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| 'Scrooge' quotes on the back of my bedroom door. |
WELCOME to my Christmas edition of Battle Of The Bands' Battle Of The Booze! From my very earliest memories up to this present day, I have always loved everything about CHRISTMAS! In fact, I consider Christmas to be Winter's only redeeming quality. I adored Christmas even before I knew "the Reason for the season" .
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Christmas -- I love the music, the lights, the candy & cards, the trees & decorations, the egg nog ekker nog, hot buttered rum, excited kids & harried adults. Believe it or not, I even love the "commercialism" and the stockings hung behind the bar with care. I'm crazy about the old school Xmas movies and the animated children's TV specials. Helck, I even love fruitcake and the dogs barking 'Jingle Bells'.
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I have a soft spot in my heart for Santa Claus riding a No(r)elco razor through the fake snow; and this is still the greatest version of 'Carol Of The Bells' that I've ever seen:
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In 1987, I worked for U.C.L.A.'s Parking Service Department. One night in December, I walked into base and found two of my best friends, [link> Lonnie & Kathleen (later known as "The Countess"), loudly singing some song...
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"Thank you very much!
Thank you very much!
That's the nicest thing that anyone's
ever done for me!"
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| The Fabulous Countess & The Famous Cartoonist (Lonnie) |
I waited until they were finished singing and then I asked, "What's that from?" Their mouths hung open a minute or two, while they looked at me as if I had lobsters crawling out of my ears. And then, simultaneously, they both shouted, "SCROOGE!!" I had seen versions of 'A Christmas Carol', but I had never seen 'Scrooge' (1970) starring Albert Finney. It was a musical and, at that time, I was unknowingly burdened by the astoundingly incorrect belief that I disliked musicals.
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Well, Kathleen (The Countess) made certain that I saw 'Scrooge' that month and I was bowled over by how much I enjoyed it! (Some great acting; fantastic sets; terrific music; Holiday humor, and probably the most joyful ending of any film I've ever seen!)
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Every December I watch 'Scrooge' and 'It's A Wonderful Life' (the colorized version, "thank you very much!"). Both of them are amongst my all-time Top 10 Favorite Movies. Which one do I love the most? The one I happen to be watching when the question is asked is the one I love the most!
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It's now officially the Christmas season - a time that relates to Love & Miracles - so let's listen to a couple of songs that mention miracle water wine.
Yeah, wine not?
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MISTLETOE & WINE
by Cliff Richard
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| My Italian "Major Award" Christmas sweater. |
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I LIKE LIFE
by Scrooge & The Ghost Of Christmas Present
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Please vote for which song you preferred (regardless of the videos), and then please visit all of the other BOTBers and cast your two cents in their Battles.
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I intend to return here with the Final Tally on or about December 8th. (When I will also reveal my two Tiny Tim Christmas traditions!!)
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
Nice to see a photo of the famous "Countess" and your famous cartoonist friend too.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you! The holiday season is the only good thing about winter. I love all the lights and decorations especially. And the movies! My favourite Scrooge depiction is the 1950 classic starring Alistair Sim, but this musical version is fun. That Cliff Richard song is unfamiliar, and it didn't grab me, so I have to go with "I Like Life", because I do! ☺
DEBBIE D'DOGLADY ~
DeleteI haven't seen the Alastair Sim version of 'A Christmas Carol' in many years. I may try to get it in this December. If I recall correctly, I believe I would have it at #2 in the pecking order. But for me, the entertainment value of 'Scrooge' (and the degree of difference between "Bah!" and "Joy!") is just unbeatable.
Thanks for bringing a pitcher of egg nog to my BOTB contest!
~ Stephen
Gosh, I hadn't heard "thank you very much" in ages. It used to be a song that our World of Fantasy show would use as our finale number when everyone would take their bows and all. It was a number of years before I knew where the song came from.
ReplyDeleteI used to enjoy Christmas a great deal more than I used to. But that goes for a lot of things. I came to have a greater appreciation for musicals after I went to college. Now I love them, but I rarely watch them because my wife doesn't like them. It's probably a cultural thing and since English is her second language they probably don't come across to her as easily as they do for me. Same thing with comedies. She loves "Seinfeld" but for the most part she doesn't connect with comedy in English so much so that I usually don't watch them with her.
