There have been a heckuva lot of Scrooges through the years, some more entertaining than others.

We’ve tracked down a few of the more unusual Scrooge portrayals for you…

First, the oldest Ebenezer was… A ROCK?

Turns out the word “Ebenezer” comes from Hebrew and is actually two words pronounced together: Even Haazer. It is usually transliterated as a proper name by dropping the definite article (Ha) from the Hebrew word for “place” (Ezer) and putting it together with the Hebrew word for “stone” (Even) to create: “Ebenezer.” The etymological roots of the word, thus defined, should demonstrate that an “Ebenezer” is, literally, a “Stone of Help.” The Biblical Scripture reads as follows:

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; for he said, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’ So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel; the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The towns that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.” (1 Samuel 7:12-14 NRSV)

Who knew?

Okay, now a contest for Sexiest Scrooge ever…

Was it Tori Spelling in the Hallmark Made-for-TV-Movie A Carol Christmas?
Or was it Michael Caine in The Muppet Christmas Carol?
Maybe Vanessa Williams in A Diva’s Christmas Carol?

Nope. Its gotta be always a bridesmaid never a daytime Emmy award winner Susan Lucci in another Made-for-TV movie, Ebbie.

Best animated interpretation of Scrooge? Well, Scrooge McDuck is the obvious frontrunner, though why a stingy miser is automatically Scottish in cartoon land is beyond me. He’s got stiff competition though, from the likes of Mr. Magoo, Oscar the Grouch and Cosmo G. Spacely. I won’t count the Simpson’s Mr. Burns, because, well, his whole character is basicly just Scrooge with a nuclear reactor and a strangely homoerotic relationship with his Bob Cratchit (aka Smithers).

But the real winner (for sheer complexity) might be Jim Carrey, whose 2009 release of an animated 3D Motion capture Christmas Carol will feature him playing Scrooge at all ages, plus playing all of his own ghosts. Any Scrooge that takes the trouble to haunt himself wins the prize in my book.

Top stage Scrooges?

Seymour Hicks, who played the role literally thousands of times, and starred in two film versions, one in 1913 and one in 1935.

John Barrymore, who filled in on the radio for his brother Lionel, when he got sick one year. Lionel had made quite the regular gig of playing Scrooge on the airwaves in the ’30s.

Star Trek Captain (and Shakespearean actor) Patrick Stewart, developed and performed a one man stage version of A Christmas Carol in ‘91.

And even nerdier than that, Brent Spiner was the lucky chap to play Scrooge on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Can android Scrooges be redeemed if they don’t have souls? And are the ghosts just bugs in his computer program? We’re getting into some sticky metaphysical ground here, so I’ll just leave you with this one last thought.

Mime Scrooge. Yes, even Marcel Marceau took a crack at old Ebenezer. Now that’s a vision that might keep me up at night…

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