Jack Diamond explains: “Back in my day, if you wanted information from a stoolie, you’d just hang him up on a coat rack and threaten to fill him full of hot lead if he didn’t squeal!”

Agatha Preakness has a special request as International Association of Mystery Solvers’ President Nathan Wimberly looks on: “A nice bowl of guacamole would be just ducky.”

Foster Holmes reacts to Claudette Pindu after she tells him how much she admires him and it changes her tune quickly: “Honestly Foster, you make me so mad I could . . .”

The undertaker’s woman shows the laundress her loot: “Here! A pencil case, velvet inside. A pair of sleeve buttons and a beautiful necktie brooch. There!”

Scrooge looks on in dismay as three hags peddle his belongings to Old Joe. The laundress explains, “If he'd a wanted to keep anything after he was dead, the mean ol’ screw, why wasn't he natural about it when he was alive?”

Detective Dirk Bungler introduces himself to Chef Jeanine: “Do you know me? No? Would you like to?”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Chef Ramon sets the record straight with Nick: “Have you any idea where I’ve worked and who I’ve worked for?”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Hadley replies to Desmond’s revelation that his Aunt Eleanor is repairing her face: “In the time it takes to repair that face, you could build a pyramid!” 

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

The “good” Darby reminds Eleanor: “I’m your only granddaughter, Grandma. Your only young and cute living heir to your obscenely large fortune.” 

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Maggie reveals what occurred during a late-night visit from Desmond: “Once he satisfied himself, he left in tears.” 

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Has Tommy cracked the case? “I’ve been in the office watching a video feed. I know who the killer is!” 

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Clerk Bob Cratchit looks on with interest, but Scrooge pays little attention to his nephew Fred’s defense of Christmas: “Though Christmas has never put a scrap of gold in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good and will do me good and I say God bless it!”

Scrooge sits down for dinner prior to receiving an unexpected visit from his former business partner: "Gruel, not particularly tasty, but the price is right."

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Scrooge is unfazed as the business woman makes her pitch: “We are endeavoring to raise a fund to buy the poor some meat and drink and means of warmth since workhouses furnish little cheer to the multitudes. What shall I put you down for?”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Scrooge’s dinner of gruel is interrupted by a cacophony of bells followed by moaning and a rattling of chains: “What’s that? It sounds like . . . ghosts? Humbug! I don’t believe it!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)\

Things go from bad to worse as Scrooge's fears are confirmed. It is, indeed, a ghost and a familiar one at that: “In life, I was your partner, Jacob Marley. I am here tonight to give you a solemn warning. You have only one chance of escaping my fate.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

The first spirit to visit Scrooge is The Spirit of Christmas Past and her bright shining light: “The light I bring you is bright, for it must see into very dark places. This is all but a shadow of what once was. We are invisible and none will know of our presence.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

The Spirit of Christmas Past shows Scrooge a vision of himself as a young man on Christmas Eve with his boss, Old Fezziwig. Fezziwig plays a joke on Scrooge: “Well, sir, I will tell you this. You will not go home tonight! You will stay right here in this office!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

The Spirit of Christmas Present introduces Scrooge to the family of his clerk, Bob Cratchit. Gillian Cratchit heralds the coming of the goose even though, as the Spirit reveals, “It is the size of one scrawny chicken.” 

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

The Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come shows Scrooge a vision of Old Joe and three hags divvying up a dead man’s belongings: “Spirit, I own things like that. This poor man so robbed of everything, who was he? Merciful heaven, is it me?”  

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Who killed Scrooge? Nephew Fred is a suspect to the tune of “Your Cheatin’ Heart:" 

A stake through your heart will do you in

And your fortune will go to your next of kin.

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

After Scrooge sees the light, a surprise visit from Santa Claus allows him to realize a childhood wish . . . on Santa’s lap, no less: “Santa, can I have my picture taken with you?”

(Photo courtesy of Chef Jeanine DiMenna.)

Candi can't bear to look as her father Rick sings “At the Copa” with grandma Cathi as his backup dancer . . . unbeknownst to him: “I wanna live! I wanna be a Vegas showgirl!”  

