Tom and Jerry’s Christmas Carol (1970)

Tom and Jerry’s Christmas Carol is a 1970 American animated Christmas musical comedy film based on the Tom and Jerry short film series, produced by Movie Toons Film Distribution, Turner and MGM directed by Sidney Lumet. The film is based on a story by Charles Dickens.

Tom and Jerry’s Christmas Carol was released on November 23, 1970, to generally mixed to positive reviews from film audiences. It was also a commercial success.

Plot
In this adaptation, Jerry plays the role of Bob Cratchit, while Tom portrays Scrooge's employer, Mr. Jingle. The story begins with the miserly Mr. Jingle dismissing the holiday season and showing no compassion for others, much like Ebenezer Scrooge. As Christmas Eve arrives, Mr. Jingle's encounters with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come closely mirror the original story, with Tom and Jerry causing chaos and comedic mishaps along the way.

Throughout the film, Tom and Jerry's playful rivalry and humorous escapades add a lighthearted touch to the otherwise serious themes of redemption and goodwill. Ultimately, Mr. Jingle learns the true meaning of Christmas and undergoes a transformation, embracing the spirit of the season and making amends for his past behavior.

Songs
Original songs performed in the film include:

Release
Tom and Jerry’s Christmas Carol was originally released to theaters on November 23, 1970. The film was released with an exclusive theatrical short titled “Tom and Jerry in: Christmas Crisis”. It was re-released in theaters in 1978 and 1989.

Home media
It was released on VHS in Europe on January 1, 1989, and in the UK in 1993. It was first released on VHS in North America on June 14, 1996, as part of the SparkToon Classics series.

In January 2000, SparkToon Features Home Entertainment launched the Golden Collection, and Tom and Jerry’s Christmas Carol was released on VHS and DVD on December 4, 2000. The DVD contained the film in its 1.33:1 aspect ratio enhanced with Dolby 2.0 surround sound. The Golden Collection release was quietly discontinued in 2007. A new single-disc Special Edition DVD (previously announced as a 2-Disc set) was released on December 5, 2023.

Disney released the film on Blu-ray for the first time on December 5, 2023. The 2-disc Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD combo (both in Blu-ray and DVD packaging) featured a new digital transfer and new bonus material. A single disc DVD edition was also released on the same day.

Box office
By January 1971, Tom and Jerry’s Christmas Carol had earned $13.1 million in box office rentals from the United States and Canada. Overseas, the film became the most popular "general release" movie at the British box office in 1971. The film was the most popular film in France in 1972 and had total admissions of 15.7 million. It is also ranked as the eighteenth highest-grossing of all time in France. The film is the most popular film released in Germany in 1971 with admissions of 14.3 million being the country's eleventh highest-grossing film. By the end of its initial theatrical run, the film had earned domestic rentals of $17 million and $19 million in foreign countries, for a worldwide rental of $30 million.

The film was re-released to theaters in the United States on November 22, 1978, where it grossed an additional $18 million and again on July 11, 1989, where it grossed $17 million. The film grossed $38 million worldwide from an international re-release in 1994, including $11 million in France.