50 Fun Facts About The Muppet Christmas Carol

Who plays Ebenezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol?

He vowed to play it as if working with the Royal Shakespeare Company and never do anything Muppety.

Who directed The Muppet Christmas Carol?

It was his feature directorial debut, two years after his father's death.

In which year was The Muppet Christmas Carol released?

It opened in the US on December 11, distributed by Buena Vista.

Which Muppet plays Charles Dickens, the narrator?

Brian Henson said Gonzo was chosen because he was the least likely choice.

Who plays Bob Cratchit?

Miss Piggy plays his wife Emily and Robin the Frog is Tiny Tim.

Which Muppet plays Tiny Tim?

Robin is Kermit's nephew in Muppet lore.

Who play the ghosts of Jacob and Robert Marley?

Dickens had only one Marley; a second was invented so the hecklers could work as a pair.

Which Muppet plays Fozziwig, Scrooge's jolly first employer?

Dickens's character was Fezziwig; the name was bent for the bear.

Which pair of Muppets play the charity collectors Scrooge dismisses?

Their deleted song "Room in Your Heart" survives on the soundtrack album.

Which Muppet gets a wreath hurled at him while carolling?

Scrooge later sends him to buy the prize turkey.

Who plays Emily Cratchit?

Frank Oz performed her for the last Muppet film before his retirement from the characters.

Who plays Scrooge's nephew Fred?

Robin Weaver plays his wife Clara.

Who plays Belle, Scrooge's lost love?

She sings the famously cut ballad "When Love Is Gone".

Which Muppet plays the schoolmaster in Scrooge's past?

His deleted song "Chairman of the Board" is on the soundtrack album.

Which band entertains at Fozziwig's party?

Animal, Zoot, Floyd and Lips all appear as party entertainers.

Who wrote the film's songs?

He had written "Rainbow Connection" for The Muppet Movie thirteen years earlier.

Who composed the film's score?

He had scored several films directed by Muppet performer Frank Oz.

Who wrote the screenplay?

The long-time Muppets writer added Dickens as narrator to keep the original prose.

Which song was cut from the 1992 US theatrical release?

Jeffrey Katzenberg thought it would bore young viewers; it was restored on Disney+ in 2022.

Which country singer reprises Belle's ballad over the end credits?

Belle's version in the film was the one that got cut.

Which studio executive ordered Belle's ballad cut?

Brian Henson objected because the finale "When Love Is Found" was written as its counterpoint.

What did studio archivists find in 2020 that allowed the song to be restored?

Henson had believed the negative was lost for good.

When did the streaming release finally add the full-length version with the song?

It appears as an option in the film's extras section.

Where was the film shot?

Floors were removed so puppeteers could work beneath Caine, who crossed on narrow planks.

Why were the London street buildings built smaller than normal?

The trick is exposed by the crane shot ending "It Feels Like Christmas".

Who first pitched the director the idea of adapting A Christmas Carol?

He had already sold it to ABC as a TV movie before Disney bought it for cinemas.

The project was originally sold to which network as a TV film?

Walt Disney Pictures executives then offered to buy the script for a theatrical release.

Which American comedian was considered for Scrooge?

David Hemmings, Ron Moody and David Warner were the English candidates.

Caine said he based Scrooge's meanness on whom?

He said they represented a very good picture of meanness and greed.

Which Muppet was originally considered to play the Ghost of Christmas Present?

New characters were created instead to make the ghosts more ominous.

Which two people is the film dedicated to?

It was the first Muppet film made after both men died.

The Muppet Christmas Carol was which number theatrical Muppet film?

It followed The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper and The Muppets Take Manhattan.

What Muppet-film milestone does the movie hold regarding its lead?

Caine's Scrooge carries the film while the Muppets fill Dickens's supporting roles.

It was the first Muppet film produced by which company?

Disney would buy the Muppets outright in 2004.

Roughly how much did the film gross in North America?

It opened sixth against Home Alone 2 and Disney's own Aladdin.

Which two films overshadowed it at the 1992 holiday box office?

Disney had given it the studio's widest release of the season.

What grade did CinemaScore audiences give the film?

Critics were lukewarm at the time; its reputation grew over the decades.

Which newspaper called it "the greatest Christmas film ever made" in 2023?

Its own critic Derek Malcolm had been dismissive back in 1992.

Which Chicago critic gave the film a thumbs down on television?

Ebert gave it three stars out of four in print.

What is Fozziwig's business in the film?

Dickens's Fezziwig ran a warehouse; the Muppets swapped in rubber chickens.

Who buys the stolen possessions of the dead man in the Christmas Yet to Come sequence?

The creepy scene prompts Gonzo and Rizzo to leave until it is over.

Which Kermit song opens the film's story proper?

Kermit sings it while closing up the counting house on Christmas Eve.

Which song do Scrooge's dead business partners sing?

It remains one of the film's most quoted numbers.

Which song does Scrooge lead near the end of the film?

It plays as the reformed Scrooge spreads cheer through London.

What did a story album of the film earn in 1994?

It was up for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.

Where did the soundtrack album peak on the Billboard 200?

Most tracks are different arrangements from those heard in the film.

Who performs the Ghost of Christmas Present's face and voice?

Nelson also voiced Robin, Statler, Lew Zealand and Floyd in the film.

Who performs Rizzo the Rat and Kermit in the film?

Whitmire had inherited Kermit after Jim Henson's death in 1990.

Which Muppet performer handles Gonzo, Waldorf and Bunsen Honeydew?

Goelz has performed Gonzo since the 1970s.

The 20th anniversary Blu-ray was released in which year?

It omitted the extended cut with "When Love Is Gone" in widescreen.