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Chief Wooden Nickel and Princess Wanna Wampum discuss the scam they have devised to bilk Rick out of his casino: “Until we get what we want, let’s keep up the Hollywood Indian charade. It plays to our advantage.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Rick is not impressed despite the pitch the Croc Chaser delivers for him and his snake: “Maybe Cleo and I could put together a little show for you. Sort of a reptilian Sigfried and Roy!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Rick’s lawyer takes up the cause for Native Americans everywhere . . . or at least two in particular: I, Dudley Wadsworth III, Esquire, will champion your cause! I will take on Rick, Lola, and everyone else to make sure you and your tribe are not stripped of what’s rightfully yours. 

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

The Portobello sisters let it all hang out when they reveal thaeir mission as members of No Dice: “We’re a national organization determined to keep senior citizens out of the casinos! We’re tired of you luring senior citizens into your casinos and getting them to spend their entire social security checks with false hopes of striking it rich!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Chief Wooden Nickel sizes up Chef Jeanine to be his assistant when he celebrates scamming Rick out of the Pocono Royale Casino: “Chief Wooden Nickel sizes up Chef Jeanine to be his assistant when he celebrates scamming Rick out of the Pocono Royale Casino: “We must celebrate. We must perform Native American victory dance! Me need some help from the audience for performance of dance!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Lola reveals that after all they've been through, she's still in love with Rick: "When I saw you again, my heart melted like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup on the radiator of a Rolls Royce. You’re the only guy for me, and I think if we give it one more chance, there’s hope for us." 

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

As Editor of the Sold Most Gazette, Devin Morton has notes that come in handy when solving the crime: “Earlier today, I asked Stella for their address and contact information and she wrote it down here. Notice how the “P” in “Portobella” is shaped like a mushroom.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Ronald Frump has the Princess at a loss for words when he reveals their plan to Rick: “I knew you’d fail with your clumsy attempt at running this place. I have to keep it going until I’m ready to take over and I have just the person to take charge until then, right Princess?” 

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Diane is unimpressed, but her boyfriend Jack is starstruck when he enters the hallowed halls of the legendary rock club. “Do you feel it, Diane? The history, the legend . . . this is the famous My Father’s Place: the rock-and-roll palace of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Imagine if these walls could talk: the tales they could tell!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

When Simon Fraud arrives and introduces himself as the guest of honor, manager John assumes he is Rick Dagger and is surprised how much he has changed over the years: “Ah yes. I see the error you have made. No, I am not Rick Dagger. But I am responsible for his return to the public eye. You see, he is the first person to successfully complete my soon-to-be-famous RRTP.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

It’s no surprise to Sugaree that Sweet Bonnie is not enthused about coming all the way from San Francisco to attend Rick Dagger’s return to public life: “You’re still angry about what he did to you in 1979 . . . or more precisely, what he didn’t do to you. Not once, not twice, but three times, Rick turned down your advances after that show in Tupelo.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

“Heat” from 35 years prior resurfaces when Sugaree “reminds” Gina Burner why she is surprised to see her at Rick’s event: “That duet the two of you had planned was going to be your big break. And it probably would have been if he didn’t have his breakdown and drop out of civilization to become a recluse 24 hours before the recording session.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Rick’s wife Dolly arrives and confuses John when she welcomes him. She then corrects him when he assumes her name is Dolly Dagger: “I’m Dolly and I’m Rick Dagger’s wife, but I’m not Dolly Dagger. I’ve kept my maiden name for all of my 13 marriages. Yes, 12 times a widow, but that’s how it goes.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

After Simon drags Rick kicking and screaming into the room, he uses his Recovering Recluse Treatment Protocol to calm him with hypnosis: “Repeat after me: The forecast is for not a cloud in the sky. Everything is bright and sunny. And if I can get through this Return-to-the-Public-Eye Tour, we’ll all be in the money.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

John leads a Q & A session with Rick and listens intently as Rick answers Jack’s question about what he ate during 35 years of not leaving his home or interacting with anyone: “Mostly food from my in-door garden. And I also stocked up on TV dinners so between that . . . oh, and peanut butter and spam. Most people don’t realize it, but the two go great together!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

During his performance, Rick meets his demise and foul play is suspected. Arnold S. Shyster watches as Detective Dirk Bungler questions a guest at the event: “He just contradicted himself. First he said he didn’t know nothing and now he says he does know nothing. This guy’s withholding something: I’ll have him ready to squeal in two minutes or less!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Killer revealed! As the clues unravel, the masked man who sat silently stageside makes a run for it and when he’s caught and unmasked, the audience cannot believe what they see: It was Rick with a shaved head. But how could that be? The mystery is solved when Simon realizes that it is Nick, Rick’s twin brother that nobody but he knew existed. 

