Released in 1988 and directed by Richard Donner, Scrooged stars Bill Murray as self-centered TV exec Frank Cross, who gets taught a few life lessons with the help of three Christmas ghosts. The film is a hilariously demented take on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and is mandatory holiday viewing for many of us. Still, perhaps there are a few things you may not know about the film. Let’s begin!
“It’s Christmas Eve! It’s…the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer, we smile a little easier…we cheer a little more.”
1Bill Murray’s Return
After the wild success of Ghostbusters in 1984, Bill Murray took a hiatus from starring in films. In 1989, the actor told Starlog Magazine that he enjoyed his break but said, “when I wanted to work, the scripts were just not good.” Although Murray eventually agreed to take on the role of Frank Cross, that doesn’t mean he was entirely satisfied with the script. He went on to tell Starlog, “We tore up the script so badly that we had parts all over the lawn. There was a lot I didn’t like. To remake the story, we took the romantic element [Frank’s relationship with his former girl friend, Claire, played by Karen (Starman) Allen] and built that up a little more. It existed in the script’s original version, but we had to make more out of it. The family scenes were kind of off, so we worked on that.”
So, did Murray finally get the film he wanted after so many changes? Well…yes and no. While talking with Roger Ebert (who notoriously gave the film a 1-star rating) in 1990, he explains, “That could have been a really, really great movie. The script was so good. There’s maybe one take in the final cut movie that is mine. We made it so fast, it was like doing a movie live. He [director Richard Donner] kept telling me to do things louder, louder, louder. I think he was deaf.”
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2Can’t Hold Murray Back
“You don’t direct Billy, you pull him back,” admitted Richard Donner. Along with tearing through the script, Bill Murray didn’t refrain from improvising some of his scenes. During the big finale, in which Frank admits on national television that he has seen the light, the actor ignored position markers, went over-the-top with his emotional performance, and added lines, including breaking the fourth wall. Donner was so angry, he reportedly asked, “What was that? The Jim Jones hour?” and punched writer Michael O’Donoghue in the arm.
Murray wasn’t the only ad-libber on the set, as Jack McGee (playing a carpenter) added during the great nipple debate: “You can hardly see them nipples.”
3Carol Kane Packs a Punch
Although Carol Kane’s Ghost of Christmas Present is a small-voiced, petite fairy, she never misses an opportunity to physically assault Frank. The violence between the two was very real, which at times made Kane a bit emotional. Still, it was undoubtedly Bill Murray who got the worst of it, saying, “She really hurt me, but it was my idea to be physical and it was her idea just to hit me as opposed to – pulling the punches.” When asked if the two actors would ever share the same screen again, he replied, “Over my dead, lifeless body.”
4Lee Majors Packs Serious Heat
The promo for the Lee Majors-starring film within the film The Night the Reindeer Died is one of the most memorable Scrooged moments. (And one of the most quotable.) The minigun used by Majors is the same prop used by Jesse Ventura in Predator (1987) and Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). Apparently, the prop wasn’t cheap plastic, either, with Majors telling A.V. Club, “I was a lot stronger then, and I could hardly hold it up, it was so heavy. It was a real thing!”
“Seven o’clock. Psychos seize Santa’s workshop and only Lee Majors can stop them.”
5Bill Murray Can’t Escape His Ghosts
Considering the last starring role for Bill Murray was Ghostbusters, it is no surprise that Scrooged looked to capitalize on that success. Especially since he is once again dealing with ghosts. Marketing for the film referenced Murray’s Peter Venkman, with the tag line “Bill Murray is back among the ghosts, only this time, it’s three against one.”
6The Solid Gold Dancers’ Final Bow
The Solid Gold Dancers were known throughout the 1980s for their routines on the music television program Solid Gold. The professional dance group appeared in Scrooged as dancers called “the Scroogettes,” but due to Solid Gold getting cancelled a few months before the film’s release, it was here that they made their final appearance.
7The Murray Family Christmas Special
Fans of ’80s and ’90s comedies know that Bill isn’t the only highly recognizable Murray in the family. His older brother, Brian Doyle-Murray, is a fellow SNL alum and has appeared in many beloved favorites, including National Lampoon’s Vacation and Christmas Vacation, Wayne’s World, Groundhog Day, and Caddyshack. Just to name a few. So, it wasn’t a huge surprise when Doyle-Murray made an appearance as Frank’s father, Earl. However, their younger brothers John and Joel are also in the film. John Murray plays Frank’s on-screen younger brother, James, while Joel Murray plays a guest at James’ house.
Hope you enjoyed these 7 facts about Scrooged. And with that…”Have a Merry Christmas, everybody!”
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