The 1962 UPA production of Mr. Magoo’s A Christmas Carol is an unfairly overlooked Christmas classic. This animated 52-minute TV is presented as a Broadway theater extravaganza with songs, dances, and curtain calls, and it really does delve into the true meaning of Christmas.
Magoo, voiced by Jim Backus and created by Millard Kaufmann and John Hubley, is an extremely near-sighted man who stubbornly refuses to accept this reality, causing numerous comical situations that affect everyone around him. In this production, he is Ebenezer Scrooge. Other cast members include Jack Cassidy as Bob Cratchit and Royal Dano as Marley, along with Morey Amsterdam, Joan Gardner, and veteran voice actor Paul Frees.
Image created using AI based on the original illustration to A Christmas Carol.
The show-within-a-show is a brilliant twist on the novel, but modern viewers won’t get it. That’s because many scenes have been cropped or deleted entirely. The deleted original begins with Magoo navigating through busy Manhattan traffic to the theatre, where he’s the star of the musical Christmas Carol. The deleted conclusion shows how Magoo, in trademark fashion, pulled a cord that collapsed all of the background sets. Typically, he emerges unscathed, leaving utter chaos in his wake.
Whether cut or uncut, the program remains entertaining and educational. The songs promote love, hope, and redemption; that is, the real Christmas message.
During the dinner scene at Bob Crachit’s house, Cratchit sings, “We’ll have the Lord’s bright blessing knowing we’re together heart and hand…” It’s a moving rendition with the entire family, including “razzleberry dressing fan” Tiny Tim, who joins in and claps to show their appreciation for one another and for God’s goodness to them.
Juxtaposed with uplifting songs are cold-blooded tunes sung by Scrooge and others. There’s an especially callous black comedy-like song from Christmas Future that the Undertaker, Old Joe the Ragman, and his underlings sing, recounting how they swiped valuable goods from Scrooge’s mansion, including the night curtains removed even as his corpse lay on the bed. They “celebrate” envy, greed, and loathing, which are the focus of their existence.
It’s an unpleasant reminder that, despite all the good in the world, sometimes evil prevails, especially when people refuse to change. The lyrics of the song “Despicable” reinforce the struggle for the human soul:
“We make ourselves,
Plain sickable,
Berate ourselves,
Hate ourselves,
Viciously,
Still none us of wishes he
Would change.”
It’s absolutely heartless.
One of the most poignant scenes is when we learn how Scrooge became so embittered that he turned his back on the world, reviled society, rejected Christmas, and, most importantly, hated himself. As a little boy, Scrooge was left behind at his boarding school because no one bothered to come for him, even with Christmas fast approaching.
Marley’s ghost visits Scrooge.
llustration by Arthur Rackham for a 1915 edition of A Christmas Carol.
Old and young Scrooge sing “All alone in the world.” Scrooge’s lonely childhood experience immediately garners sympathy from the audience. They no longer believe that Scrooge is entirely evil, but understand that he is, instead, deeply psychologically hurt. They now root for him to find redemption and a new lease on life.
For those children watching, there is probably no more frightening, eerie, or downright scary scene than the graveyard scene. The Christmas Future skeleton, pointing with his elongated bony digits, demands that Ebenezer look at the name engraved on his tombstone.
Fortunately, at the very moment the audience thinks he’s done, the cowering, shaking Scrooge emerges from the darkness to discover he was clutching his bed curtains instead of the mantle of the specter of doom. Perplexed at what has transpired, he has the epiphany that the audience has been hoping.
Fortunately, for Scrooge, unlike the wretched Marley, he realizes how wrong he’s been.
Hatred, contempt, and disgust for humanity are replaced by childlike innocence, giddiness, and love of man, for we see the forgiven, reformed, and redeemed Scrooge hanging by his tippy toes, joking and laughing on his window ledge two stories high. Realizing that he hasn’t missed Christmas, he asks a child hiding behind a snowman to buy the largest goose for the Cratchit family. The child thinks this codger is a real loon, but when offered a huge tip, runs off to buy the prominently displayed bird in the butcher’s shop window.
Scrooge visits Bob, his loyal employee, and seeks forgiveness for all his past transgressions. He offers to provide financial support for Tiny Tim’s care and to serve as Uncle Ebeneezer to the other children as well. Cratchit does not doubt Scrooge’s sincerity because, deep down, he knows there is good in Scrooge, and it would emerge if he just opened his heart and remembered what life is about.
The charming show helps children – indeed, helps all of us – understand the true message of Christmas.
And now, thanks to the wonders of the internet, you too can watch the uncut movie, an un-cynical, un-cloying show that could never be made today:
Television history was made with this animated musical that brought Charles Dickens’ classic tale to life through the beloved character Mister Magoo. Voiced by Jim Backus (Gilligan’s Island), Magoo plays Scrooge in a Broadway-style version of A Christmas Carol, filled with humor, heart, and unforgettable songs by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill. This family-friendly Christmas comedy movie marked the first-ever animated holiday special on TV, setting the stage for decades of festive classics.
Written by Will O’Toole for American Thinker ~ December 21, 2025