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Just like every other day, Ebenezer Scrooge is busy doing calculations at his counting house on the day before Christmas: “Rent, interest, dividend, penalty, penalty, dividend, interest, rent.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

A young girl enters the counting house wanting to sing Scrooge a carol for a penny. Suffice to say he’s not aboard with that plan: “And why you miserable girl would you presume to do that?”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

When Scrooge returns home from work, he is surprised to encounter a ghost who shocks him even further when he reveals the he is a “familiar face:” “In life, I was your partner, Jacob Marley.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

After visits from ghosts of the past and present, Scrooge rightly suspects that the worst is yet to come during the next visit: “Phantom of the Future, I fear you more than any specter I have seen.”  

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

When the Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge a vision of hags pedaling items they’ve stolen from a recently-deceased man to Old Joe, a realization hits: “Spirit, I own things like that.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Emily Cratchit can’t believe what she hears when Scrooge confronts her and her family on Christmas day and appears to be poised to fire her husband Bob: “I am about to . . . raise your salary!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

“A NIGHT OF THE MEEK”

Henry Corwin, who owes $3.80 for six drinks and a sandwich, reaches for the bottle when bartender Bruce takes a phone call, but Bruce catches him: “Santa Claus, I catch you trying that one more time, I’m gonna break both your arms up to the shoulder blades. Now, go on, get out of here.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

“A NIGHT OF THE MEEK”

Henry’s heart bleeds when he encounters two tenement children on the street not only pleading for toys, but also for the things that the privileged take for granted on Christmas: “Oh, please, Santa Claus, a job for my daddy.” “Please, a big turkey for our Christmas dinner."

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

“A NIGHT OF THE MEEK”

Henry arrives for his seasonal job as Santa Claus at a department store an hour late and obviously drunk and slurs his question to the first child in line, Percival Smithers, before falling off his chair: ”And what do you want for Christmas, Percival?”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

“A NIGHT OF THE MEEK”

At the Christmas Eve service at the mission house, Sister Florence is singing and playing the organ as a group of derelict men in attendance listen and sing along: “Joy to the world. The lord is come. Let earth receive her king.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

“A NIGHT OF THE MEEK”

Corwin finds a bag of garbage that magically gives gifts and gets taken to the police station on suspicion of theft. But store manager Dundee finds nothing but garbage and is irritated with Officer Flaherty: “I suppose it is a demanding task to distinguish between a bag full of garbage and an inventory of expensive stolen gifts.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

“A NIGHT OF THE MEEK”

After giving out gifts and wishing he was really Santa Claus so he could do it every year, Henry returns to the alley where he had found the bag and is met by an elf sitting in a reindeer-hauled sleigh: “We’ve got a year of hard work ahead of us to get ready for next Christmas. Come on. Are you ready?”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

“’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS”

In 2019 at the View Grill, the iconic apartment at 328 Chauncy Street comes back to life adorned with a Christmas tree just like it was when Episode 13 of the “Classic 39” originally aired on CBS on December 24, 1999.

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

“’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS”

Trixie tells Alice about the gift that Norton has already given her: “Oh, this isn’t an ordinary orange juice squeezer, this is a statue of Napoleon. You squeeze the orange on Napoleon’s head and the juice squirts out of his ears.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

“’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS”

Ralph comes home with the present he has bought for Alice, but she is adamant about not exchanging presents until Christmas day so he has to hide it. He decides on under the icebox which, by coincidence, is the same place she hid the present she is giving to him.