Christmas? This year is likely to be very quiet unless we get surprise visitors. But I enjoy quiet so I'm good.
I like life, but not so much the song. Good sentiments, but not a song I'd put on repeat play. I wasn't overwhelmed by the Richards song either, but I've always liked Cliff Richards (since I discovered his music in the eighties), so I give him my vote.
Lee
R. LEE BOID ~
DeleteThere was a period where I would watch my favorite classic Xmas movies ('It's A Wonderful Life' & 'Miracle On 34th Street') and then my favorite modern Xmas movies ('Scrooge' & 'A Christmas Story') every other year - going back and forth from year to year. But for the last 4 Decembers (this one will be #5) I began watching ALL of them again. Why? Because I keep thinking: This *could* be the last Christmas! Ha!
There are still plenty of musicals I do not like. The songs *must* either further develop the story or the characters. I can't tolerate the ones where a character can't even bend down and tie their shoelaces without breaking out into a song about it! (Yeah, I'm looking at you, 'Seven Brides For Seven Brothers', and the rest of your ilk. You know who you are!)
~ D-FensDogG
I've been having computer problems today so I may be a bit late commenting. But as I have seven days in which to do it, perhaps I am not quite so late after all.
ReplyDeleteI guess I need to re-watch "Scrooge." I have seen it once, when it first came out. I remember not liking it and so I have avoided it ever since. I enjoyed most other versions of the tale, from Alistair Sim's to Muppets to Mickey's to George C. Scott's to Bill Murray's. Iwill love musicals, but the "Scrooge" song featured did not hit me well. But I
I am pretty MEH about Cliff Richard, but I am giving my vote to him this round... in the spirit of Christmas.
Since you love the movie, I will watch it again this Christmas season. Maybe I was wrong. There is a first time for everything.
Sheboyganboy Six
SIR SIX-A-LOT ~
DeleteI remember liking the Alastair Sim version of the tale, but it's probably been a good 20 or more years since I've seen it. I really did not like the George C. Scott version in the least. (I don't want to see George in anything but 'Dr. Strangelove'.) I never saw The Muppets, that I can recall. Yeah, saw Mickey and it was... OK. As much as I love the old school Disney animation, Mickey and his Minnie and their squeaky voices have never appealed to me.
The Albert Finney version has by far the greatest emotional distance between the mean old Scrooge and the newly enlightened, joyful Scrooge. Plus, it also features some really good character actors. Those Englishers can truly act, unlike so many of their American counterparts who can't do much more than stand around and look pretty.
Say, did you ever re-watch 'Mary Poppins' after having read my Spiritual interpretation of it?
Although it's unlikely as wide as our Great Musical Divide, I suspect that we also have a Film Gap. So... I'm not too optimistic that you will be changing your mind about 'Scrooge'. However, it IS the season for miracles and happy surprises, so I shan't give up all hope.
Thanks for bringing some non-alcoholic beer to the party. (Believe it or not, I like some of them.)
~ D-FensDogG
Merry Christmas, Stephen!
ReplyDeleteI had forgotten about the musical version of Scrooge. It's been eons since I watched it. I think I saw a few times as kid. Between the two song picks, I preferred Mistletoe and Wine better and am casting my vote for Cliff Richards. By the way, I like your major Christmas sweater award. lol
CAThy!
DeleteThat 'Leg Lamp' sweater was a Christmas gift from my sister several years ago. Bonehead (my sister's nickname since about 1968) has an absolutely UNCANNY ability to find fantastic gifts for me. Like what?...
Best sweater.
Best shirt.
Best video.
Best stuffed dog.
...And no doubt a few other things that are currently bypassing my brain.
Methinx it's time for you to see 'Scrooge' again. "And tell them you heard about it first here on Roller Derby". (It's a Cheech y Chong thing, you wouldn't understand. ;^)
~ D-FensDogG
Great pictures! What a festive Christmas sweater ;-)
ReplyDeleteScrooge was the theme at our local dinner (lunch) theater this weekend! I love stuff like that. But I'm voting for Cliff Richards ;-)
dIEDRE ~
DeleteI remember some years back when my brother asked me what size sweater I would wear, because Bonehead had confided in him that she was getting one for me as a gift that Christmas and she needed to know my size.
