Ebenezer Scrooge’s fictional gravestone has been plundered in real life by a vandal, who is being sought after by Shrewsbury town’s police. It was used as a movie prop in the 1984 version of A Christmas Carol, making the site at St. Chad’s Church a tourist attraction ever since.
According to town clerk Helen Ball, what is left of the tomb are bits of stone, as it was smashed beyond recognition that one cannot even Ebenezer Scrooge’s name. She is working to replace or repair the stone, as fans of the movie flock to the area as the Christmas holidays approach.
Ebenezer Scrooge’s gravestone was broken into several pieces
West Mercia Police noted that the incident happened between Thursday and Sunday, with photos showing the irreparable damage done as Ebenezer Scrooge’s gravestone was broken into many pieces. Ball hoped the ghosts of past, present, and future from the movie would visit the vandal for poetic justice.
Speaking of ghosts, the gravestone featured in the scene where the ghost of the future showed Ebenezer Scrooge how he would end up if he refused to change from being a greedy boss and friend. It was at that point that Ebenezer Scrooge decided to become a better person.
‘A Christmas Carol’
The mid-’80s adaptation of A Christmas Carol was one of many based on Charles Dickens’s classic of the same title. Director Clive Donner also worked on the 1951 version, where Alastair Sim played Scrooge. Aside from movies, the holiday classic has been retold via musicals, children’s books, and animated versions like The Muppet Christmas Carol in 1992.
The 1984 version stands out for its adherence to Dickens’ original themes and has influenced the latest adaptations like Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell’s Spirited in 2022. The Sean Anders-directed musical focused on the ghost of Christmas present played by Ferrell, who tried to reform a cynical media consultant.