Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983) and A Christmas Carol (2009) with Jim Carrey

Mickey's Christmas Carol is a 24-minute animated short, that was first released in U.S. theaters in December 1983 (it opened in the UK two months earlier). It was accompanied by the re-release of 1977's great adventure classic "The Rescuers". I didn't see it in theaters at the time, but did watch it on TV when it was televised for the first time in the mid 80s. My cousins recorded it on their new VCR and let me borrow the tape. Needless to say, I have fond memories of watching this over and over. Nowadays I cannot watch any version of this classic tale without thinking of Scrooge McDuck (voiced by Alan Young). Scrooge McDuck was a minor comic book character in Disney comics since the post-war years of the 1940s, and this was his biggest hit - the perfect role for him. This was also the very first theatrical cartoon featuring Mickey Mouse in 30 years, since 1953's The Simple Things (watch The Simple Things now on You Tube). Mickey plays Bob Cratchit, and Donald Duck plays Fred. Characters from classic Disney animated shorts and features have supporting roles, including Jiminy Cricket as the ghost of Christmas past, and Mr. Toad as Fezziwig.

"Mickey's Christmas Carol" was nominated for the Oscar for Best Animated Short in 1983, but lost to the 3-1/2 minute claymation "Sundae in New York" - featuring an Ed Koch caricature singing the old Sinatra tune while prancing around the city - arguably one of the great injustices in the history of the Oscars! (Watch Sundae in New York now on You Tube --- you decide which film should have won!) Oh well, let me get off my soapbox now, and present "Mickey's Christmas Carol". Enjoy!

Watch Part 1:



Watch Part 2:



Watch Part 3:

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Postscript:

On Thanksgiving night last Thursday, I went to see Robert Zemekis' new version of "A Christmas Carol" in 3-D, from Walt Disney Pictures. Overall I was impressed, enjoyed the aerial and street shots of London. Jim Carrey's Scrooge was entertaining, but seeing him as all 3 ghosts of Christmas past got a bit tiresome after awhile.

A scaled-down Scrooge the size of a rat (in one sequence) was an interesting element. And I must say, I'm happy to see 3-D making a comeback. Trailers before the movie included no fewer than 4 movies to be released in 3-D next year.

Throughout the film, though, I could not help but be reminded of my favorite all time version of Dickens' classic --- "Mickey's Christmas Carol".

Filming Ivanhoe, November 1951

The setting: London, late November, 1951. Joan Fontaine and the rest of the Ivanhoe cast and crew were almost finished with filming in London's MGM studio. It had been a 5-month long shoot. Joan couldn't make it back to the United States for Thanksgiving, so she celebrated in London, and invited some friends over, including actress Mary Martin who was appearing onstage in "South Pacific". Martin, 4 years older than Joan, seemed to dominate the evening.

Here's how it went, in Ms Fontaine's own words. (Excerpt from her 1978 autobiography, "No Bed of Roses")

As we were shooting Ivanhoe in late November, I could not get home for Thanksgiving with the children. Therefore I arranged with the service kitchen at Grosvenor Square to prepare a real American Thanksgiving for a few of my friends. Mary Martin and her husband, Dick Halliday, were staying at the Savoy Hotel during her highly successful run of "South Pacific", so I invited them, as well as the cast of Ivanhoe.

Although I had stressed that the gathering was to be very informal, and I was in slacks, Mary Martin arrived in a black-cut velvet Mainbocher. Mary took over. Standing in what is called in the theatre "fireplace center," she directed us all, the conversation, even tow here we should sit at table. As the Hallidays left that evening, Dick said his thanks with "We had a nice time. Not very nice, but nice."

--From the book "No Bed of Roses" (1978)

An Honorary Oscar for Lauren Bacall

Legendary actress Lauren Bacall received an honorary Oscar this weekend for her lifelong work in the movie industry and for her body of work in films, including To Have and Have Not, Key Largo, and Written on the Wind, just to name a few.

(Photo: Adriana Barraza, WENN)

Here are some photos from the Award ceremony this past weekend. It was a private, non-televised event in Hollywood (in the Grand Ballroom above the Kodak Theater at Hollywood and Highland).