I kind of groaned because, I'm just NOT a sweater or sweatshirt kind of guy. But when I opened the gift on Christmas Day and saw that "MAJOR AWARD" on the sweater, I instantly loved it and wear it proudly every December. My sister just has a weird knack for that kind of thing, as you already know, because of the history of Muddy. And Muddy wasn't even the *best* gift she ever gave me.
dIEDRE, thanks for bringing a bottle of brandy for the BOTB egg nog!
~ D-FensDogG
I have to see that Scrooge version since I had not seen it since I was a kid. Nothing beats Alastair Sim as Scrooge. I love Christmas but I also love snow and walking in it. I think I'd still go sledding if someone asked me. I love that first song by Cliff Richard. It's so pretty a d enchanting so that one gets my vote.
ReplyDeletePS. It's A Wonderful Life is my favourite film but must be black and white!! You see all the shadows especially his split self after he leaves his mom's place thinking he's going crazy. An amazing shot!!
BIRGIT ~
DeleteI love snow, too. I love it on postcards and in movies. However, living in it is just too dangerous. I've slipped and fallen in it, one time almost even breaking my bottle of rum!
They'll never take the Santa Monica Beach out of me, no matter how many years I live in this white stuffs. (I'm dreaming of a... Lifeguard Station #26 Christmas!)
I'd probably seen 'It's A Wonderful Life' 25-30 times in black & white. But the first time I saw it in color, it was like seeing the movie for the first time! I was suddenly noticing all kinds of details in the film that I'd never known were there! Why? Because they had to figure out what color *everything* had to be, and therefore *everything* became visible -- even tiny tims-- er... I mean, even tiny *things* in the background.
Now, I even know what color Violet's dress is! I would NEVER consider watching a classic Film Noir in color. (That would be entirely illogical.) But Christmas movies should be in color because Christmas is so doggone colorful!
Once I saw '...Wonderful Life' in color, I knew I would never go back to black & white. And the exact same thing applies to 'Miracle On 34th Street'. Now, Santa's suit is a beautiful, deep red, rather than black.
Thank you, Birgit, for bringing a bottle of fine champagne to the BOTB party!
~ Stephen
Both of these were excellent songs, ones that I had never heard before. I liked "I like life' better, which is not to say there's anything wrong with "Mistletoe and Wine," but that "I Like Life" had a message that I should always remember and never forget. So "I Like Life" it is!
ReplyDeleteSIR JOHN ~
DeleteAhhh! I'm pleased as spiked punch that you really enjoyed *both* songs, and that 'I Like Life' is getting some love! It hadn't seen a vote since Debbie D'Doglady opened the door in this contest.
If you've not seen 'Scrooge' (or not seen it in a long time) I highly recommend it to ya this December. There are so many things I love about it, but I don't want to ruin it for ya, like some relatives did with 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles'.
I will only say that I LOVE how the Ghost of Christmas Present grabs Scrooge and goes bursting through the windows with him! That is so like him. He's so full of life and won't waste any of it opening windows before flying through the night sky!
~ Stephen T. McMe
VOTE = SCROOGE
ReplyDeleteThe Cliff Richard song (which I had never heard, amazingly enough, long story...) had a lot to recommend it, for sure. But the FUN of the clip from Scrooge is positively contagious. Yay! ~ED.
Yoo-Hoo!
DeleteA Yuletide "Yay!" from Hermano Eduardo!
That whole movie - 'SCROOGE' - is a complete blast. From the ultimate "Bah Humbug!" to "Indescribable Joy!" in 114 minutes. Ebeneezer is so nasty that he even sings a song titled 'I Hate People'. But those 3 spirits really do a number on him.
I like the fact that they didn't stick entirely to the Dickens story, but gave it some entertaining twists 'n' tweaks. The actors who play Bob Cratchit & Scrooge's nephew, Harry, are really wonderful! And Albert Finney's transformation from a husky looking dude that I wouldn't want to tangle with, into that scrawny, Scroogey old man is simply remarkable.
I give the movie two thumbs and a champagne glass UP!
Thanks for bringing a bottle of "Yay!" for the party's punch bowl.
~ D-FensDogG