Scrooged (1988)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1988
Running Times: 101 mins
Format: Technicolor     35mm
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: Dolby SR

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Paramount Pictures in association with Mirage Productions
Executive Producer: Stephen J. Roth
Producers: Richard Donner, Art Linson
Co-Producer: Ray Hartwick
Associate Producer: Jennie Lew-Tugend
Unit Production Manager: Ray Hartwick

SCRIPT
Script: Mitch Glazer, Michael O'Donoghue
Novel: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

DIRECTION
Director: Richard Donner
2nd Unit Director: Mic Rodgers
1st Assistant Director: Chris Soldo
2nd Assistant Director: James W. Skotchdopole
2nd 2nd Assistant Director: Gabriela Vázquez
Additional 2nd 2nd Assistant Directors: Thomas Burns, Adele Simmons

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Michael Chapman
Camera Operator: Michael A. Genne
Steadicam Operator: Stephen St John
1st Assistant Photographers: Larry Hezzelwood, Scott Sakamoto
2nd Assistant Photographers: Gregory Walters
Lamp Operators: Brad Emmons, George Dunagan
Chief Lighting Technician: Gary B. Tandrow
Assistant Chief Lighting Technician: Steve McGee
Chief Rigging Electrician: Kevin J. Lang
1st Company Grip: Alexander Laverde
2nd Company Grip: Rand R. Vargas
Grips: Billy Kerwick, Ed Jackson, Ty Suehiro
Dolly Grip: Clay Wilson
Stills: John Shannon
Video Playback Supervisor: Michael Thau
Video Playback Operator: Joseph Trammell
Cameras and Lenses: Panavision
Lab: Technicolour

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editors: Fredric Steinkamp, William Steinkamp
Assistant Film Editors: Karl F. Steinkamp, Michael T. Wilson, Debra Coldfield
Post Production Consultant: Stuart Baird

MUSIC
Music: Danny Elfman; Georg Friedrich Händel (Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah)
Songs: Dan Hartman (The Love You Take); Robbie Robertson (Christmas Must Be Tonight); Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday, Randy Myers (Put a Little Love in Your Heart)
Songs Performed By: Annie Lennox (Put A Little Love In Your Heart); Natalie Cole (The Christmas Song)
Song Producer: David A. Stewart (Put A Little Love In Your Heart)
Orchestrator: Steven Scott Smalley
Music Supervisors: David Anderle, Jimmy Iovine
Music Editor: Bob Badami

SOUND
Production Mixer: Willie Burton
Boom Operator: Marvin Lewis
Additional Boom Operator: Winfred Tennison
Supervising Sound Editors: Robert George Henderson, Alan Robert Murray
Sound Editors: D. Michael Horton, Joseph A. Ippolito, Marshall Winn, Teri E. Dorman, Virginia Cook-McGowan, Walter Newman
Foley Mixer: Greg Orloff
Cable Person: Robert Harris

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Supervising Make Up: Bari Dreiband-Burman
Make Up: Robert Norin
Hair Supervisor: Marlene Williams
Hair: Stephen Robinette
Costume Designer: Wayne Finkelman
Costume Supervisor: Jennifer Parsons
Costumers: Antonio Martínez, Jennifer Butler, Philip Maldonado
Assistant Costumer: Nava Sadan

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Make Up Effects: Tom Burman

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Coordinator: Allen L. Hall
Special Effects Foreperson: Albert Delgado
Special Effects: Steven Foster, Gary L. Karas, Joe Montenegro

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects Operator: Allen Blaisdell
Visual Effects Editor: C. Marie Davis
Main Title Designer: Anthony Goldschmidt

Dream Quest Imaging
Motion Control Technician: Michael Talarico
Optical Supervisor: Jeff Matakovich

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: J. Michael Riva
Art Director: Virginia L. Randolph
Set Designers: William Teegarden, Dianne Wager, Nancy Patton
Set Decorator: Linda DeScenna
Property Master: Erik L. Nelson
Assistant Property Masters: David Glazer, Jack E. Ackerman
Props: Lee Orlikoff, Richard Leon, Tom McCown, Tony Piller
Construction Coordinator: Ken Scaife
Art Department Coordinator: Leslie C. Warren
Conceptual Artist: Tom Southwell
Illustrator: Edward S. Verreaux
Lead Person: Ric McElvin