Ms. Bacall greets producer Norman Jewison (Chris Pizzello, AP Photo)

Ms. Bacall with her daughter, Leslie Bogart (left) and son Stephen Humphrey Bogart (right). (Chris Pizzello, AP Photo)

Ms. Bacall arrives for the 2009 Governors Awards at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, California on November 14, 2009. (Chris Pizzello, AP Photo)

Kirk Douglas salutes Ms. Bacall (Photo: Michael Yada, Getty Images)

Film legend (and 1996 Honorary Oscar recipient) Kirk Douglas took part in the ceremony. At the podium, he said Bacall's tough image belied her real nature. "She's a pussycat and she has a heart of gold," he said. He also confessed that he once tried to seduce her — "without success." (He and Bacall have been friends for more than 60 years. They also appeared together in the movie Diamonds)

Oscar acceptance speech (Photo: Michael Yada, Getty Images)

Actress Anjelica Huston presented the Oscar to Bacall - her director father John Huston worked with Bacall and her husband, Humprey Bogart, directing them in the classic "Key Largo" (1948). Anjelica said she "defines what it means to be a great actress and also a huge movie star" and praised her "steadfastness, honesty and extraordinary beauty."

Ever feisty, the 85-year-old actress shooed away an escort who tried to help her to the podium to accept her Oscar. "I can't believe it - a man at last," quipped Bacall, as she accepted an honorary Oscar over the weekend. "The thought that when I get home I'm going to have a two-legged man in my room is so exciting."

She spoke of her late husband, "my great love" Humphrey Bogart "He gave me a life and he changed my life," she said.


Bacall made her debut opposite Bogart in 1944's "To Have and Have Not", and the captivating couple were married from 1945 until his death from cancer in 1957.

She also gushed about some of her other dashing leading men: Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck and Henry Fonda.



Lauren Bacall movie recommendations:

To Have and Have Not (1944)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Dark Passage (1847)
Key Largo (1948)
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
Woman's World (1954)
Written on the Wind (1956)
Designing Woman (1957)
Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
The Shootist (1976)
The Fan (1981)
Appointment with Death (1988)
Misery (1990)
The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996)
Diamonds (1999)

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Malibu Beach Party (1940) with Jack Benny and friends

(A Warner Bros. cartoon) Lampooned this time: radio comedian Jack Benny and a few regular players from his program, including his real-life spouse Mary Livingstone, the show's bandleader (and jokester) Phil Harris (called "Pill Harris"), and Jack's "porter" Rochester (Eddie Anderson) (called "Winchester"). Jack is throwing a beach party in Malibu, and among those to show up include fellow radio pals Bob Hope and Baby Snooks. Some movie stars stop by too, including Bette Davis, Spencer Tracy, Joan Crawford, and James Cagney. Oh and you can't have a cartoon loaded with celebrity caricatures without Clark Gable and Greta Garbo. For sure! (Directed by Friz Freleng) l-r: Carole Lombard, Don Ameche, Fred MacMurray, Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor, Charles Boyer, Adolph Menjou, Claudette Colbert Jack Benny and Mary Livingstone, stars of the popular and long-running radio comedy The Jack Benny Show Regular Jack Benny Show players Phil Harris (pictured with his wife Alice Faye) and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, Deanna Durbin, and Mickey Rooney. Rik Tod, in his blog post on this cartoon, observed how all of the heads of the celebrities are slightly too large for thier bodies, giving them a bobble-head feel. I've identified no less than 30 stars, and they are listed below. See how many you can recognize. Out of all the celebrities, only Mickey Rooney and Deanna Durbin are still living. Sorry, I couldn't find a version that would allow me to embed it in this page, so you'll have to go to the You Tube site to watch the clip. Watch "Malibu Beach Party" (1940) (opens in a new tab) Caricatures, in order of appearance: Jack Benny and Mary Livingstone Bob Hope Bette Davis (as Queen Elizabeth from Warner Brothers' 1939 "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex") Andy Devine (yelling "Hiya Buck" - a reference to the movie "Buck Benny Rides Again from 1940 which starred Benny and Devine) Spencer Tracy (in his Henry Stanley garb from the 1939 movie "Stanley and Livingstone") Kay Kyser Robert Donat (with a reference to the 1939 movie "Goodbye Mr Chips") Carole Lombard/Don Ameche/Fred MacMurray/Joan Crawford/Robert Taylor George Raft Clark Gable Greta Garbo (surfing!) Caesar Romero and John Barrymore Ned Sparks and Fanny Brice as Baby Snooks Charles Boyer/Adolph Menjou/Claudette Colbert/James Cagney/Alice Faye Eddie "Rochester" Anderson Phil Harris Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Deanna Durbin, singing soprano Mickey Rooney Cary Grant This cartoon is available on DVD; it's one of the extras to the movie "Dance Girl Dance" (1940), which is part of the Lucille Ball Film Collection.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) and meeting Debbie Reynolds

Last night I saw Molly Brown on the big screen at a two-day film festival in Woodridge, IL, a suburb of Chicago. Ms. Reynolds was also in attendance, and I got a chance to meet her and even asked her to sign my DVD of Singin in the Rain (See pics below). It was a real thrill because I have always liked her from that movie. When she first walked into the theater lobby to greet fans,  I could not believe it was her. There was an aura present, an she looked very lovely. She stood and greeted everyone in line.  A woman standing in front of me in line brought her a big bouquet of flowers.