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

“’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS”

Alice catches Ralph hiding her present and reveals that she has also chosen under the icebox as her hiding place: “There’s a riot. The two of us hiding our Christmas gifts, like we’re a couple kids, and we couldn’t wait to see them until tomorrow. What are you giving me?”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

“’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS”

Norton thinks that the old pan that’s under the icebox is the present Ralph is giving Alice: “You know, it was a smart idea of yours to put that underneath there because in case accidentally if she goes in there and finds it, she’ll just think it’s a pan for under the icebox.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

“’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS”

After Ralph shows Norton the gift he is giving Alice and explains to him that it’s a box to keep hairpins in with a secret compartment for bobby pins, Norton sings its praises . . . perhaps: “I’m telling you, this is something that a girl would not go out and buy for herself.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

“’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS”

Mr. Stevens is leaving for Bayonne to spend Christmas with her sister so she stops by the Kramdens’ apartment with the Christmas present she has for Alice: “Well, what do you say, if we won’t see each other again ‘til after Christmas, we open them now.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

“’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS”

Uncle Leo stops by to give the Kramdens the gift he has for them and Ralph gives him their present for him and invites him to stay until Alice gets home, but he declines: “I got some more stops to make. Tell her I stopped by. Well, merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

“’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS”

After he realizes he was cheated and the gift he got for Alice was the same trifle that Mrs. Stevens had gotten for her, he buys her another one that he’s excited to give her: “And it’s practical, too. You see, you squeeze the oranges on Napoleon’s head, and the juice squirts out of his ears!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

When Evan E.R. Scourge arrives for work at his real-estate brokerage and his clerk, Crockett, informs him that COVID cases are dropping and 66% of the country is already vaccinated, he offers a “unique” take: “Well, that’s good news for sure . . . at least for anyone who owns stock in Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson. But unless they make a vaccine for my wallet, it’s not good news for me!

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Scourge reads a donation seeker the riot act with a touch of sarcasm when she mistakenly calls him Scrooge: “Congratulations, you’ve just earned the distinction of being the 10,000th person to mistakenly call me that name. If you take a good look at your paper, you'll see that my name is spelled S-C-O-U-R-G-E. Anyone with a third grade education would know that S-C-O-U-R-G-E does not spell that name!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Chef Jeanine pays a visit to Evan E.R. Scourge’s real-estate brokerage office with onion-crusted chicken for Scourge and Bob Crockett along with a question for Scourge who has not yet arrived: “I came to speak to him about the rent that’s due. I’m embarrassed to say this, but with business down due to COVID and all . . . well, do you think there’s any chance he will grant me a further extension?”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

After Scourge arrives, he is greeted by his nephew with a big “Good morning!” for his favorite uncle, that falls on deaf ears: “First, I’m your only uncle so if I have earned that distinction, it is by default only. Second, I’ve told you many times: Your lobbying efforts to improve your future prospects are in vain. You’d be better off standing outside with your hat in your hand waiting for money to fall from the sky.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

When donation seekers enter looking for “Mr. Evan E.R. Scrooge,” Crockett knows that Scourge is not going to be pleased . . . and he wasn’t: “Congratulations, you’ve just earned the distinction of being the 10,000th person to mistakenly call me that name. If you take a good look at your paper, you'll see that my name is spelled S-C-O-U-R-G-E. Anyone with a third grade education would know that S-C-O-U-R-G-E does not spell that name.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Bob’s daughter Samantha comes into the office to relay a message from home: “Tim woke up with a sore throat and Mom’s worried. She was going to take him to the doctor, but with our healthcare insurance situation and all . . . well, she wasn’t sure what to do.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

After Bob leaves, Scourge falls asleep and is awakened by a strange visitor who introduces himself as Jacob Marlucci, a fellow “real-estate broker” except not in residential, commercial or industrial : “I deal with accommodations of the eternal variety. It’s more like purgatorial.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Marlucci leaves, but not before making Scourge see the light by reminding him of people who helped him in his younger days: “What have I done. For 35 years, I never thought to do unto others what I would have them do onto me. And indeed, what some people did do for me when I was young.” 