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisors: Patricia Dalzell, Jan Kemper
Accounting Assistant: Tad Driscoll
Production Auditor: Louis B. Phillips
Assistant Production Auditor: Susan Towner
Production Associate: Peter Frankfurt
Production Office Coordinator: Shari Leibowitz
Assistant Production Office Coordinator: Michele Imperato
Production Secretary: Carolyn Rothstein
Secretaries to Richard Donner: Cynthia Neber, Ilyse Selwyn
Production Assistant: James Vatis
Assistant to Producer: Patti Roberts-Nelson
Assistant to Richard Donner: Alexander B. Collett
Assistant to Stuart Baird: William Meshover
Research Coordinator: Mark Snovell
Choreographer: Lester Wilson
Unit Publicist: Marsha Robertson

LOCATIONS
Locations: New York City, New York, USA
Location Manager: Lynn M. Kuwahara

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Mic Rodgers
Stunts: Gene Harrison, Hugh A. O'Brien, Larry Nicholas, Mic Rodgers

CASTING
Casting: David Rubin
Casting Assistant: Lisa Beach

CAST
Bill Murray (Francis Xavier Cross)
Karen Allen (Claire Phillips)
John Forsythe (Lew Hayward)
John Glover (Bryce Cummings)
Bobcat Goldthwait (Eliot Loudermilk)
David Johansen (Ghost of Christmas Past)
Carol Kane (Ghost of Christmas Present)
Robert Mitchum (Preston Rhinelander)
Nicholas Phillips (Calvin Cooley)
Michael J. Pollard (Herman)
Alfre Woodard (Grace Cooley)
Mabel King (Gramma)
John Murray (James Cross)
Jamie Farr (himself)
Robert Goulet (himself)
Buddy Hackett (himself)
John Houseman (himself)
Lee Majors (himself)
Pat McCormick (himself)
Brian Doyle-Murray (Earl Cross)
Mary Lou Retton (herself)
Al 'Red Dog' Weber (Santa Claus)
Jean Speegle Howard (Mrs Claus)
June Chandler (June Cleaver)
Michael Eidam (Wally Cleaver)
Mary Ellen Trainor (Ted)
Bruce Jarchow (Wayne)
Sanford Jensen, Jeffrey Joseph, Dick Blasucci (executives)
Peter Bromilow (archbishop)
Bill Marcus, Cal Gibson (IBC guards)
Damon Hines (Steven Cooley)
Tamika McCollum (Shasta Cooley)
Koren McCollum (Randee Cooley)
Reina King (Lanell Cooley)
Paul Tuerpe (stage manager)
Lester Wilson (choreographer)
Ronald Strang (art director)
Kate McGregor-Stewart (censor)
Jack McGee, Bill Hart (carpenters)
Kathy Kinney (IBC nurse)
Ralph Gervais (mouse wrangler)
Alvin Hammer (foreman)
Tony Steedman (headwaiter)
Lisa Mende (Doris Cross)
Ryan Todd (Frank as a child)
Rebeca Arthur (Tina)
Selma Archerd (Mrs Claus at party)
Jay Byron (man 1 at party)
Harvey Fisher (party guest)
C. Ransom Walrod (party animal)
James R. Miller (security guard at party)
Jennie Lew Tugend (Foo-Ling)
Roy Brocksmith (Mike the mailman)
Shawn Michaels (Frisbee)
Stella Hall (Lew Hayward's secretary)
Sachi Parker (Belle)
Delores Hall (Hazel)
Anne Ramsey (woman in shelter)
Logan Ramsey (man in shelter)
Sydna Scott (woman 1 in shelter)
Wendie Malick (Wendie Cross)
Joel Murray, Mitch Glazer, Susan Isaacs, Lauri Kempson (guests)
Miro Polo (Mary Lou's coach)
Ralph Bruneau (nephew)
Maria Riva (Mrs Rhinelander)
James Kindelon (butler)
Raphael Harris (older Calvin)
Wayne A. Finkelman (orderly)
Susan Barnes, Lynne Randall (harpies)
Gilles Savard (waiter)
Michael O'Donoghue (priest)
Dick McGarvin (announcer)
Tom Doak (videotape director)
Sam Drummy (cameraman on crane)
Stephen Kahan, Norm Wilson, Henry V. Brown, Jeanine Jackson, Amy Hill (technicians)
Miles Davis, Larry Carlton, David Sanborn, Paul Shaffer (street musicians)
Chaz Conner Jr (Ghost of Christmas Future)
Peter Onorati

