Scrooge (1970 film)

The 1970 movie Scrooge was a musical film adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic story A Christmas Carol. It was directed by Ronald Neame and starred Albert Finney in the title role. Finney was only 34 years old at the time he was chosen to play the old miser but his performance was widely praised by the critics and public. Alec Guiness also had a role in the film as Marley's Ghost.

The film's musical score was composed by Leslie Bricusse. One rather controversial aspect of this version of the story is the scene where Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Future. In a nightmarish scene, Scrooge is shown falling into his own open grave and waking up in the very bowels of hell, where he is tormented and chained as Marley was. This scene was so intense and frightening that it is often cut from television airings (and even home video releases) of the film.

In 1992 a stage adaptation of the film, featuring Bricusse's songs and starring Anthony Newley, was mounted in the U.K. under the title Scrooge: The Musical.