Connection to the previous post (LETHAL WEAPON): Richard Donner directed both films.
Ratings: IMDB ― 7.0/10, Rotten Tomatoes ― 68%, ME ― 72%
Frank Cross: I get it now! Then if you GIVE, then it can happen, then the miracle can happen to you! It's not just the poor and the hungry, it's everybody's who's GOT to have this miracle! And it can happen tonight for all of you. If you believe in this spirit thing, the miracle will happen and then you'll want it to happen again tomorrow. You won't be one of these bastards who says 'Christmas is once a year and it's a fraud', it's NOT! It can happen every day, you've just got to want that feeling. And if you like it and you want it, you'll get greedy for it! You'll want it every day of your life and it can happen to you. I believe in it now! I believe it's going to happen to me now! I'm ready for it! And it's great! It's a good feeling, it's really better than I've felt in a long time. I, I, I'm ready. Have a Merry Christmas, everybody.
[Calvin steps forward]
Frank Cross: Did I forget something big man?
Calvin Cooley: [nods, speaks his first words in five years] God bless us, everyone!
Bill Murray as Frank Cross and Nicholas Phillips as Calvin Cooley
When the Ghost Of Christmas Present (Carol Kane) grabbed Bill Murray's lip she tore his lip so badly that filming was halted for several days.
Jack McGee ad-libbed his line "You can hardly see them nipples."
All of Bill Murray's actor brothers ― John Murray, Joel Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray ― make appearances in this film.
At the end of the movie, when everybody is singing "Put a little love in your heart", Frank (Bill Murray) says (among many other things): "Feed me, Seymour!" This is a reference to Little Shop of Horrors (1986), in which Murray has a small part.
Carol Kane would get upset at having to "rough up" Bill Murray in their scenes together.
Sam Kinison was originally slated to play the part of The Ghost of Christmas Past. The part eventually went to David Johansen due to his friendship with Bill Murray.
The trivia game played by Frank's brother is "what's the name of the boat on Gilligan's Island (1964)?" Director Richard Donner was one of the original directors on the show.
When The Ghost of Christmas Present first appears in the movie, she says to Frank Cross, "I'm a little muddled." This is a direct quote from Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz (1939) when she first meets Dorothy in Munchkinland.
On the "Frisbee" show (when Frank is in the dog suit), there is a tree on the set with a heart engraving and "Dick Loves Lauren". Director Richard Donner is married to producer Lauren Shuler Donner.
One of the special appearances in "Scrooged" was that of legendary actor, John Houseman. Sadly, he died on October 31, 1988, less than one month before Scrooged was released in theaters on November 23rd.
The leader of the street carolers insulted by Bill Murray is Paul Shaffer. The others are Miles Davis, David Sanborn and Larry Carlton.
Four copies of Pablo Picasso's 1942 painting "Woman with an Artichoke" were made for a scene that was never shot. Three were given to crew members: director Richard Donner, production designer J. Michael Riva and original cinematographer Conrad L. Hall. Mel Gibson somehow got the fourth.
The character name Calvin Cooley is a reference to President Calvin Coolidge who was known as a man of few words.
According to Wikipedia, "although the DVD had been available for some time, Paramount decided upon a special edition release titled the 'Yule Love It! Edition'. Announced for October 31, 2006, it was recalled for unknown reasons".
Playing the Scroogettes were the Solid Gold Dancers whose American TV show had been canceled by the time the picture debuted stateside.
The movie was the second ghost picture comedy that star Bill Murray) made. Wikipedia states, "the film was marketed with references to Ghostbusters (1984) which had been a great success four years earlier. In the USA, the tagline was, "Bill Murray is back among the ghosts, only this time, it's three against one".
Charles Dickens' 1843 novella "A Christmas Carol" is only ever referred to under the title of "Scrooge" in this movie but in the closing credits it is named under its main and original title of "A Christmas Carol".
The Ghost of Christmas Past's cab belongs to the Belle Cab Company. Belle is the name of Scrooge's first love in the Dickens novel the story is loosely taken from.
The 13th highest grossing film of 1988 at the American box-office stateside with a total of just over US $60 million.
