Mickey's Christmas Carol

Mickey's Christmas Carol is a twenty-four minute animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and originally released in the United Kingdom on October 20, 1983 by Buena Vista Distribution. On December 16, 1983, the film was released in the United States, in front of a re-issue of The Rescuers.

It is an adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, featuring Scrooge McDuck as his namesake and inspiration Ebenezer Scrooge and Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit.

Mickey's Christmas Carol was the first new Mickey Mouse cartoon made in 30 years after The Simple Things. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Subject.

It was also broadcast on TV on NBC from 1985-1989, CBS from 1991-1998, and ABC in 2000 and 2003.

The short is also featured, without its opening credits, in the direct-to-home release, Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse. It is also available on the ninth volume of the Walt Disney Classic Cartoon Favorites DVD collection, as well as in the Walt Disney Treasures set Mickey Mouse in Living Color - Volume 2; however, the latter is the only DVD release to retain the film's widescreen aspect ratio.

Synopsis
While all of England is in the merry spirit of Christmas, along with collecting for the poor, all on the mind of Ebenezer Scrooge (played by Scrooge McDuck) is all his money he makes in the town counting house and making more of it for himself. While Scrooge's selfish and greedy thoughts cascade his head, Bob Cratchit (Mickey Mouse) continues to work long and hard for him, though he is overworked and underpaid, and collectors Mr. Mole and Mr. Rat, along with other beggars on the streets, are kindly asking of a simple donation to the poor. Even his cheery nephew Fred (Donald Duck) invites him for a wonderful Christmas dinner, of which Scrooge rudely rejects. However, the night before Christmas, the ghost of Jacob Marley (Goofy), Scrooge's once-greedy-and-cruel counting house partner, enters Scrooge's home and warns him that if his greedy behavior continues, he will be forced to carry heavy chains for all eternity when he dies, just as Jacob himself is fated to do for his cruelty in his life. Horror-stricken, Scrooge pleads him for assistance, and he learns from the ghost that three spirits would visit him later that night and he must do everything they say, or his sentence at his death would be worse than Jacob's. At the end Goofy as Marley is still Goofy (Falls down the stairs after leaving the room)!

That night, while Scrooge is asleep, the Ghost of Christmas Past (Jiminy Cricket) takes Scrooge back in time to his childhood, when he enjoyed Christmas, had many friends and a girlfriend named Isabelle (Daisy Duck). However, after ten years, Scrooge had become more caring toward his money than Isabelle. When she asks if he was still willing to marry her after waiting for many years in a honeymoon cottage, Scrooge's greed breaks her heart and her relationship with him with, "Your last payment on the honeymoon cottage was an hour late! I'm foreclosing the mortgage!" Shortly after, Jiminy Cricket takes Scrooge home, leaving him feeling dreadful for his actions.

Not long after the first visit, the Ghost of Christmas Present (Willie the Giant) pulls Scrooge in his hand. He arrives with wonderful things to eat, like Turkey, Mince Pies, and Suckling Pigs. The giant tries to convince Scrooge that despite his stingy manner, there are still people he knew that have hearts kind enough to continue to respect him. Scrooge tries to deny it, but then spirit takes Scrooge to the house of Bob Cratchit, and his loving family, children and all. Scrooge sees that Bob's family is very poor, and that Bob's young son, Tiny Tim, is so very weak and ill that if this hapless life of the Cratchit family does not change, something very regretable will occur for Mr. Scrooge and the Cratchits. However, just when Scrooge is desperate to know the truth, the Ghost of Christmas Present leaves him alone, and Cratchit's house vanishes.

Within seconds, however, Scrooge is taken to a graveyard where the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Peg-Leg Pete) reveals to Scrooge that Tiny Tim will soon perish, leaving the Cratchit family brokenhearted. Scrooge then realizes he can no longer treat others around him with a heartless disposition. Along with his death, the ghost also reveals Scrooge's grave, which is soon to be filled. When it seems Scrooge is already about to die by being thrown in his soon-to-be-grave, he pleads for his life, and promises he will change his ways.

When dawn approaches, Scrooge realizes all of his experiences and travels with the ghosts were dreams. However, he immediately gets into the Christmas spirit, and cheerfully goes about town generously donating money to the collectors for the poor, and greeting all with a friendly disposition. At first, when he visits the Cratchits, he tries to psych them out that he hadn't changed at all, but then offers toys for Bob's children, and gives Bob a raise and a promotion in the counting house. The entire Cratchit family is overjoyed, for "God blessed them, everyone!" (Famous quote from Tiny Tim), including Scrooge.

Characters and Roles

 * Scrooge McDuck as Ebenezer Scrooge
 * Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit
 * Donald Duck as Fred (Ebenezer's nephew)
 * Mr. Rat and Mr. Mole as Collectors for the Poor
 * Goofy as Jacob Marley
 * Jiminy Cricket as The Ghost of Christmas Past
 * Daisy Duck as Isabelle
 * Willie the Giant as The Ghost of Christmas Present
 * Minnie Mouse as Mrs. Cratchit
 * Morty Fieldmouse as Tiny Tim
 * Ferdie Fieldmouse as Peter Cratchit
 * Melody Mouse as Martha Cratchit
 * Black Pete as The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
 * Mr. Toad as Fezziwig
 * Extra Characters
 * Huey Dewey and Louie
 * Horace Horsecollar
 * Clarabelle Cow
 * Grandma Duck
 * Chip 'n Dale
 * Gus Goose
 * Clara Cluck
 * Big Bad Wolf
 * Three Little Pigs
 * Skippy the Rabbit (from Robin Hood)
 * Toby Turtle (from Robin Hood)
 * Toby Tortoise
 * Max Hare
 * Peter Pig
 * Paddy Pig

Trivia

 * Many Disney characters from past films can be seen in small, non-speaking roles. For instance, the Three Little Pigs can be seen singing carols in the beginning of the film.
 * Curiously, Pluto was the only standard Disney character not included when the whole gang was reunited for this featurette.
 * This marks the first animated appearance of Clarabelle Cow, Clara Cluck and Horace Horsecollar since 1942's Symphony Hour.
 * The film was the final performance of Clarence Nash as Donald Duck, making him the only character in the film to be voiced by his original voice actor.
 * The film was the first performance of Wayne Allwine as Mickey Mouse.
 * The film was the first performance of Alan Young as Scrooge McDuck.
 * Willie the Giant (as the Ghost of Christmas Present) mispronounces the word "pistachio" - duplicating the same error heard in Mickey and the Beanstalk.
 * This film was based on a 1972 audio musical entitled Disney's A Christmas Carol. Most of the cast remained unchanged; however, in the audio version, the Blue Fairy (from Pinocchio) and the Queen (from Snow White, in her hag guise) portrayed the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Future, respectively (the Present Ghost, like in the film version, was portrayed by Willie the Giant).
 * Disney would take another spin on A Christmas Carol with the 101 Dalmatians: The Series episode "A Christmas Cruella".