His age is unknown. Michael Caine was 59 when playing the role; if his Scrooge is the same age, and since the book was released in 1843, that would make the character's birth year around 1784.
In the book, Scrooge's deceased business partner is Jacob Marley. In the film, they used the heckler brothers; Statler and Waldorf for the role. It wouldn't be right to only have one without the other. So the brother Robert Marley was created. The name being Robert (Bob) was likely chosen as a joke, referencing singer Bob Marley.
Charles Dickens (Gonzo the Great) and Rizzo the Rat narrate this musical, comedic version of Dickens' classic story. Rich London businessman Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine), known for his miserliness, particularly hates Christmas, considering it "humbug" and those who celebrate it as fools. On Christmas eve, Scrooge is visited by his deceased business partners Jacob and Robert Marley (Statler and Waldorf), who warn him that, if he does not change his greedy ways, he will end up like them...wearing the chains he has accumulated during his life. Thereafter, Scrooge is visited by three more spirits: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the shrouded Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come. Each of them show Scrooge a segment of his life and introduce him to the spirit of Christmas displayed by his nephew Fred (Steven Mackintosh) and the family of his clerk Bob Cratchit (Kermit the Frog), Cratchit's wife Emily (Miss Piggy) and their four children, including their crippled son, Tiny Tim (Robin the Frog).
A Christmas Carol (full title: A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas) is an 1843 novella by English writer Charles Dickens [1812-1870]. The novella was adapted for this film by American screenwriter Jerry Juhl.
They are played by muppet characters that were specially-created for the movie. The Ghost of Christmas Past resembles a little girl floating in the air. The Ghost of Christmas Present is a large, absent-minded red-bearded man with a booming voice. The Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come is a silent, shrouded, reaperlike being with no face.
Scrooge bends down to bury his face in the robe of the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come and is suddenly transported back into his own bed. Ecstatic to find that he is still alive and that it is Christmas Day, he tosses a bag of money to a young boy (Bean Bunny) and asks him to purchase the prize turkey still hanging in the poultry shop window. He and the boy (carrying the large turkey) then scurry through the streets, singing and giving presents to the villagers. He then delivers the turkey to the Cratchits and, in addition, raises Bob's salary and offers to pay the mortgage on his house. Gonzo and Rizzo then end the tale by telling how Scrooge became like a father to Tiny Tim, who didn't die. It ends with Tiny Tim repeating his memorable words, "God bless us everyone."
The original 1993 VHS release had an additional scene not in the theatrical version, featuring the song "When Love is Gone". The 1993 Image Entertainment letterbox laserdisc release also contained the additional scene; this is the only widescreen version released to date that includes the song. On the first DVD release in 2002, it was not included. In 2005, a (Kermit's) "50th Anniversary Edition" was released, and it contains the theatrical and extended versions. The cover states "Anniversary Edition" at the bottom with "50" in the far left corner. The back will indicate in a green bubble, "Includes Widescreen & Extended Full Screen Version With Deleted Scene!" This only applies to the USA version. Region 2 disks do not have the "When love is gone" song. The current Disney DVD and "20th Anniversary" Blu-ray releases likewise contain the theatrical widescreen, with the extended version only in full-screen (pan & scan).
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