Carol
Release Date
December 16, 1938
Director
Edwin L. Marin
Cast
Reginald Owen
, Gene Lockhart
Runtime
69 Minutes
2
George C. Scott
‘A Christmas Carol’ (1984)
Image via CBS
Renowned for his gripping screen presence throughout his career, George C. Scott is an undisputed legend of American cinema. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that his interpretation of Ebenezer Scrooge has come to be viewed as one of the greatest of all time.
Interestingly, he decided not to play the character as a Grinch with an explosive temper, but as an unsentimental, apathetic realist who remains composed even when face-to-face with the story’s ghosts. His reserved emotional performance allows plenty to simmer away beneath the surface – especially as the tragedy of his life is revealed – and makes the scenes where his façade does collapse all the more resonant.
A Christmas Carol
Release Date
December 17, 1984
Director
Clive Donner
Runtime
100 Minutes
1
Alastair Sim
‘A Christmas Carol’ (1951)
Image via United Artists
Universally viewed as the best adaptation of the classic novella, 1951’s A Christmas Carol brought Dickens’ timeless tale to life with tremendous heart and a pure festive charm. A lot of that can be attributed to Alastair Sim’s flawless portrayal of the crotchety old Ebenezer Scrooge which is undeniably the greatest take on the character the screen has ever seen.
A common trend for many performances of Scrooge is actors tend to excel at making him a reprehensible figure but aren’t able to realize his eventual redemption quite so convincingly. Sim not only masters to grouchiness of the mean-spirited miser, but his jolliness at the film’s climax bears a heartfelt warmth that makes us go from ruing the character to loving him.
A Christmas Carol (1951)
Release Date
December 2, 1951
Director
Brian Desmond Hurst
Cast
Alastair Sim
, Jack Warner
, Kathleen Harrison
, Hermione Baddeley
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