Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol

Name: Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
Released: 1962
Duration: 52 min

61/100Festive FactorWhy it scores 61 ↓

Not BBFC rated52 min
Family · Animation

The first animated Christmas special made for American television wraps Dickens in a stage show, with a…

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The CineClaus Christmas score

Festive Factor

Christmas all the way through.

Five ingredients make the Festive Factor.
Open an ingredient to find out more.

Christmas in the storyChristmas drives it, firmly.25/30

What we ask: Take Christmas out. Does the plot survive? Worth up to 30 of the 100 points.

A world dressed for ChristmasVisibly Christmas for about half.10/20

What we ask: How much of the running time is visibly Christmas? Worth up to 20 of the 100 points.

The little seasonal details2 of the 10 kinds of Christmas icon we count turn up on screen.3/15

What we ask: How many kinds of Christmas icon turn up on screen: trees, lights, snow, carols and the rest? Worth up to 15 of the 100 points.

A Christmas heartHow far the ending rests on goodwill, family and belief: entirely.20/20

What we ask: Does the ending depend on what Christmas means: goodwill, family, redemption, belief? Worth up to 20 of the 100 points.

A returning traditionNiche at Christmas (under 25,000).3/15

What we ask: Is it actually watched at Christmas in the UK? Worth up to 15 of the 100 points.

67/100

Cosiness Rating Rating

Warm in tone. Moderate threat. A happy ending.

How we score →

What do these scores mean?

Festive Factor measures how Christmassy a film is. Five ingredients add up to 100: story (30), setting (20), seasonal details (15), emotional heart (20) and returning tradition (15).

Cosiness is a separate score for warmth of tone, sense of safety, visual comfort, a reassuring ending and how easily you can settle into it.

How the Festive Factor works →

The story

About Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol

A short-sighted old man takes the lead in a Broadway musical of Dickens's ghost story, and the show plays out around him. His Scrooge is visited on Christmas Eve by three spirits who show him what he has missed and what is coming. The songs come from the team behind Gypsy, and the retelling follows the book closely.

The CineClaus verdict

The first animated Christmas special made for American television wraps Dickens in a stage show, with a short-sighted old actor as the miser. The story is told straight and quickly, and the Jule Styne songs are bright if a few too many.

The spirit of the future is properly eerie, so mind younger viewers. The miser's turn on Christmas morning still lands, and it is all over in under an hour. Niche in Britain, but a gentle, tuneful way into the story.

The family desk

Can the kids watch?

Not BBFC rated

Our take: fine for most children, though the silent spirit of the future, the grave and the pawn shop scene may unsettle under-sixes.

Content advice & accessibility

Not BBFC rated: The BBFC has no classification for this film, so it has no UK certificate. Our age guidance above is editorial, not an official rating.