It's the 30th anniversary of Scrooge, so
we're looking back at the modern Christmas Carol starring Bill Murray.
Here are seven things you didn't know about Scrooge.
Probably.
(Music)
Scrooge starts out with a montage of commercials for
IBC's upcoming Christmas programming.
We see a commercial for a fictitious The Night The Reindeer Died, a movie I so
wish were real.
Bob Goulet's Old Fashioned Cajun Christmas, and a live telecast of
A Christmas Carol featuring the real Solid Gold Dancers as the Scroogettes.
Unfortunately this was the last real life filmed appearance of
the Solid Gold Dancers as their show, Solid Gold,
was cancelled in July the same year Scrooge came out.
At least they made sure they were properly covered.
Fun facts about about Tasty Hoots, Jack McGee improvised the line.
>> You can hardly see them nipples!
>> See, and these guys are really looking!
(Sound) >> Scrooged is full of deep cuts to
Murray's career, that without any context kind of don't make any sense.
For instance,
Frank is harassed at the shelter into doing an impression of Richard Burton.
He does it, and it's remarkably spot on.
>> I am (Inaudible) why are you coming at me homey?
(Inaudible) >> That's because this
a reference to a skit Murray did on SNL in 1975 where he initially imitated Burton.
>> Elizabeth Taylor was not only a very intelligent woman in addition to being
a very talented actress.
But she's also a very hot tomato, if you know what I mean.
(Laugh) >> In the flashback to Christmas past,
Frank reads from a book and says.
>> It says there's a place that you can touch a woman that will make her
bark like a dog.
>> Which is a reference to his characters in Caddyshack.
>> Come on, bark like a dog for me.
>> And Ghostbusters.
>> She barks, she drools, she claws.
>> Another possible Caddyshack reference,
the golf ball that appears in his drink could be a nod to our favorite greensmen.
So, you know, that reference has that going for it.
(Sound) This film was a come-back of sorts for
Bill Murray, who had taken a four year break after Ghostbusters and
a brief appearance in Little Shop of Horrors.
>> Emphasizing that, promos marketed Scrooged as Murray's return to playing
against ghosts, except instead of one ghost, he's dealing with three.
It was then later changed to quote something from the film instead.
>> It is important to remember the true meaning of Christmas.
>> At the end of the film, Murray, who famously improvises his lines shouts.
>> Feed me Seymore, feed me.
A line from Little Shop Of Horrors, in which he played Steve Martin's patient.
(Sound) Comedian Sam Kinison was considered for
the role of Ghost of Christmas Past, but David Johansen from the New York Dolls
ended up getting the role since he was a close friend of Bill Murray.
David Johansen also had a short gig as the guy who sang Hot, Hot,
Hot, a Buster Poindexter video that Bill Murray also appeared in.
But to make matters worse for Sam Kinison, rival Bobcat Goldthwait booked the role
of Elliott Loudermill, making Scrooged a real oh-for-two kind of deal for Kinison.
(Sound) Carol Kane plays the kooky,
unpredictable and all up in your face Ghost of Christmas Present.
Appearing to Frank as a fairy in a Wizard of Oz like vision.
In a nod to the classic film the Ghost of Christmas Presents says.
>> I'm a little muddled!
>> When she first meets Frank.
Just as Glenda the good witch says when first she meets Dorothy.
(Laugh) Well, I'm a little muddled.
>> Kayne's Ghost of Christmas Present was anything but
Glenda the good witch, though.
As Frank and Bill Murray take quite a bit of physical abuse.
Kane accidentally ripped a piece of tissue, that connects the lip to the gums,
and production actually had to stop for a few days while Murray recovered.
(Sound) Scrooged is definitely a family
affair as all Murray brothers make an appearance in the film.
Brian Doyle Murray plays Frank's father, Earl Cross.
John Murray plays Frank's brother James.
And Joel Murray plays the guest at James's party,
which I guess makes him Bill's least favorite brother.
(Sound) Frank Cross exhibits his terrible
Christmas spirit early on, heckling a group of street musicians.
>> Great, rip off The Hicks, why don't you?
Did you learn the song yesterday?
Sweet.
>> A quartet made up of none other than Miles Davis, Larry Carlton, David Sanborn,
and Paul Shaffer.
Shaffer who was, of course, David Letterman's band leader for many years,
was also a band member on SNL.
He played musicians in sketches that involved singers or other music,
such as Bill Murray's lounge singer.
(Music)
>> That's all we have for this episode of Things You Didn't Know, but
let us know in the comments if you wish the live version of A Christmas Carol with
Mary Lou Rhetton as Tiny Tim should've been a real thing.
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