In this Americanized version of The Charles Dickens classic..which takes place in Concord New Hampshire on Christmas eve,1933.."Ben Slade"(played by Henry Winkler)is an insensitive and greedy time payment holder..who forces the citizens of the small New England village to either pay up their loans or lose all of their items. When they can't pay up..they lose all of their assets and he even fires his assistant"Thatcher"for trying to get his boss to reopen the failed  mill to create new industry and jobs for the unemployed workers. But "Slade"soon learns the folly of his ways from the ghost of his late partner"Jack Latham"..who tells him that his cruel nature will be the ruin of him and to prevent his soul from being dammed..he must expects the visits of three more ghosts..that night.."Slade"does receive those visitations..and thru the retelling of his past and seeing tragedy of a lonely and sad death..he learns his lesson and although he doesn't became a happier soul like"Scrooge"..He does learn to deal with people in a better way..This film is a wonderful retelling of the Yultide tale and Mr. Winkler gives his best performance ever.