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The Stingiest Man in Town facts for kids

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The Stingiest Man in Town
The Stingiest Man in Town.jpg
Quick facts for kids
町一番のけちんぼう
(Machi Ichiban no Kechinbou)
Genre Historical
Anime
Directed by Katsuhisa Yamada,
Jules Bass,
Arthur Rankin Jr.
Produced by Arthur Rankin, Jr.<
Jules Bass
Written by Charles Dickens
Romeo Muller
Music by Fred Spielman, Janice Torre
Studio
  • Rankin/Bass Productions
  • Topcraft Limited Company
Licensed by Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Released December 23, 1978
(United States)
December 24, 1978
(Japan)

The Stingiest Man in Town (町一番のけちんぼう, Machi Ichiban no Kechinbō) is an animated Christmas musical television special from 1978. It is based on the famous story A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

This special was made by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass. Unlike some of their other works, it uses traditional animation instead of stop-motion. It's a cartoon version of an older live-action musical that came out in 1956. The animated special first aired on December 23, 1978, in the United States on NBC. It was shown in Japan the very next day.

What's the Story About?

The Stingiest Man in Town tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. In this 1978 version, the story is seen through the eyes of an insect named B.A.H. Humbug. This name is a fun play on Scrooge's famous saying, "bah humbug!"

Scrooge (voiced by Walter Matthau) is a very greedy and unfriendly man. He never wants to help poor people. He even refuses to have Christmas dinner with his nephew, Fred (voiced by Dennis Day).

One night, the ghost of Jacob Marley (voiced by Theodore Bikel) visits Scrooge. Marley was Scrooge's old business partner. He warns Scrooge to change his ways, or he will face a terrible future. Scrooge thinks it's all a dream and goes to bed.

However, Scrooge's mind soon changes. Three more ghosts visit him during the night. They take him on a journey through his past, present, and future.

  • The Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge what he was like when he was younger (voiced by Robert Morse). Scrooge sees how he became so greedy.
  • The Ghost of Christmas Present (voiced by Paul Frees) takes Scrooge to the home of his hardworking employee, Bob Cratchit. Scrooge sees how poor Cratchit and his family are. He also meets Cratchit's kind son, Tiny Tim (voiced by Bobby Rolofson). Tiny Tim's kindness really touches Scrooge's heart.
  • Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge what will happen if he doesn't change. This ghost takes him to a cemetery.

By the end of the story, Scrooge has a complete change of heart. He decides to become a kind and generous person. He starts helping those who are less fortunate than him.

Who Are the Voices?

Many talented actors lent their voices to the characters in this special:

Who Made the Show?

Here are some of the main people who helped create The Stingiest Man in Town:

How It Was Made

The animation for The Stingiest Man in Town was done by a Japanese studio called Topcraft. Many of the animators from Topcraft later went on to form a very famous animation studio called Studio Ghibli.

This special was even shown in Japan on Christmas Eve in 1978. Because of this, some people consider it to be an anime. The Japanese version was directed by Katsuhisa Yamada.

Songs You'll Hear

This special has many songs, more than most other animated versions of A Christmas Carol. Here are some of them:

  • Sing a Christmas Carol
  • An Old Fashioned Christmas
  • Humbug
  • The Stingiest Man in Town
  • I Wear a Chain
  • Golden Dreams
  • It Might Have Been
  • The Christmas Spirit
  • Yes, There is a Santa Claus
  • Birthday Party of the King
  • One Little Boy
  • You Wear a Chain
  • Mankind Should be My Business
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