The Stingiest Man in Town

1978 animated Christmas television special

The Stingiest Man in TownTitle pageGenreChristmas Family-musicalWritten byCharles DickensRomeo MullerDirected byKatsuhisa Yamada, Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.Music byFred Spielman, Janice TorreProductionProducersArthur Rankin, Jr.Jules BassRunning time51 minutesProduction companies Rankin/Bass Productions Topcraft Limited Company Original releaseNetworkNBCReleaseDecember 23, 1978 (1978-12-23)Related Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) Frosty the Snowman (1969) Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970) Here Comes Peter Cottontail (1971) 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974) The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974) The First Easter Rabbit (1976) Frosty's Winter Wonderland (1976) Rudolph's Shiny New Year (1976) The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town (1977) Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (1977) The Stingiest Man in Town (1978) Jack Frost (1979) Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979) Pinocchio's Christmas (1980) Frosty Returns (1992) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys (2001) The Legend of Frosty the Snowman (2005) A Miser Brothers' Christmas (2008)

The Stingiest Man in Town is a 1978 animated Christmas musical television special based on Charles Dickens's 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. It was created by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass, and features traditional animation rather than the stop motion animation most often used by the company. It was an animated remake of a long-unseen, but quite well received, live-action musical special (also called The Stingiest Man in Town) which had starred Basil Rathbone, Martyn Green and Vic Damone. The live-action version had been telecast on December 23, 1956, on the NBC anthology series The Alcoa Hour, and was released on DVD in 2011 by VAI. The animated remake first aired December 23, 1978, in the United States on NBC, and was telecast in Japan the next day.

[edit] The Stingiest Man in Town is the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, told through the perspective of the insect B.A.H. Humbug, a word play on Scrooge's catchphrase, "bah humbug". Scrooge is portrayed as the tightwad Charles Dickens intended him to be, with his consistent resistance to assist the poor, or even have Christmas dinner with his nephew Fred and his family. In hopes of resuscitating the goodness of his friend, the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge's former business partner, visits Scrooge in his mansion, exhorting him to change his ways. Scrooge deems this to be madness and soon prepares for bed. Nevertheless, Scrooge's attitude soon changes after a fateful night, wherein three ghosts visit him and take him through his past and present, and show him what his future will be like if he does not change. With The Ghost of Christmas Past, Scrooge sees a younger version of himself and realizes how greedy and miserly he has become. The Ghost of Christmas Present proceeds to take Scrooge to the home of his diligent employee Bob Cratchit, and discovers just how much poverty Cratchit and his family wallow in. Cratchit's crippled son Tiny Tim touches Scrooge's heart and instigates a transformation within his personality. The Ghost of Christmas Future then brings Scrooge to a cemetery to show the result of his once greedy behaviour. The production concludes with Scrooge assisting those less fortunate than himself.

[edit] Walter Matthau as Ebenezer Scrooge Robert Morse as Young Ebenezer Scrooge Tom Bosley as B. A. H. Humbug, Esq. Theodore Bikel as Jacob Marley's Ghost Dennis Day as Nephew Fred Paul Frees as The Ghost of Christmas Past, The Ghost of Christmas Present, Old Joe Sonny Melendrez as Bob Cratchit Debbie Clinger as Martha Cratchit Robert Rolofson as Tim "Tiny Tim" Cratchit Steffani Calli as Belinda Cratchit Eric Hines as Peter Cratchit Darlene Conley as Mrs. Cratchit Shelby Flint as Belle Charles Matthau as The Boy Dee Stratton as Fred's Wife Diana Lee as Voice

