While it's not my favorite version of the Dickens classic, it is worth watching. I love Henry Winkler, however watching him play the role of Scrooge doesn't really work for me. That is my only drawback with this 1979 classic. Playing a mean, grumpy man just does not suite what I'm use to. However I do like the subtle changes in the story line.

Oh dear, take the title of a Charles Dickens classic and insert the word 'American' so that you can take every liberty possible with the story. Only a passing resemblance to the original story, some very unconvincing ghosts and characters that, to be honest, you don't care about. If Slade had difficulty in identifying each o the ghosts, from his dead partner through to Christmas past, present and future, then he has an easier job than the viewer. None of the characters resemble in any way any characters in the book, there are no revelations and little, if any, emotion.Having looked at the past, present and future, why would Slade (Scrooge) bother having a redemption? The worst version of this story that I have ever seen.

I saw An American Christmas Carol when it was first broadcast in 1979, and thought it amazing, as good an any other Christmas movie out there. As a young teenager, I had no idea at the time of its poor reception, and was incredibly disappointed to find it did not become a tradition, and faded out of memory. Thanks to modern technology I was able to get the film of DVD and have seen it every Xmas for the last decade, and enjoy it more with each viewing. I still think it is as good as anything out there, and considering it an American Christmas classic, along with A Christmas without Snow, The Gathering, and -- the much more famous -- A Christmas Story. All of these films capture the Christmas spirit with a very unique old-fashioned American charm, and are as important to my Christmas celebrations as Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

Not enough people ever gave this one a chance, but it should be considered one of the better versions of "A Christmas Carol" out there.Why did it fail? Well, who wanted to see "Fonzie" play Scrooge back in 1979? I must admit that I did not like this movie the first time I saw it either, but it grew on me, as any good movie does. Henry Winkler plays Depression era "Bennidict Slade" (what an inventive American equivalent for "Ebenezer Scrooge"!), a rich businessman that started out as a delinquent orphan that was adopted by a kind man he unwittingly ends up putting out of business in his pursuit of greed. The "Depression Era" skin put on this movie makes it all the more gray, bleak and believable.One thing that hurt this movie was that it doesn't have as much of a "feel good" ending as the usual "Scrooge" versions, but I rank this one high because it has my absolute favorite ending of any version of the "Scrooge" genre.Naturally, I can't spoil the ending, only to say that Slade has more fun surprising people with his new found attitude, knowing just how shocked everyone will be, than any Scrooge movie I've seen. It makes a fun difference. And his surprise for "Tiny Tim", very well done.One annoying distraction, the "Ghost of Christmas Future" is portrayed by a black man wearing gold chains, dressed in 1979 fashions and listens to disco music. Their "Ghost of the Future" jumped a little too far ahead, and is comical by todays standards.But this is a great version, and if you are bored to death with endless variations of "A Christmas Carol" where you know the story blindfolded, then I highly recommend you give this one a chance. You'll like it as long as you don't try and compare it to A.C.C., looking for places where they changed the story.