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Scourge vows to change and does so when he sees Chef Jeanine and confronts her regarding the rent deadline: “I was thinking of extending it to January 15th, but I’ve changed my mind. Instead, there is no deadline. Pay it whenever you want! Or don’t pay it at all!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Much like Chef Jeanine, the Crocketts are shocked when they run into Scourge who fools Bob into thinking he’s going to fire him before dropping the bombshell: “I’m going to give you the next week off with full pay and then double your pay when you return!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

In addition to Bob, Scourge turns over his new leaf with Tim: “If you want to be healthy like me when you reach 60, you need nourishment now so I want you to take this money, run straight to Henry’s and buy jumbo-sized Ice Cream Sundaes for you and your whole family!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Manager Steve already had reservations about the yacht club hosting a two-million-dollar anything-goes transatlantic outlaw boat race to Timbuktu sponsored by the mysterious Mr. X. But when he learns that Detective Bungler has been hired to do security at the event, his fears are confirmed.

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Steve explains his trepidation to club lawyer Dewey who assures him that he has everything under control. “We’re getting 100 grand for serving as the starting point for this event, shady or not. I’m a lawyer and lawyers study the law. Therefore, I know specifically how to break it without getting caught.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Commodore Richard M. Lionel declares this a very important event for the club’s future. “After tonight, our club is going to be better than ever and with me at the helm, I’ll go down in history as the man who righted the ship!” He then blows his boatswain whistle for emphasis as wife Leonore looks on unimpressed.

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Commodore Lionel is enraged when Al Donado from Coronado mistakes him for the valet car parker. But his anger turns to shock when he learns that Al is a billionaire who is skipper of “The Big Bravado.” “Where did someone like that get the money to be involved with something like this?” he wonders.

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Unbeknownst to each other, Victoria from England and Angus from Scotland are teammates who have been assigned to sail the UK entrant "The Odd Couple" in the race. They have had problems in the past and when Steve breaks the news to them, the problems resurface . . . and then some!

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Roberto cannot believe it when he realizes that Robbie’s partner is a WWII legend he learned about in school. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were Poseidon Peters, commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet that scored a major victory at the Battle of Midway. He’d have to be 104 years old by now!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Julia tries to explain to Robbie that her boyfriend Roberto is not as bad as he seems. “He’s really a nice guy, but he’s under a lot of pressure to be the best at everything he does. His mother is so overbearing and I think it’s starting to get to him. And then he winds up taking out his frustration on others.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Commodore Lionel registers his objection to Popeye Peters blowing his pipe by blowing his whistle and a battle ensues that has Al Donado running for cover. “What the hells goin’ on? Is it lunchtime or is there a fire around here?  I better go get our keys before this shack goes up in smoke!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

The contestants watch as a video of Mr. X with image darkened and voice distorted plays. The two-million dollars is in a trunk at the finish point and each contestant has a key so that the first to open it will get the money. But Mr. X warns: “If nobody finishes the race, then nobody opens the trunk. And if nobody survives the race, then nobody finishes it.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Mr. X’s warning rings true before race day even arrives. Dewey downplays proceedings as simple fate, but Al disagrees: “That’s easy for you to say, buddy. You’re not one of us entrants with a target on our back. If nobody finishes the race, Mr. X gets back his initial outlay with a million-dollar return. That’s a license to kill if ever there was one!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Other than providing Al with Bourbon, Scotch and Beer, Bruno the Bartender has provided little insight throughout the evening so when he provides commentary indicating considerable knowledge of human physiology, Al is amazed: “And how in the Sam Hill did you know that?”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

With the evening’s proceedings behind them, Robbie and Popeye (formerly, Poseidon) Peters, his Pop Pop and prized partner on the Princess of the Pacific, prepare to exit, but before they do, Popeye gives a prediction regarding the race tomorrow: “I eat my spinach and I race ‘til I finish, I’m Popeye the Sailor Man!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

True to Alice’s word-for-word prediction, Ralph gets home in no condition to accompany her when she visits her mother: “In all of 15 years that I have been driving a bus, this is the worst day I have ever had in my life. Oh. I never thought I’d make it.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Alice doesn’t believe Ralph when he tells her that he has his bus-company physical scheduled for the next morning until he shows her proof. “You think it’s a lie? All right, there’s the card telling me to report at eight o’clock. Maybe you’ll believe me from now on.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