[edit] One of the original advertisements for the television special. Producers/Directors - Arthur Rankin, Jr., Jules Bass Associate Producer - Masaki Iizuka Writer - Romeo Muller Based on the 1843 novella A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens Music - Fred Spielman Book and Lyrics - Janice Torre Design - Paul Coker, Jr. Animation Coordinator - Toru Hara Animation Supervisor - Tsuguyuki Kubo Animation Director - Katsuhisa Yamada Background Design - Minoru Nishida Backgrounds - Kazusuke Yoshihara, Kazuko Ito Layouts - Kazuyuki Kobayashi, Tadakatsu Yoshida, Hidemi Kubo Animation - Yoshiko Sasaki, Masahiro Yoshida Sound Recording - John Curcio, John Richards, Dave Iveland, Robert Elder Sound Effects - Tom Clack Vocal Arrangements - Jerry Graff Music Supervision - Maury Laws Music Arranger/Conductor - Bernard Hoffer

[edit] As with previous Rankin-Bass specials, animation duties for the 1978 version were provided by a Japanese studio, in this case Topcraft, many of whose animators would later form the core of Studio Ghibli. The Stingiest Man in Town was broadcast in Japan on Christmas Eve of 1978 (under the title Machi Ichiban Kechinbō). The Japanese version was directed by Katsuhisa Yamada, better known for his work on Mazinger Z and Devil Hunter Yohko and the characters were designed by Paul Coker Jr. As of 2025, MeTV Toons owns the television rights to the special, which they aired as part of their "'Tis the Season for Toons" block on December 14, 2025.

[edit] After acquiring the distribution rights to the post-1973 Rankin/Bass specials, Warner Home Video released The Stingiest Man in Town on VHS in 1993. Currently, the special has never had its own individual DVD release; it was instead made available on Warner's Classic Christmas Favorites box set in 2008. It was later included in the Rankin/Bass TV Holiday Favorites Collection manufacture-on-demand DVD, originally released by Warner Archive on July 30, 2012. The latter DVD was re-released (as a pressed disc) as part of The Complete Rankin/Bass Christmas Collection box set on October 18, 2022. The special made its physical high-definition debut on The Complete Rankin/Bass Christmas Collection's Blu-ray version, released in October 2023.

[edit] The production features an unusual number of songs, far more than in other animated productions of the story.

Sing a Christmas Carol An Old Fashioned Christmas Humbug The Stingiest Man in Town I Wear a Chain Golden Dreams It Might Have Been The Christmas Spirit Yes, There is a Santa Claus Birthday Party of the King One Little Boy You Wear a Chain Mankind Should be My Business

Even after four centuries, Dickens’s tale of Ebenezer Scrooge feels surprisingly fresh when set to song and animation. The special’s 51‑minute format trims the novel’s Victorian excess, leaving a tight moral arc that fits neatly into a family’s Christmas evening. By turning Scrooge’s transformation into a musical, the producers give children a memorable hook – the catchy refrains help the lesson of generosity stick longer than a spoken sermon. The decision to use traditional cel animation, rather than Rankin/Bass’s signature stop‑motion, also softens the story’s harsher edges, making it more accessible for younger viewers while still keeping the Victorian backdrop recognizable.

If you’re curating a festive TV line‑up, slot The Stingiest Man in Town after a classic like Frosty or Rudolph but before the more slapstick fare of Jack Frost. The modest 51‑minute run means you can easily pair it with a short film or a holiday documentary without breaking the flow. Look for releases on DVD or streaming bundles that include the full Rankin/Bass catalogue – the special’s original broadcast quality is often superior to later digital transfers. For families with younger children, consider a pre‑screening to gauge tolerance for the slightly darker moments; the musical numbers quickly restore the light‑hearted tone.

Most remember the special for its jaunty songs and colourful characters, yet it quietly underscores Victorian class tensions that still resonate. The depiction of Scrooge’s business practices – underpaying laborers and hoarding wealth – mirrors contemporary debates on income inequality, especially visible during the holiday shopping rush. The animated setting allows the creators to exaggerate the gloom of the workhouse and the warmth of the Cratchit hearth without overwhelming younger eyes. This contrast invites viewers to reflect on modern generosity: a simple act of buying a second‑hand gift or donating to a food bank can feel as impactful as Scrooge’s ultimate redemption.