PLOT SUMMARY

Mean spirited television executive Frank Cross is preparing for his live broadcast of Dickens' A Christmas Carol despite hating the festive season almost as much as Ebenezer Scrooge. Then he's called on by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come who try to persuade him, like Scrooge, that he's wrong...

An excellent modernised version of A Christmas Carol with Bill Murray on top form as the hard-hearted Frank Cross. Murray steals the show from everyone around him, snapping out the witty dialogue in his customary deadpan style. There's a nice seam of dark cynicism running through the film, neatly countering the threat of sentimentality that looms towards the end. Dickens purists will probably hate it, but the rest of us should certainly give it a try.

Australia
Video Distributors: CIC-Taft Home Video

Germany
Laserdisc Distributor: Philips (63427)
DVD Distributor: Paramount (P 900056)

UK
DVD Distributor: Paramount (PHE8034)

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Paramount Pictures
Video Distributors: Paramount Home Video
Laserdisc Distributors: Paramount (LV 32054)
DVD Distributors: Paramount (32054)

Finland
Rating: K-14

Ireland
Rating: 12

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: PG

USA
Rating: PG-13

West Germany
Rating: 12

1989
Academy Awards, USA
Best Make Up (Thomas R. Burman, Bari Dreiband-Burman) - nominated

BMI Film and TV Awards, USA
Film Music Award (Danny Elfman) - winner

1988
November
23: USA – theatrical release

December
8: West Germany – theatrical release
23: Finland – theatrical release
25: Sweden – theatrical release

1999
November
9: USA - DVD release (Paramount (32054))

2000
December
4: UK - DVD release (Paramount (PHE8034))
7: USA - DVD release (Paramount (P 900056))

2001
December
18: Russia - video release

Bill Murray is back among the ghosts. Only this time, it's three against one.

The spirits will move you in odd and hysterical ways.

Los fantasmas atacan al jefe - Spanish title
Fantômes en fête – French Canadian / French title
Die Geister, die ich rief... - West German title
Haamujen kosto - Finnish title
S.O.S. fantasmi - Italian title
SOS Fantasmas - Portugese title
Spökenas hämnd - Swedish title

SEE ALSO
An American Christmas Carol (1979)
Bah, Humbug!: The Story of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1994)
Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988)
Carol for Another Christmas (1964)
Christmas Carol (1984b)
A Christmas Carol (1908)
A Christmas Carol (1910)
A Christmas Carol (1915)
A Christmas Carol (1938)
A Christmas Carol (1947)
A Christmas Carol (1953)
A Christmas Carol (1971)
A Christmas Carol (1977)
A Christmas Carol (1984a)
A Christmas Carol (1997)
A Christmas Carol (1999)
The Christmas Carol (1949)
Christmas Glory 2000 (2000)
Christmas Present (1985)
A Diva's Christmas Carol (2000)
Ebbie (1995)
Ebenezer (1997)
Flintstones A Christmas Carol (1994)
The Jetsons Christmas Carol (1985)
Leyenda de Navidad (1947)
Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962)
Mr Scrooge (1964)
Ms. Scrooge (1997)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
The Right to Be Happy (1916)
Scrooge (1913)
Scrooge (1922)
Scrooge (1923)
Scrooge (1935)
Scrooge (1951)
Scrooge (1970)
Scrooge (1978)
Scrooge, or Marley's Ghost (1901)
Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol (1979)
The Stingiest Man in Town (1978)
Tense Moments With Great Authors (1922)
O Velho Scrooge (1963)
The Virtue of Rags (1912)

MAGAZINES

Studio January 1989 p.24 (France)
review (by Isabelle Vartanian)

book into film, christmas, ghosts, the grim reaper, hallucinations, redemption, television

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009