Title: "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir":
"The Ghost of Christmas Past"
Adaptation: Starring Charles Nelson Reilly as Claymore Gregg (the Scrooge) and an ancient Claymore Gregg (also a Scrooge); Edward Mulhare as "the Ghost"; and Hope Lange as Mrs. Muir
Dates and Places of Earliest Release:
THU, 25 DEC 1969 U.S.A.
My Rating: *****(Favorite)
Format Reviewed: live-action film, streamed from YouTube
Runtime: 30 minutes
Availability:
As of November 9, 2021, copies of this television series, on DVD/VHS, are available, online, for approximately $30 U.S. Dollars.
Is this adaptation reverent?
This adaptation is somewhat reverent; it is suitable for general audiences, and includes the hymns, "O Come, All Ye Faithful" and "Silent Night."
Does this adaptation mention "God" or "Christ"?
Yes, when carolers sing "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen!"
Does this adaptation include the phrase "God bless us...?"
No.
What does my wife think of this adaptation?
She enjoyed it; in fact, she's the one who recommended it to me!
Where and when does this adaptation take place?
Victorian England and the fictional fishing village of Schooner Bay, Maine, circa 1975
What language and/or dialects are used?
American English.
How closely does this adaptation follow the original novel, by Charles Dickens?This adaptation doesn't follow the original version very well. The story is an episode of the television series "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," starring Hope Lange as Mrs. Muir, and Edward Mulhare as the ghost of Captain Daniel Gregg.
In this episode, Claymore Gregg (Charles Nelson Reilly), is "the Scrooge," refusing to sell Mrs. Muir a Christmas Tree for what she considers a reasonable price. After she leaves his tree lot without buying a tree, Mr. Claymore discovers an abandoned infant in his car, which he decides to leave with Mrs. Muir.
She goes to bed on Christmas Eve, and dreams about a version of herself with Captain Gregg approximately one hundred years prior (circa 1870). She plays the role of the previous Claymore's niece and employee - essentially Fred and Bob in one character. She also ends up with an abandoned infant.
The previous Mr. Claymore goes to bed on Christmas Eve, and is visited by the Voice of the Conscience He Used to Have, instead of any Marley or Ghosts of Christmas. As a result, he becomes a nicer person on Christmas morning.
Still in Mrs. Muir's dream, she receives a present from Captain Gregg in the form of a metal rattle, from the Bay of Tunis, for the baby she has taken in.
Later, her dream ends with a romantic kiss that Captain Gregg shares with her.
Then Mrs. Muir wakes up and soon discovers that the baby has a metal rattle just like (or perhaps the same rattle) as the one in her dream. She also discovers that her maid, Martha (Reta Shaw), Claymore, and her own two children, have had similar dreams. The Ghost of Captain Gregg finally admits that he is the culprit, and that the dreams are his Christmas presents to them.
Claymore has a change of heart, and gives Mrs. Muir a Christmas Tree for free.
Martha also fields a phone call from the local constable, informing her that the mother claimed the baby, whom his brother had mistakenly placed in Claymore's car, and is en route to retrieve him.
The episode ends as Claymore asks the Ghost if the infant in the dreams is his ancestor, and the Captain answers by asking how he could do such a thing to a child, even in a dream.
In this episode, Claymore Gregg (Charles Nelson Reilly), is "the Scrooge," refusing to sell Mrs. Muir a Christmas Tree for what she considers a reasonable price. After she leaves his tree lot without buying a tree, Mr. Claymore discovers an abandoned infant in his car, which he decides to leave with Mrs. Muir.
She goes to bed on Christmas Eve, and dreams about a version of herself with Captain Gregg approximately one hundred years prior (circa 1870). She plays the role of the previous Claymore's niece and employee - essentially Fred and Bob in one character. She also ends up with an abandoned infant.
The previous Mr. Claymore goes to bed on Christmas Eve, and is visited by the Voice of the Conscience He Used to Have, instead of any Marley or Ghosts of Christmas. As a result, he becomes a nicer person on Christmas morning.
Still in Mrs. Muir's dream, she receives a present from Captain Gregg in the form of a metal rattle, from the Bay of Tunis, for the baby she has taken in.
Later, her dream ends with a romantic kiss that Captain Gregg shares with her.
Then Mrs. Muir wakes up and soon discovers that the baby has a metal rattle just like (or perhaps the same rattle) as the one in her dream. She also discovers that her maid, Martha (Reta Shaw), Claymore, and her own two children, have had similar dreams. The Ghost of Captain Gregg finally admits that he is the culprit, and that the dreams are his Christmas presents to them.
Claymore has a change of heart, and gives Mrs. Muir a Christmas Tree for free.
Martha also fields a phone call from the local constable, informing her that the mother claimed the baby, whom his brother had mistakenly placed in Claymore's car, and is en route to retrieve him.
The episode ends as Claymore asks the Ghost if the infant in the dreams is his ancestor, and the Captain answers by asking how he could do such a thing to a child, even in a dream.
Is this adaptation a prequel or a sequel?
No.
Is this adaptation supernatural?
Yes. It's about a ghost with magical powers, similar to Jeannie in "I Dream of Jeannie" and Samantha in "Bewitched."
Is this adaptation "framed"?
Is this adaptation "framed"?
Yes, this version is framed within a modern Mrs. Muir's dream, with a parallel in her modern reality; both the reality and the dream include a Claymore who is a "Scrooge" who reforms.
Is this adaptation a musical?
Is this adaptation a musical?
No.
What songs and/or dances are included?
Music by George Greeley. Carolers sing "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "Silent Night," "Deck the Halls," and "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen!"
How attractive and effective is the visual art?
How attractive and effective is the visual art?
The set and wardrobe are adequate, and typical of the 'Sixties. Edward Mulhare looks a lot like Vincent Price.
How creative and intense are the transitions, especially when "the Scrooge" is taken from one time and/or place to another?
How creative and intense are the transitions, especially when "the Scrooge" is taken from one time and/or place to another?
The transitions are adequate.
What aerial and/or nap-of-the-earth footage is included?
N/A
What use is made of background extras?
(Give specific examples of scenes with adequate or inadequate numbers of background extras.)
What is the most remarkable thing about this adaptation?
For me, the most remarkable thing about this adaptation is that the Ghosts of Marley and Christmas are replaced by the voice of a conscience, which is able to change Claymore's attitude so quickly and easily!
What bonus material is included on the tape or DVD?
What bonus material is included on the tape or DVD?
N/A
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