I believe that the rights to this unique and beloved film are still held by the original production entity, ABC.

Which means that the rights owner who is not distributing this gem is...

The Walt Disney Company.

>>"But ... But ... But ...," you sputter, "Who would pay that much for a used VHS copy of an old ABC special?"<<

I.  Do Not. Sputter.  I NEVER sputter.

I have been reading this group for how many years now, and I resent the constant -repeated- implications that I must react to any disagreement in a Jim Hill article by developing a sudden stuttering impairment like Nigel Bruce in the old Sherlock Holmes films.

For the last six months, I am not the only JHM reader to bear this accusation, and I want it known that I make all my protests with care and eloquence.  Let those also on this board who do stand up for their rights.  :)

I hope this someday gets released on DVD--this looks excellent. Disney does have a tendancy to sit on old shows they have the rights on (although, to be far, they're finally releasing classics like The Tick and Darkwing Duck onto DVD)

I first saw SCROOGE as a kid when it played at Radio City Music Hall, and it was the most memorable times ever. The audience loved it. Since then I always considered a cherished part of the season.

$249? sputter  wheeze  gasp  - whoever pays that has money to burn, plain and simple. I'm sure it's a great movie and scary and super-groovy-cool, but I'd rather have 12 regular DVD's. Like I yell at the screen when watching Antiques Roadshow, "get the money in cash, and run!"

I would like to congratulate you, Jim, on getting so far in your series. Now I can only wish that you would "revisit" a certain Star Tours series. Thanks for all of the great things you write for the Disney online community.

Just unpacking the Christmas boxes, and came across my VHS of Williams' "A Christmas Carol."

It's from 1993, an ABC Video release, and bearing the line "© 1972 American Broadcasting Company. All Rights Reserved."

I won't sell it, even for the whacked out prices cited.

Hey everybody.  Its online at Google Video: the entire 24 minutes and 58 seconds.  Enjoy!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8817517652455175582&q=Richard+Williams%27+A+Christmas+Carol

Thanks for that link!  I'm trying to figure out how I've seen this before, being a child of the 80's...hmmm.  Anyway, I was glad to have seen it again!

Smilee might have seen a broadcast airing on the Family Channel/Fox Family during one of the first "25 Days of Christmas" series in the mid-to-late 90s, when they were showing a lot of obscure and seldom-seen Holiday-themed programs.

I saw this special about six years ago as part of one of those cheapie VHS public domain kind of tapes you find at K-mart.  If memeory serves me it had a couple of Fliesher Brothers Christmas cartoons and then this masterpiece came on.  I remember being shocked seeing the names Chuck Jones and Richard Willimas in the opening credits.  When it was over I remember thinking that I had just seen one of the best versions of the Christas Carol.  I'm willing to bet that this is in the public domain.  It sure would be nice to see a pristine DVD of this Academy Award winner.

Mahwonic7:  I'm almost ready to put up a few bucks and take that sucker bet.  It is NOT going to be Public Domain, except by gross accident - this is Disney (who now owns ABC) we're talking about here!

 Disney, where every time Mickey Mouse (as 'Steamboat Willie') even gets /close/ to having the Copyright time limit lapse, they get Congress to extend the limit out another ten or twenty years again.

--<< Bruce >>--

Disney cartoons in public domain include "The Mad Doctor", "Minnie's Yoo Hoo", "Hooked Bear", "Suzie the Little Blue Coupe" and "The Cookie Carnival", as well as most of the government-sponsored WWII propaganda 'toons.  Prior to the law changing, copyright holders had to send in a form and a small payment to renew their copyrights.  Sometimes, oversights happened.  Or a copyright wasn't considered valuable enough to go to the trouble of renewing.  

The reason you don't see the Disney stuff on dollar DVDs that much is that Disney's lawyers file nuisance lawsuits.  Whether the suits have merit or not, you still have to defend yourself in court, and when you're selling $1 DVDs, that doesn't leave a big legal defense fund.  Easier to just stick with Superman and Herman & Catnip.

There are also cases where the copyright wasn't filed properly in the first place.  A PD outfit would be on very shaky legal ground releasing one of these, but that hasn't stopped some of them (Rankin-Bass's "The Hobbit" for instance).

Then again, the public domain guys aren't always all that careful about checking.  I don't know what the status of this "A Christmas Carol" is.