The Stingiest Man in Town

An animated adaptation of A Christmas Carol from Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass -- the duo behind some of the most enduring Christmas specials ever (including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer). Reinvented as a 49-minute musical, this charming cartoon stars the voice of Walter Matthau as the bedeviled Scrooge and Tom Bosley as the Jiminy Cricket-type narrator, B. Humbug, Esq. It features animation by Japanese studio Topcraft, known for their work on other Rankin/Bass films such as The Hobbit, The Flight of Dragons, and The Last Unicorn.

Directed by Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin, Jr., The Stingiest Man in Town leans on a strong ensemble — Walter Matthau, Tom Bosley, Theodore Bikel — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about animation titles of 1978.