The Author of this post is Delmar Bailey

My favorite, non-animated Christmas special of all time is the 1979 film "Scrooge". Albert Finney is fun and particularly nasty as Scrooge, and Sir Alec Guinness plays a memorable and amusingly weird Jacob Marley. With songs such as "I Hate People" (sung by Scrooge, of course), this is not your grandmother's musical. Plenty of humor, plenty of variation on the original theme, and sleigh-loads of fantastic acting give this film a unique personality among the versions of "A Christmas Carol". My favorite character is an unforgettable Ghost of Christmas Present, played by Kenneth More. He gives Scrooge a lively chewing out, accompanied by an enormous cup filled with some strange, white substance. Ebenezer sips it, finds it delicious, and chugs it--getting plastered on the "Milk of Human Kindness". This leads to one of the funniest, most enjoyable scenes of the film. After his rudeness throughout the beginning of the movie, Scrooge has met his match; their banter is entertaining. "Scrooge" is perfect for family viewing; my kids adore it, and it's one they watch for when the holidays roll around. It's a great addition to any holiday collection, but it can be hard to find on DVD; luckily, I have satellite television from http://www.tvbydirect.com/, so I always have several chances to watch it during the holiday season. Be sure to give it a view if you spot it, this is a true gem from the vaults.