The physical appointment was true, but so was Alice’s belief that Ralph had other plans for the evening. Norton reveals them after she leaves: “Well, Ralphie boy, there, tonight is the night. We take that Bayonne team we’ll be the bowling champs of the whole Racoon Lodge!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Ralph is poised to play better than ever before, but his plan goes awry when Alice returns unexpectedly to get her umbrella and catches him red handed. “Ralph, how could you do such a thing? You knew you were going bowling all the time.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Ralph agrees to skip bowling, but not to go with Alice so she leaves and Norton returns with his own plan: “Herman Gruber has set up a nice victory feed for us. Three kinds of pizza. Pig’s knuckles and sauerkraut. And that Neapolitan knockwurst that you like so much.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Norton’s convinces Ralph to go bowling, but another of Alice’s predictions comes true when he returns home having thrown out his back. “I’m dying. My back is killing me. I got to do something about my back, Norton, before Alice gets here. She’s gonna know I was bowlin’.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Norton’s plan to make Ralph feel better by showing that his temperature is normal also backfires when he takes it and it is not. Indeed, when Ralph questions him as to the temperature the thermometer revealed, he can barely get the words out: “A hundred and eleven!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Ralph wants to verify the 111 temperature, but can’t see the little red line so Norton helps out by doing what he did – putting his lit lighter near the thermometer to illuminate it. This makes Ralph “see the light:” Norton, did you do that when you looked at the thermometer?” 

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

When Alice returns home, Ralph tries to cover up the fact that his back is out. But a visit from Uncle Leo makes this difficult: “Hello, Ralph! Say, I’m mighty glad I don’t have to go back to Utica without saying ‘hello’ to my favorite nephew. Ralph, (while slapping Ralph on the back), it’s good to see you!”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Ralph and Norton devise a plan that will allow Ralph to sleep with a heating pad at Norton’s apartment to alleviate the back pain without Alice knowing. And it works like a charm . . . other than Norton’s sleepwalking travesty getting sidetracked by some fried chicken in the icebox.

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

All’s well that ends well . . . almost. Ralph makes it to work and Alice assumes he did not go bowling at least until Freddy and Charlie stop by to give her his trophy: “Alice, you should really be proud of him. Without him, we couldn’t have won that bowling tournament last night.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

When Ralph returns home, Alice gives him a chance to fess up about the previous night, but no dice. Instead, he insists he would make the same decision again and then repeatedly asks for his dinner to be served. Eventually, she does just that: “Why don’t you start with this?”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Ralph searches for a hiding place for the present he has gotten for Alice before deciding that under the icebox is the perfect location. But as he is sliding it under there, she returns home and catches him in the act: “Ah! You caught me hiding your Christmas gift.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Ralph and Alice share a laugh when she reveals that she has hidden her present for him under the icebox too: “There’s a riot. The two of us hiding our Christmas gifts, like we’re a couple kids, and we couldn’t wait to see them until tomorrow. What are you giving me?”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Ralph exchanges gifts with Norton and with both boxes looking the same assumes that they have each given the other a tie, but Norton promptly sets the record straight: “I didn’t get you no necktie. I bought you a pair of spats.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Fred is disinterested at best when Jeanine tells him that his younger brother Jimmy has just written a book on lucid dreaming: “Well that sure is appropriate. If there was ever a person who was qualified to write about dreaming as opposed to reality, it’s my little brother.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Alice surprises Ralph as he was hiding her present under the icebox and then reveals she had hidden his in the same place. After she tells him, she realizes she’ll have to hide it in another place even though he assures her otherwise: “You don’t have to hide it! I’m no baby, I can wait ‘til tomorrow to see it.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Ralph sends Norton under the icebox to get the gift he is giving to Alice and Norton thinks that the old pan that’s always there is what he is referring to. “You know, it was a smart idea of yours to put that underneath there because in case accidentally if she goes in there and finds it, she’ll just think it’s a pan for under the icebox.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

Alice returns to the apartment as Norton is praising what he thinks is the gift Ralph is planning to give to her and he does all he can to hide it so as to not let the cat out of the bag, but she is persistent: “Oh, come on, Ed, I know you got something behind your back.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

After explaining to Norton that what he thought was the present has always been under the icebox, Ralph shows him the real gift. Norton thinks it’s beautiful despite needing an explanation as to what it is: “What is it? It’s a box to keep hairpins in. See? It’s got a little secret compartment for bobby pins."

