{"id":1187,"date":"2019-12-10T15:35:11","date_gmt":"2019-12-10T21:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kokomoman.com\/wordpress1\/?p=1187"},"modified":"2019-12-10T15:35:11","modified_gmt":"2019-12-10T21:35:11","slug":"call-me-scrooge-please","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kokomoman.com\/wordpress1\/2019\/12\/10\/call-me-scrooge-please\/","title":{"rendered":"Call Me Scrooge… Please"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Yes… it\u2019s true. I consider myself to be on par with Ebenezer Scrooge. I\u2019ll explain more in a minute, but first…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A couple of nights ago, I watched \u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d on TV. Of course, I\u2019ve watched it a zillion times before… along with all the other classics including Miracle on 34th<\/sup> Street, It\u2019s a Wonderful Life (still my favorite), and of course, The Wizard of Oz. I don\u2019t know how the Wizard of Oz got to be a Christmas movie, but these days, it\u2019s the only time of year it is shown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, the original version of Miracle on 34th<\/sup> Street is \u201cpay to view.\u201d That\u2019s a dirty rotten trick by the cable service here on Kokomo Island. This is certainly not in keeping with the Holiday spirit. So I say to them, Bah – Humbug!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hummmm… the saying, \u201cBah \u2013 Humbug,\u201d has become synonymous with Ebenezer Scrooge. Few, if any, can hear \u201cBah \u2013 Humbug… or even just \u201cHumbug\u201d without conjuring up the image of a grouchy, anti-Christmas Ebenezer Scrooge.\u00a0 But wait… just hold that thought.<\/p>\n\n\n

Believe it or not, in film or on TV, the part of Scrooge has been played by at least twenty-four different actors. They range from the likes of serious portrayers George C Scott & Basil Rathbone to animated versions with Jim Carrey and Walter Matthau voice-overs. There was even one version with Jim Backus; Mr. Magoo\u2019s Christmas Carol. Perhaps the most famous is the MGM 1938 version with Reginald Owen as Scrooge. There was a 1911 silent film version too, but it was not widely known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Just a few of the many who have played Scrooge<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My favorite version is the one with Patrick Stewart as Scrooge. \u00a0That\u2019s the one I just watched… again. Somehow, Stewart\u2019s Scrooge came off as the most genuine. Until now, I had never read the book, so I really wouldn\u2019t know if Stewart was \u201cgenuine\u201d or not. But for some reason, this time I was compelled to check out the book to see if this version was faithful to Charles Dickens\u2019s character. I found an online version, complete with the illustrations made by John Leech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pactrick Steward as Scrooge with Joel Grey as the Ghost of Christmas Past<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I found it interesting that the book is really just a \u201cshort story\u201d. By my count, it has 28,599 words. Other counters vary, but by any measure it falls far short of being a novel. Most novels start out around 50,000 words and go all the way to War & Peace with 587,287 words. Other works are even larger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While checking out about Dickens and the book, I discovered a few interesting tidbits: The book was first published on 19 December 1843… just in time for Christmas. The first printing was 6,000 copies. The production of this book was something of a rarity at the time since it had four woodcuts and four color plates (by illustrator John Leech). The first production sold out in only a few days. All were gone by Christmas Eve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Marley's
Woodcut color image illustrated by John Leech, 1843<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It only took Dickens six weeks to write and have the book ready for publication. The price for the book was 5 shillings (about $2.00 US then and $25 US now) Dickens made only 230 British Pounds from the first printing. Today, first editions of the book have sold for over 40,000 US Dollars… and \u201cPresentation\u201d copies Dickens gave to his friends have sold for over $280,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now… about that \u201cBah \u2013 Humbug\u201d thing. That\u2019s the phrase most associated with Scrooge. So I wondered if it was ever really in the book or just from the screenwriter\u2019s imagination. I mean… there are lots of quotes associated with books or movies that never really happened. But in this case, it is true. Scrooge says, \u201cBah \u2013 Humbug\u201d twice in the book. He says \u201cHumbug\u201d another four times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what does \u201cHumbug\u201d really mean? Merriam-Webster provides us with: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Something designed to deceive and mislead. <\/li>
  2. A willfully false, deceptive, or insincere person.<\/li>
  3. An attitude or spirit of pretense and deception.<\/li>
  4. Nonsense, Drivel.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    So I guess we see lots of “humbug” these days, but nothing to do with Christmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Having seen the movie(s) many times, now having read the book, I know that deep down Scrooge isn\u2019t really a grumpy old \u201cscrooge.\u201d As we learn, \u201clife\u201d has somehow gotten in the way for poor old Ebenezer, and the spirits show him the way. And in the end, he becomes the happiest person for the Christmas season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Patrick Stewart waking up after the spirits visited and discovering the joy of Christmas <\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Near the end, when \u201cnew\u201d Scrooge announces his new intentions toward Bob Cratchit, the Patrick Stewart film version follows the book almost word for word:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cA merry Christmas, Bob!\u201d said Scrooge, with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. \u201cA merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you for many a year! I\u2019ll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop, Bob! Make up the fires, and buy another coal-scuttle before you dot another i, Bob Cratchit!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Isn\u2019t that something of a parable for all of us?\u00a0 It certainly is for me. For a time… a very brief time, I became sorta \u201cBah \u2013 Humbug\u201d for Christmas. I even said that out loud a couple of times during one Christmas season. But it didn\u2019t last long. No… no ghosts visited me… at least I don\u2019t think any came. It was simpler than that. By willful effort, I chose to be happy during the holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    No matter what I had or didn\u2019t have, I was going to be happy no matter what. And so it was. The Christmas season became the happiest time of the year. Now I\u2019m proud to be just like Scrooge. The final paragraph of Dickens\u2019 book says of Scrooge: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201c… and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well…\u201d<\/strong><\/p>Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    So you see, I\u2019m proud to be Scrooge. In the end, Scrooge and I keep Christmas as well as anyone. It is always a time of joy and happiness. And despite what may try to get in the way, I won\u2019t let anything bring down my spirit of Christmas. And it doesn’t matter what you celebrate… it’s the spirit of the season that is for all of to “keep well.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yes… Christmas and the holiday season has become commercial. I say, so what<\/strong>. And yes, there are porch pirates lurking to steal away gifts meant to give you happiness.\u00a0 But don\u2019t let them steal your joy of the season. I say to anyone that \u201cbad mouths\u201d the holiday season, Bah \u2013 Humbug to you. I\u2019m going to have a merry Christmas, no matter what you bring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So no matter how things started out for Scrooge… or me, I am proud that Scrooge and I will always, \u201cKeep Christmas well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The final words of the book say it best:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201c May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, \u201cGod bless Us, Every One!\u201d<\/p>Final two sentences of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Christmas<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Yes… it\u2019s true. I consider myself to be on par with Ebenezer Scrooge. I\u2019ll explain more in a minute, but first… A couple of nights ago, I watched \u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d on TV. Of course, I\u2019ve watched it a zillion … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1189,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12,1],"tags":[43,44,46,47,45,42],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kokomoman.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1187"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kokomoman.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kokomoman.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kokomoman.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kokomoman.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1187"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.kokomoman.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1187\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1201,"href":"https:\/\/www.kokomoman.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1187\/revisions\/1201"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kokomoman.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kokomoman.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kokomoman.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kokomoman.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}