Not enough people ever gave this one a chance, but it should be considered one of the better versions of "A Christmas Carol" out there.
Why did it fail? Well, who wanted to see "Fonzie" play Scrooge back in 1979? I must admit that I did not like this movie the first time I saw it either, but it grew on me, as any good movie does. Henry Winkler plays Depression era "Bennidict Slade" (what an inventive American equivalent for "Ebenezer Scrooge"!), a rich businessman that started out as a delinquent orphan that was adopted by a kind man he unwittingly ends up putting out of business in his pursuit of greed. The "Depression Era" skin put on this movie makes it all the more gray, bleak and believable.
One thing that hurt this movie was that it doesn't have as much of a "feel good" ending as the usual "Scrooge" versions, but I rank this one high because it has my absolute favorite ending of any version of the "Scrooge" genre.
Naturally, I can't spoil the ending, only to say that Slade has more fun surprising people with his new found attitude, knowing just how shocked everyone will be, than any Scrooge movie I've seen. It makes a fun difference. And his surprise for "Tiny Tim", very well done.
One annoying distraction, the "Ghost of Christmas Future" is portrayed by a black man wearing gold chains, dressed in 1979 fashions and listens to disco music. Their "Ghost of the Future" jumped a little too far ahead, and is comical by todays standards.
But this is a great version, and if you are bored to death with endless variations of "A Christmas Carol" where you know the story blindfolded, then I highly recommend you give this one a chance. You'll like it as long as you don't try and compare it to A.C.C., looking for places where they changed the story.
