Who is the best Jacob Marley?
Whether you read the book or simply watch A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens every Christmas there is no getting around the point that likely the juiciest role in the whole story is that of Jacob Marley.
Think about it — he’s a mournful, lost, tortured soul suffering through the depths of hell that has come back to torment his former partner and friend. How can any actor resist such a role?
At day #136 in the Countdown to Christmas we have to ask — who is the best Jacob Marley?
We suggest this 1984 version of Jacob Marley played by Frank Finlay, from the production starring George C. Scott as Scrooge:
This is one truly psychotic Jacob Marley. We think it is a good representation of the ghost story Charles Dickens hoped A Christmas Carol would become. You gotta love a guy that can make General Patton crap his pants.
He certainly conveys that Marley is a tortured soul … but his voice sounds like a ranting Dalek!
My favorite Marley is in “The Stingiest Man in Town” (the kinescope, not the cartoon). Robert Weede SINGS his warning to Scrooge: “You Wear a Chain.”
I rather liked Leo G. Carroll in the 1938 version. It is the version I watched as a small child.
Goofy, in Mickey’s Christmas Carol.
Definitely Frank Finlay’s portrayal for me. I’ve seen many versions and this role was made for him. Superb.
Finlay was a bit over dramatic for my taste. I humbly suggest Alec Guinness in Scrooge. His entrance body movements alone leave a lasting impression.
My favorite portrayal of Marley is Jason Alexander’s, from the 2004 musical.
Frank Finlay is my favorite, too (and George C. Scott is my favorite Scrooge). That version came out when I was about 9, and I grew up with it every year, so it definitely has the charm of familiarity about it for me. But I also just love his angst and intensity and sorrow, and his frustration with Scrooge’s nonsense. Finlay leaves it all on the floor. I watch several versions every year, but the 1984 TV movie remains my favorite.