****Excellent***Good**Fair*Poor : VIDEOCASSETTES
“Mickey’s Christmas Carol.” Walt Disney. $14.95. With Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit, Scrooge McDuck as Ebenezer Scrooge and Jiminy Cricket as the Ghost of Christmas Past, this half-hour 1983 cartoon version of “A Christmas Carol” feels like a production mounted by a repertory company of familiar actors. No one really believes Goofy (as Marley’s Ghost) swindled widows and orphans, but it’s fun to see him in this odd role. The popular characters imbue Dickens’ threadbare holiday story with a curious poignancy, and even an old curmudgeon may find himself getting a lump in his throat at the end. Information: (818) 840-1111.
“MGM Cartoon Magic: Alias St. Nick.” MGM/UA. $14.95. This collection features “Peace on Earth” (1939), Hugh Harman’s dramatic parable of the folly of war, and Tex Avery’s “The Peachy Cobbler,” an irreverent send-up of the tale of “The Shoemaker and the Elves.” Also included are “Alias St. Nick” and “The Pups’ Christmas,” two shorts featuring the goggle-eyed cute characters of the mid-’30s. Information: (213) 280-6000. Disney *** 1/2 MGM ** 1/2
More to Read
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.