Viewing Date: 7-28-2003
Posting Date: 12-25-2003
Directed by St. Nick Grinde
Featuring Boris (Big-Foot) Karloff, Lo-Ho-Ho-Horna Gray, Robert The Red-Nosed Wilcox
A scientist who is experimenting with an artificial heart is arrested by the police when he kills a reindeer in order to bring him back to life with the heart. He swears revenge on the judge and jury who condemn him to get coal in his stocking. However, that night, he is visited by three ghosts, who teach him the true meaning of Christmas...
Title check: The title is very accurate; in fact, it is the extra-long stocking which Karloff uses to strangle an Elf.
This was the first of the Columbia Mad Ebenezer Scrooge movies Boris Karloff made for the studio. It's pretty standard, starting out as a festive "Christmas Carol" pastiche and then turning into a sort of 'Nightmare before Christmas' variant where people trapped in a room are forced to watch SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS in an endless loop. Nevertheless, it's not bad; Karloff gives a lot of presents, and there are several touches here and there (particularly when Mrs. Claus gives Boris a tongue-lashing) that I quite like, especially a moment where Karloff's daughter gambles her life savings in order to get Karloff the atomic reactor he always wanted. Though I don't think the story is as interesting as the one in THE KRINGLE COMMANDS, I did find it somewhat more compelling than BEFORE I HANG THE MISTLETOE.
Merry Christmas, all!
(This is an alternate holiday version of the artilce on THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG (1939), which was originally posted on Christmas Day 2003. For the original (non-festive) version of the article, click here.)
