Ebenezer Scrooge: The Best Movie And TV Versions Ranked

Charles Dickens is considered one of Britain's greatest writers, and while his novels like "A Tale of Two Cities," "Oliver Twist," and "Great Expectations" (to name just a few) are true literary masterpieces, arguably no story has had wider reach or greater impact than "A Christmas Carol." It seems like a new adaptation comes out every year, not including the countless TV shows that have a "Christmas Carol"-themed episode.

Along those lines, Ebenezer Scrooge has got to be the most recognizable Christmas character after Santa Claus, and his redemption story is perfect in its simplicity. A rich old miser is visited by four ghosts showing how a few poor steps from his past have led to a rotten present and a tragic future. In the process he regains his humanity, saved in greatest part by a disabled little boy. If a saved Scrooge, filled with joy as he runs around bestowing gifts on his community and especially his overworked, underpaid employee Bob Cratchit doesn't inspire a welling in your throat you might be a Scrooge yourself.

While there are many adaptations, not all hit. Sometimes it's the production itself; more often than not, though, the actor who plays Scrooge will determine whether it's a timeless classic or just another run-through of a man and his ghostly visitors, changed by the fate of a smart but sickly child. Here's the list of the best portrayals of everybody's favorite reformed tightwad.

Scrooge is pretty much always an old white man, except in Hallmark's "Ms. Scrooge" when Scrooge is an old Black woman named Ebenita Scrooge, played by the celebrated actor Cicely Tyson. Her former partner is a woman named Maude Marley, played by the inimitable Katherine Helmond, another big departure from the traditional story. Otherwise, it follows the standard tale, though with a strong racial component. Scrooge's dad opened a small business, one of the first Black-owned businesses in the area, but went on to die after it burnt down. Scrooge's struggle as a young Black woman without money helps explain her careful sense of money.

While this new twist on the old story makes it worth watching, it should be noted that Tyson is not at the peak of her acting skills in "Ms. Scrooge." It is a Hallmark film, though, and while Hallmark films are always great and entertaining, they're not noted for Oscar-worthy performances. Her prodigious talent does show through as she watches the horrors from her past, and she truly shines in her salvation scene.

There have been a lot of TV characters who become Ebenezer Scrooge for a turn, but few are as memorable or absurd as Mister Magoo. To start, there are probably a lot of younger people who don't even know who Mister Magoo is. Mister Magoo is an old man who can't see and most of the show's gags revolve around his near-blindness. Instead of creating some sort of multiverse where Magoo is actually Ebenezer Scrooge, in this cartoon he plays the role of Scrooge in a stage production.

Magoo, of course, shows up late because he can't see, and the play ends when he accidentally drops lights on the director. For pure, silly comedy there are few Scrooges who could compete with Magoo, to the point that "The Simpsons" features a show within the show called "Mr. McGrew's Christmas Carol" in its episode "Tis the 15^th Season." Mister Magoo playing Scrooge is truly a bizarre and wonderful portrayal of the old man.

This 1970 version of "A Christmas Carol," a boisterous musical following the successful musical adaptation of another Dickens novel, "Oliver," ended up getting its share of award nods. Albert Finney won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his performance, making it one of the few award-winning adaptations of the Christmas standard.

The film was probably helped by the fact that Alec Guinness plays guide Obi-Wan Kenobi, I mean Jacob Marley. Finney's performance, though, is truly inspiring. Despite being a middle-aged man, he plays the old curmudgeon to perfection. At times, between the combover and the jowls, he looks strikingly like a former American president, which alone makes the film worth a gander. While it's a musical, Finney also manages to deliver the songs without making it seem like a silly holiday special; he snarls and sneers as he sings about how he hates people.

This film and performance exist in an interesting period, when the big-budget Hollywood musical was on its way out while the grittier, realist cinema of the 70s was on its way in. At times the musical numbers go quite over the top, but then again, that was the style. Just sit back with your favorite musical theater fan, toast the holiday cheer, and dive into the extravagance of a classic story and a bygone cinematic era.

The first two feature-length versions of "A Christmas Carol" came out within 3 years of each other. The 1935 version, "Scrooge," starred Seymour Hicks, who had previously played Ebenezer in a 1913 silent short version of the story. Hicks has the look of the old dastardly villains who were all the rage in the silent era, and at times he appears more like a homeless man than a rich miser. Reginald Owen, though, plays Scrooge in 1938's "A Christmas Carol" and his performance is a look into the future of cinema and specifically portrayals of Scrooge. He's a large, colorful cynic. He appreciates his life, even if he is lonely. 

Most importantly, Owen's Scrooge looks like a real rich man, one who could share the wealth. His expressions feel more real, and his journey proceeds with the subtlety you would expect in a tale of redemption. This doesn't have the romantic backstory, but brings Fred into the game much more deeply, with Scrooge making him a partner and giving Cratchit a sizeable raise. This version of Scrooge sets the tone that most subsequent portrayals build on.

He's eloquent and gentlemanly; he appreciates Tim and you can feel a truly human journey toward that eventual redemption.

Scrooge McDuck is a perfect fit for Ebenezer since the rich old money-grubbing drake is named after the famous literary character. This animated version of "A Christmas Carol" is still distinctive, and this Scrooge is a far cry from so many others — not just because he's a duck without pants, either.

This Scrooge isn't frightened by the spirits, and his willingness to wisecrack with them is frankly refreshing. The many familiar Disney familiar faces playing each role have made this one a family favorite for decades. Plus, of all the cartoons, this one feels the most polished and is the easiest to watch and re-watch.

Just like nearly every other one of Scrooge's interactions, the redemption scene is equal parts hilarious and heart-warming. Especially when he shows up at the Cratchits pretending to be angry, struggling to hold in his newfound outlook on the world. Somehow the way Scrooge McDuck tells Bob Cratchit that he's giving him a raise and wants him to be his partner is one of the most heartwarming reveals across all the "Christmas Carol" movies, and his vision of Cratchit (played by Mickey Mouse) crying at Tiny Tim's grave not only explains Scrooge's change the best, but it will probably make you cry, too.

Let's start with the obvious issues with this performance ranking towards the top: Bill Murray plays Frank Cross, not Ebenezer Scrooge (though he is putting together a "Christmas Carol" live performance). Lew Hayward is the Jacob Marley character; Eliot Loudermilk is a main character with no real analog in the source material. Frank Cross is a TV exec, not a banker. These differences are what make "Scrooged" so remarkable. It takes standard plot points and applies them to a totally different, yet recognizably-Scrooge story in the modern era. And Bill Murray brings it home.

His Frank Cross is every bit the hardnosed taskmaster, tight with money and cynical towards the world and everybody around him. As he gets visited, we can feel his transformation, and of course, the renewed chance at love makes this ending possibly one of the best. The real magic though is all Bill Murray. He's funny, at times with some real gallows humor. Murray nails his descent into madness as he begins getting visited by ghosts in modern Manhattan. When it comes time for him to show his heart and its changes, it's conducted with the tenderness Murray famously brings to most of his roles.

It isn't uncommon to hear somebody say "Scrooged" is their favorite retelling of "A Christmas Carol." While there is something to be said for a faithful retelling of an old masterpiece, to recreate it into a modern classic is something much easier said than done.