Scrooged (1988) is an American comedy modernization of Charles Dickens' classic tale, A Christmas Carol. The film was produced and directed by Richard Donner, and the screenplay was written by Mitch Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue with Danny Elfman providing the original music score.
Plot[]
A modern twist on Charles Dickens' classic "A Christmas Carol," this time a cynical and selfish TV executive is haunted by three spirits bearing lessons on Christmas Eve.
Cast[]
- Bill Murray as Francis Xavier "Frank" Cross
- Karen Allen as Claire Phillips
- John Forsythe as Lew Hayward
- John Glover as Brice Cummings
- Bobcat Goldthwait as Eliot Loudermilk
- David Johansen as the Ghost of Christmas Past
- Carol Kane as the Ghost of Christmas Present
- Robert Mitchum as Preston Rhinelander
- Nicholas Phillips as Calvin Cooley
- Michael J. Pollard as Herman
- Alfre Woodard as Grace Cooley
- Mabel King as Gramma
- John Murray as James Cross
- Wendie Malick as Wendie Cross
- Brian Doyle-Murray as Mr. Cross, Frank and James's father
- Joel Murray as Guest
Celebrity cameos[]
- Jamie Farr as Himself / Jacob Marley
- Buddy Hackett as Himself / Ebenezer Scrooge
- Robert Goulet as Himself
- John Houseman as Himself
- Lee Majors as Himself
- Mary Lou Retton as Herself / Tiny Tim
- Miles Davis as street musician
- Larry Carlton as street musician
- David Sanborn as street musician
- Paul Shaffer as street musician
Trivia[]
- On Siskel & Ebert & The Movies, Gene Siskel gave it thumbs up while Roger Ebert gave it thumbs down.
- Sam Kinison was originally slated to play the part of The Ghost of Christmas Past. The part eventually went to David Johansen due to his friendship with Bill Murray.
- Murray's brothers Brian, John, and Joel also appear in the film.
- The film was marketed with references to Ghostbusters which had been a great success four years earlier. In the USA, the tagline was, "Bill Murray is back among the ghosts, only this time, it's three against one."