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)

When Alice unwraps her present from Mrs. Stevens, his worst nightmare comes true. Indeed, what he thought was a rare item turned out to be just a trifle as he explains after they leave: “Can’t you get it into your head, Norton? I was cheated! Never came from any emperor’s palace.”

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While Ralph and Norton try to figure out a solution for his dilemma, Uncle Leo stops by to offer the Kramdens his Christmas greetings and is given the present that they have for him by Ralph: “Oh, well, I got a little something here for you and Alice for Christmas, too.”

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Ralph’s problem is solved when he opens Uncle Leo’s present and finds a $25 gift certificate until Alice arrives and reveals that she has just seen someone downstairs and he assumes (incorrectly) that the jig is up: “Yeah, he was here. He left us this. ‘Merry Christmas,’ he said. Twenty-five dollar gift certificate.”

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Ralph comes up with yet another plan to raise money to buy Alice a present. When Norton questions him as to what he plans to do, he lays it all out and then puts the wheels in motion: “I’m gonna take the bowling ball, hock it, get the money and buy her a gift. I ought to get $10, $15 for this thing.”

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After Ralph opens Alice’s present and sees that it is a “bowling-bag ball . . . I mean, a bowling-ball bag,” he has to stammer through a response to her request for him to put his ball in the bag to make sure it fits: “I don’t have to do that. They’re all the same size. They all fit in there.”

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Ralph looks on delight as Alice unwraps her gift and says that it is indeed the best present she has ever gotten. He then proudly expounds on its virtues: “Thank you. And it’s practical, too. You see, you squeeze the oranges on Napoleon’s head, and the juice squirts out of his ears.”

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After dinner, Fred takes a nap and dreams he sees one of his all-time favorite TV shows, Episode 13 of the “Classic 39” from 1955 (‘Twas the Night Before Christmas) live and in color. When he wakes up, he’s a changed man: "I can always relive the past in my dreams, but for now, it’s about bringing color to now. And you can’t do that by living in the past.”

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After Scrooge arrives at the counting house, Cratchit informs him that the fire’s gone cold and hints that it’s a cold in the office. Scrooge shows him a piece of coal only to draw it back with a stern explanation: “Coal generates warmth, but it does so by burning so it is temporary and therefore costly. A coat maintains warmth and is permanent at least insofar as anything can be permanent. There will be no more coal burned in this office today. Cratchit, so if you are cold, get yourself another coat!”

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Scrooge’s nephew Fred stops by to wish his uncle a Merry Christmas and invite him for Christmas dinner with his family like he does every year. And Scrooge responds in a similarly familiar manner: “What’s Christmas time to you, but a time for paying bills - without money; a time for finding yourself a year older and not an hour richer. If I had my way, every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.”

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A young boy enters the counting house and offers to sing Scrooge a carol for a penny explaining that he is an orphan who must sing to raise funding for his supper. In response, in lieu of a ruler, Scrooge makes use of a rolled up folder that just happens to be nearby: “Just a little orphan boy all alone, out in the cold, begging, wanting my money. I’ll give you something all right! Hold out your hand, and I’ll give you this! Begging. Christmas. Orphans. Bah, humbug!”

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Scrooge returns home for dinner, but it is interrupted by a visit from an apparition who tells him in life, he was Scrooge’s partner Jacob Marley. Scrooge questions him as to the chains he wears and Marley’s reply is sobering at best: “I wear the chain I forged in life. I made it link by link, and yard by yard. I put it on of my own free will, and of my own free will, I wore it. Your chain was as full and heavy and as long as this one seven Christmas eves ago. You have labored on it since, and it is even longer now.”

