Mickey's Christmas Carol facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mickey's Christmas Carol
US home video release cover
Directed by	Burny Mattinson
Produced by	Burny Mattinson
Story by	Burny Mattinson Tony L. Marino Ed Gombert Don Griffith Alan Young Alan Dinehart
Starring	Alan Young Wayne Allwine Hal Smith Will Ryan Clarence Nash Eddy Carroll Patricia Parris Dick Billingsley Hannes Schroll (uncredited)
Music by	Irwin Kostal
Editing by	James Melton Armetta Jackson
Studio	Walt Disney Productions
Distributed by	Buena Vista Distribution
Release date(s)	December 16, 1983 (1983-12-16) (with The Rescuers)
Running time	26 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Mickey's Christmas Carol is a fun animated movie from 1983. It was directed and produced by Burny Mattinson. This cartoon is a special Disney version of the classic story A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

In this movie, Scrooge McDuck plays the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge. Many other famous Disney characters also appear! You'll see characters from the Mickey Mouse universe, Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio, and even characters from The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad and Robin Hood.

Walt Disney Productions made this short film. It first came out in theaters on December 16, 1983, shown with the movie The Rescuers. Later, it was shown on TV for the first time in the United States on December 10, 1984, on NBC.

Mickey's Christmas Carol was inspired by a Disneyland Records audio musical from 1974. That musical also told Dickens' story with similar characters and dialogue. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1984. It was the first time a Mickey Mouse short film was nominated since Mickey and the Seal in 1948!

The Story of Mickey's Christmas Carol

The story begins on Christmas Eve in old London. Scrooge McDuck plays Ebenezer Scrooge, a grumpy old man who loves money more than anything. He doesn't like Christmas at all! He refuses to help a poor person, turns down his nephew Fred (Donald Duck)'s invitation to Christmas dinner, and won't give money to people collecting for the poor.

Scrooge's employee, Bob Cratchit (Mickey Mouse), is paid very little. Bob asks for half of Christmas Day off, and Scrooge agrees, but only if Bob loses half a day's pay. Scrooge finishes work and goes home.

Marley's Ghost Appears

As Scrooge enters his house, he sees the ghost of his old business partner, Jacob Marley (Goofy). Marley warns Scrooge that he is suffering in the afterlife because he was so greedy. Marley tells Scrooge that the same thing will happen to him if he doesn't change. Scrooge gets scared. Marley says three spirits will visit him that night. Scrooge must listen to them to avoid a terrible future.

The Ghost of Christmas Past

At one o'clock, the Ghost of Christmas Past (Jiminy Cricket) arrives. This ghost takes Scrooge back in time to his younger days. They visit a Christmas party hosted by his old boss, Fezziwig (Mr. Toad). Young Scrooge meets a girl named Isabelle (Daisy Duck) and falls in love.

However, the Ghost shows Scrooge how he started to care more about money than Isabelle. Because of this, Isabelle left him. Scrooge is very sad and asks to go back to the present. The Ghost reminds him that he made these choices himself. Scrooge is left in his bed, feeling bad about his past.

The Ghost of Christmas Present

At two o'clock, the big and cheerful Ghost of Christmas Present (Willie the Giant) appears. He takes Scrooge to Bob Cratchit's poor home. Scrooge is surprised to see how little food the Cratchit family has for Christmas dinner. But they are still happy and thankful.

Scrooge feels sorry for Bob's sick son, Tiny Tim (played by Mortie Mouse). The Ghost warns that if things don't change, Tiny Tim might not live much longer. Then the Ghost disappears, leaving Scrooge worried.

The Ghost of Christmas Future

Next, Scrooge is taken to a cemetery by the silent Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (who turns out to be Pete). This ghost shows Scrooge Bob and his family mourning Tiny Tim's death. Scrooge is devastated.

He then sees two gravediggers (Weasels) who are happy that no one came to the funeral of the person they are burying. Scrooge asks who the grave belongs to. The Ghost reveals it's Scrooge's own grave! The Ghost pushes Scrooge into the grave, which opens to a scary place. Terrified, Scrooge promises to change his ways and begs to be let out.

A New Christmas Morning

Scrooge suddenly wakes up in his own bed on Christmas Morning. He is so happy to have a second chance! He decides to be kind to everyone. He plans to surprise Bob's family with a big turkey dinner and toys.

Scrooge goes out to spread happiness around London. He accepts Fred's invitation to Christmas dinner. He also gives a lot of money to the gentlemen he turned away earlier. Finally, Scrooge goes to the Cratchit house. He pretends to be stern at first, but then reveals he brought food and gifts. He also tells Bob he will raise his salary and make him his business partner! Scrooge and the Cratchits then celebrate Christmas happily.

Meet the Voices: Main Cast

Opening titles for Mickey's Christmas Carol illustrated by Michael Peraza Jr..

Here are the main voice actors and the Disney characters they played in Mickey's Christmas Carol:

Other Characters You Might Spot

Many other Disney characters make quick appearances in the film:

• The Big Bad Wolf collects for charity.
• The Three Little Pigs sing Christmas carols.
• At Fezziwig's party, you can see characters like Lady Kluck, Uncle Waldo, Grandma Duck, Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, Gus Goose, Clara Cluck, Angus MacBadger, Chip 'n' Dale, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie.
• In the closing street scene, look for Skippy Bunny and Toby Turtle, Mother Rabbit and Grandma Owl, and Cyril Proudbottom.

Making the Movie

This movie was special because it was the first new Mickey Mouse cartoon made for theaters in over 30 years! Before this, Mickey hadn't been in a movie theater since The Simple Things in 1953.

Many other characters in the film, like Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow, also hadn't been in a theatrical cartoon for a long time. This film was also one of the last times Clarence Nash voiced Donald Duck before he passed away in 1985.

It was also the first time Alan Young voiced Scrooge McDuck in an animation. He had voiced the character before on a musical album. Alan Young continued to be the main voice for Scrooge McDuck, especially in the popular show DuckTales, until he passed away in 2016.

Where and When it Was Released

Mickey's Christmas Carol first showed in the UK on October 20, 1983. It was shown with a re-release of The Jungle Book. In the US, it came out on December 16, 1983, with The Rescuers.

Over the years, it has been shown on many TV channels:

• NBC (1984–1990)
• The Disney Channel (1987–1999; 2002–2006)
• CBS (1991–1996)
• ABC (2000, 2003)
• ABC Family (2001–present)
• Toon Disney (2008)

In Canada, the movie has been shown on CBC every Christmas season since 1985.

For many years, the TV broadcasts of Mickey's Christmas Carol were an hour long. They included other classic Disney cartoons like Donald's Snow Fight, Pluto's Christmas Tree, and The Art of Skiing. Later, the show was shortened to just Mickey's Christmas Carol by itself.

This short film has also appeared in video games, like Disney's Magical Mirror Starring Mickey Mouse and Epic Mickey.

Watching it at Home

Mickey's Christmas Carol has been released many times on VHS and LaserDisc. It was also included in the movie Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse.

You can also find it on DVD collections like Walt Disney Classic Cartoon Favorites Volume 7. In 2013, a 30th Anniversary Edition was released on DVD and for the first time on Blu-ray.

See also

In Spanish: Mickey's Christmas Carol para niños

• List of Christmas films
• List of ghost films
• List of A Christmas Carol adaptations
• Mickey Mouse (film series)