Director Richard Donner directed this 1988 picture sandwiched between directing two "Lethal Weapon" movies, they being 1987's Lethal Weapon (1987) and 1989's Lethal Weapon 2 (1989).
When Bill Murray crashes onto the stage after seeing frozen Herman, director Brice calls him joker, in reference to Bill Murray's consideration a to be the villain in 1989's Batman.
Michael Chapman replaced Conrad L. Hall as director of photography. Hall was the film's original cinematographer who was allegedly fired after about five days into filming.
The movie, a spoof version and modernized adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, was made and released about 145 years after Dickens' source novella had been first published in 1843.
The names of the Christmas television shows from the IBC Network of which clips were shown were "Scrooge", "Father Loves Beaver", "The Night the Reindeer Died" and "Bob Goulet's Old Fashioned Cajun Christmas". The network's promotional slogan for these TV shows was "Yule Love It!".
First of two ghost movies that actress Alfre Woodard appeared in within about five years. The second picture was Heart and Souls (1993).
The movie was cast with two veteran actors in small roles. They were Robert Mitchumand John Houseman.
When Frank (Bill Murray) throws water on the waiter he sees burning, he says, "I'm sorry. You know I thought you were Richard Pryor." This is a reference to an event in Pryor's life when, high on cocaine, the comedian accidentally caught himself on fire and ran down a busy street in LA.
First of two consecutive "ghost" pictures in two consecutive years for star Bill Murray who would in the following 1989 year co-star in Ghostbusters II (1989). Murray had starred in Ghostbusters (1984) about four years earlier.
First of two consecutive back-to-back "ghost" pictures for cinematographer Michael Chapman who in the following 1989 year shot Ghostbusters II (1989).
Keith Haring's "Free South Africa" poster is seen in a few background shots as it is in Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), also directed by Richard Donner.
The film is dedicated to Robert Scaife, Anne Ramsey and Roger M. Rothstein.
One of the final films of actress Anne Ramsey and the final film of both unit production manager and associate / executive producer Roger M. Rothstein and art department set construction coordinator Robert Scaife.
There were five Christmas Ghosts in the movie. They were the following: The Ghost of Christmas Past (David Johansen), The Ghost of Christmas Present (Carol Kane) and The Ghost of Christmas Future (Robert Hammond, uncredited). The Christmas Ghosts on the TV Show "Scrooge" were The Ghost of Christmas Past (Pat McCormick) and The Ghost of Christmas Future (Chaz Conner).
The movie was filmed during December 1987 and January, February, March and April 1988.
The movie's "Scrooged" title is a spoof and play-on-words of the last name of the Ebenezer Scrooge character from Charles Dickens 1843 novella "A Christmas Carol" which suggested this modern adaptation parody . "Scrooge" has also been an aka title of that work.
The following received a 'Special Appearance' credit: Lee Majors, Mary Lou Retton,Jamie Farr, Robert Goulet, John Houseman, Buddy Hackett, Pat McCormick and Brian Doyle-Murray.
Cameo ―
Miles Davis: As a street musician.
Brian Doyle-Murray: As Earl Cross, Frank (Bill Murray)'s father.
John Forsythe: As Lew Hayward, the ghost of Frank (Bill Murray)' s former boss.
Paul Shaffer: As a street musician.
Lee Majors: As himself, in the TV show "The Night the Reindeer Died".
Steve Kahan: Director Richard Donner's cousin plays a worker in the control room at the end of the film.
Michael O'Donoghue: One of the film's writers as a priest.
Mitch Glazer: One of the film's writers as a guest.
Pat McCormick: As the TV Ghost of Christmas Past.
Larry Carlton: As a street musician.
Buddy Hackett: As himself / Ebenezer Scrooge in the TV show "Scrooge".
Jamie Farr: As himself / Jacob Marley.
Mary Lou Retton: As herself / Tiny Tim.
David Sanborn: As a street musician.
John Houseman: As himself, hosting the TV show "Scrooge".
Director Cameo ―
Richard Donner: A worker in the control room at the end of the film.
From IMDB and Wikipedia.
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