; Screenplayooge is a most delightful film in every way, made for under $5 million in direct costs at England’s Shepperton Studios. Albert Finney’s remarkable performance in the title role; executive producer Leslie Bricusse’s fluid adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, plus his unobtrusive complementary music and lyrics; and Ronald Neame’s delicately controlled direction which conveys, but does not force, all the inherent warmth, humor and sentimentality.
An excellent cast of key supporting players enhances both the artistry of the film and its universal appeal: Alec Guinness, as Marley’s ghost and, Edith Evans and Kenneth More, respectively, as the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present.
Finney’s performance as cold-hearted Scrooge is a professional high-water mark.
1970: Nominations: Best Costume Design, Art Direction, Song Score, Song (‘Thank You Very Much’)