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Marley leaves but not before alerting Scrooge to the fact that he will be visited by three spirits, the first of which is The Ghost of Christmas Past who shows him visions of Christmases of his younger days. The first finds Scrooge playing with his friends Orson and Valentine, at the crossroads near the schoolhouse that he attended right before their parents pick them up and bring them home for Christmas: “I lived at the school then. My father. He didn’t want me at home.”

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The next vision the Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge is of young Scrooge having returned to the schoolhouse alone doing his schoolwork and being surprised by a visit from his sister Fan who makes his day when she answers his question as to why she came to visit: “To bring you home. I told father that he couldn’t treat you this way, and he agreed. So come home, with me. We’ll be all together at Christmas and have the merriest time in the world!”

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The Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge visions of him as a young man at the counting house when he was an apprentice working for Mr. Fezziwig, a jolly old man who treated his employees much differently than Scrooge does his: “It’s Christmas Eve, Ebenezer! Yo ho, yo ho! No more work tonight! Up with the shutters! On with the lights! In with the family! In with the neighbors! Let’s have wine! Let’s have music! Let’s have a dance! Hurray! It’s Christmas!”

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At the celebration, Fezziwig introduces Scrooge to his cousin Belle who takes a liking to the young man and they begin a relationship that lasts three years until the next vision, which is of Belle explaining why she must end it: “Your love for me is one thing, but there is another love. It seemed natural at first, but it became passionate, fierce, and consuming, and it is for someone else. She is called Idol. She has slowly displaced me. If she can cheer you in time to come, as I would have tried to do, I will be glad for you.”

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The Ghost of Christmas Present is the next spirit to visit and he shows Scrooge a vision of a party in the present day at his nephew house, the same party Scrooge could have attended if he had accepted the invitation. At the party, his nephew recounts their conversation: “He said Christmas was bah, humbug! And he believed it too! He’s a comical old fellow, but to tell you the truth, no so pleasant as he could be. Nobody knows why. However, his offenses carry their own punishments. He can’t be very happy.”

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The Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge a vision from the future of pawn broker Old Joe buying items from hags who have stolen them from a recently-deceased man. The Laundress’ justification for stealing from this person gives Scrooge food for thought: “If he’d a wanted to keep anything after he was dead, the mean old screw, why wasn’t he natural about it when he was alive? He’d have somebody to look after him when death struck him, instead of lying there gasping out his last, alone all by himself!”

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Scrooge gets more insight into the identity of the man who died when The Ghost of Christmas Future shows him a vision of a conversation being had by Caroline and her husband, a couple who had previously requested and been denied an extension on the deadline for repayment of a loan by an uncaring Scrooge: “Oh! I pray God’s forgiveness! He was a human being and I am sorry. But I am glad to hear it! To whom will our debt be transferred?”

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The final vision that the Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge is one of a Christmas at the Cratchit home with the family somber because they have lost Tiny Tim, the young boy who Scrooge was fascinated with when shown visions from the present. This realization hits Scrooge when Bob laments after reading a verse from the bible: “I wish you all could have gone. It would have done you good to see how green a place it is. I promised him I would walk there every Sunday. My child. My Tim.”

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Following the visits by the Spirits, Scrooge realizes the error of his ways and wonders if it’ too late to change, but decides that it’s better late than never: “Why can I not change what you have shown me? Why show me all this if I am past all hope? I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all year! I will live in the past, the present and the future! I will not shut out the lessons you have taught me!”

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Scrooge sets out to right all previous wrongs and encounters two donation seekers who he shunned in no uncertain terms the day before. They cannot believe their ears when he offers them a generous donation via whisper: “Gentlemen, gentlemen, how do you do? I hope you succeeded in your fundraising for the poor yesterday. Merry Christmas to you both! First, I beg your pardon for my neglect of your cause. Second, will you allow me to donate –“

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After making things right with the donation seekers, Caroline and her husband and his nephew, Scrooge sees the Cratchits and shocks them when he announces that he will raise Bob's salary and then asks to speak to Tiny Tim: “Would you, if your father permits, spend some time with an old man? We might see about that brace, and what can be done to make a better one.”

(Photo courtesy of Gill Associates Photography.)