Then at 9 PM, everyone entered the theater. Ms. Reynolds came in to do a Q and A, and reminisced about Molly Brown: She said that Shirley MacClaine was originally supposed to play the lead, but MGM got Debbie instead due to some contract disputes. Then she talked about all the physical dance numbers and stunts she had to perform - truly impressive - and recalled how back-breaking they were. She said this was her favorite film of all, this one and "Mother" she liked best. Someone asked, "You like this even better than 'Singing in the Rain?'" and she said "Absolutely..."Humbly speaking I deserved to win (the Oscar that year)", but she didn't mention Julie Andrews, who did win -- I think they are good friends. She really is good in this rags-to-riches role, and deserved her Oscar nomination. You could feel along with her the pain and the joy she goes through. I must add that Harve Presnell deserves alot of credit as well, he's wonderful in this movie, a performance he reprised from the Broadway show. Howard Keel would be perfect for this part, but Debbie in the Q & A yesterday said that MGM had to scale back on the budget because they were making "Doctor Zhivago" the same year. She said the studio originally wanted the sinking of the Titanic scene to be longer, but it was trimmed to only a few minutes...a few powerful minutes - this is one of the best scenes in the movie. The Colorado scenery is breathtaking. Also worth nothing is a supporting performance by Ed Begley, who plays Molly's father. A few days ago I wrote that I didn't think he ever played a nice character, but I was wrong; he's heartwarming in this one. A film to experience at least once.

Stars In My Crown (1950)

From MGM: One of the several Western gems directed by Jacques Tourneur. IMO this film, which takes place in a small town right after the civil war, is one of the most underrated from this era, and one of Tourneur's and star Joel McCrea's best. This movie and "No Way Out" with Sidney Poitier (also released in 1950) were two Hollywood dramas ahead of their time dealing with the subject of racism. Tourneur was very sensitive to the issue, and in his films, black characters were always portrayed positively. McCrea is new-in-town, tough-but-compassionate preacher Josiah Gray, and Dean Stockwell plays his young adopted son John. Josiah comes to the town to build a church and provide spiritual comfort for the sick. An unseen, adult John narrates the film; in one scene we're treated to a very entertaining sequence -- my favorite in the movie -- where young John is called on stage to be a traveling showman's assistant in his magic show. But the rest of the film's tone is a serious one; John describes how his best fishing buddy was Uncle Famous (played by Juano Hernandez), a freed slave and one of the major supporting characters in the film. Throughout the movie he's threatened by the racist townfolk, but finds encouragement in the friendship of Josiah and his family. Meanwhile, the faith of town doctor Dr. Harris (played by All My Children's James Mitchell) is tested when the town breaks out with a contageous disease, which may or may not have been spread by young John. With Ellen Drew as Josiah's wife, Lewis Stone as Dr. Harris' father, and Ed Begley, who does not play a very nice person in this. When does he ever? This is not your average "stranger-in-town-who-touches the-lives-of-the-townsfolk" picture. The ending is powerfully moving. The film is unforgettable. Based on the novel by Joe David Brown, who also wrote Kings Go Forth and Addie Pray.

Postscript: James Mitchell passed away on January 23, 2010. Read a tribute by Laura at her blog here.

A review from the blog Just a Cineaste here.

Reaching for the Moon (1930)

A funny pre-code screwball comedy about high society, starring Douglas Fairbanks. One of the best scenes features some witty banter between June MacCloy and Jack Mulhall at a party.

At the same party, Bebe Daniels takes a liking to Fairbanks, a Wall Street millionaire, and even tracks him down at work one day.

Mulhall (playing Fairbanks' assistant) arranges a date between them, which results in Fairbanks boarding a cruise ship to woo her, not without the help of his valet, Edward Everett Horton, who hilariously teaches him a thing or two about romance.

While trying to enjoy himself at sea, the stock market crashes, and complicates matters.

Bing Crosby has a cameo as a singer on the ship in upbeat musical number. This was before he got really famous. It's strange to see him in such a small role like this.









Recent post on Bebe Daniels from Iconista.