A Christmas Carol
With my ratings & comments.
A Christmas Carol is the perfect way to celebrate the holidays! Here are more than 20 film, animated & radio versions to choose from.
Please note that I am stingy with stars, and try to rate based on criteria more objective than simply "I loved it/hated it"--a movie has to be really outstanding to earn an 8 or higher from me.
May your days be merry and bright: [link]http://stripgenerator.com/strip/456867/thin-man-christmas-eve/[/link]
A Christmas Carol is the perfect way to celebrate the holidays! Here are more than 20 film, animated & radio versions to choose from.
Please note that I am stingy with stars, and try to rate based on criteria more objective than simply "I loved it/hated it"--a movie has to be really outstanding to earn an 8 or higher from me.
May your days be merry and bright: [link]http://stripgenerator.com/strip/456867/thin-man-christmas-eve/[/link]
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- DirectorWalter R. BoothStarsDaniel SmithIt's Christmas Eve. The miser Scrooge and his assistant Bob Cratchit finish their work in the office and go home. When Scrooge is going to open his front door, he sees the face of Marley's ghost in the door knocker. Inside he takes on his night dress, eats his supper, and falls asleep at the table. Marly's ghost shows Scrooge a vision of himself at a Christmas in the past. Then the ghost escorts him to the present Christmas, and the homes and families of Bob Cratchit and Fred, where Scrooge sees Bob and Fred drink to him in his absence. At last the ghost shows Scrooge the Christmas that might be. Here Scrooge has to face his own grave and the death of Tiny Tim. Confronted with this Scrooge regrets his callousness and egoism.The earliest known filmed adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Unfortunately, the final scenes no longer exist. But you can see the 3-1/2 minutes that still survive on the Internet Archive. (not rated out of respect for its venerable age)
[link]http://archive.org/details/ScroogeOrMarleysGhost1901[/link] - DirectorJ. Searle DawleyCharles KentAshley MillerStarsMarc McDermottCharles OgleWilliam BechtelBased on the story by Charles Dickens: Ebenezer Scrooge is well known for his harsh, miserly ways, until he is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, and then by three other spirits.A charming one-reeler (about 11 minutes long) that manages to tell the whole story in highly compressed form. Look for it on the Internet Archive. (not rated out of respect for its venerable age)
[link]http://archive.org/details/AChristmasCarol[/link] - DirectorHenry EdwardsStarsSeymour HicksDonald CalthropRobert CochranEbenezer Scrooge is a mean old miser who wants nothing to do with Christmas. The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come visit Scrooge on Christmas Eve, taking him on a journey into the very spirit and magic of Christmas itself.5/10
Not awful--but not very good either. It simply moves too fast and omits too much to work. The Ghosts are perfunctory, and I found Hicks a bit cartoonish. - DirectorEdwin L. MarinStarsReginald OwenGene LockhartKathleen LockhartAn elderly miser learns the error of his ways on Christmas Eve.7/10
Not as emotionally involving as it should have been--it omits not only Belle, but also the children Want and Ignorance. Owen is fine, if not particularly poignant. I liked Mackay's Fred.
It's a shame that Lionel Barrymore (who had been originally cast) was unable to play the role. The Internet Archive, however, does have a Christmas Eve 1939 recording of Barrymore's annual radio adaptation, narrated by Orson Welles; you can find it here:
[link]http://archive.org/details/CampbellPlayhouseAChristmasCarol12241939[/link] - DirectorArthur PiersonStarsVincent PriceTaylor HolmesPatrick WhyteDickens' classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and three Christmas Ghosts that change his perception of life. Narrated by Vincent Price.4/10
Quick (25 minutes), not very authentic (there is not a British accent to be found), and minimalist (a bearded Vincent Price reads the scene transitions to us from a cozy living room set). Don't expect any Victorian holiday atmosphere. For some reason, the ghost of Christmas Present reminded me of Superman. An interesting example of early U.S. television, but not a worthy Carol. Available at the Internet Archive.
[link]http://archive.org/details/TheChristmasCarolastoldbyVincentPrice[/link] - DirectorBrian Desmond HurstStarsAlastair SimJack WarnerKathleen HarrisonEbenezer Scrooge, a curmudgeonly, miserly businessman, has no time for sentimentality and largely views Christmas as a waste of time. However, this Christmas Eve, he will be visited by three spirits who will show him the error of his ways.8/10
One of the very best versions. Sim is perfectly cast and really inhabits the character; you will cry when he finally visits Fred's house. There's a true Victorian mood here, too.
What I don't care for are the additions made to Dickens's original, which to me alter Scrooge's character & take up too much time. - DirectorRalph LevyStarsWilliam LundiganMary CostaFredric MarchA mean and miserly proprietor of a counting house in 1840's London is taken by ghosts to Christmas scenes of his youth, contemporary ones involving his family and employee, and lastly, a possible future holiday where he might be dead and forgotten, if he doesn't change his ways.6/10
First-class 1950s television: Fredric March and Basil Rathbone play Scrooge and Marley, respectively. The script is by Maxwell Anderson (who should have given us considerably more of Dickens's own dialogue here), while the music is by Bernard Herrmann (who should have written considerably fewer songs). There's a distinct flavour of Victorian Christmas, with carolers, snow in the streets, steaming roast fowl, dancing.
Much loved by many--but I unfortunately am not among them. - DirectorDaniel PetrieStarsThe Four LadsJohnny DesmondBasil RathboneThis is a musical version of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". Ebenezer Scrooge is given a chance to reform and save his soul. He is visited by 4 ghosts and is shown visions of his past life and the consequences of his life on others.A musical version, broadcast live, starring Basil Rathbone, Vic Damone, Patrice Munsel, and Johnny Desmond.
- 1959– 25m5.5 (72)TV EpisodeDirectorRoss MacKenzieNeil McGuireStarsFredric MarchBasil RathboneAlexander GaugeBasil Rathbone stars as Ebenezer Scrooge in a short television Christmas Carol performance. Spare, but elementally complete, its host, Fredric March, provides connecting narratives between the scenes.7/10
This short version features Basil Rathbone as Scrooge. Narrator Fredric March claims to be speaking from the same room in which Dickens wrote A Christmans Carol. (This is possible but unlikely. The Carol was composed in 1843 at 1 Devonshire Terrace in London; that house was demolished circa 1960. The room March is standing in does, however, resemble the library at Gads Hill Place, Kent, to which the Dickens family moved in June 1857. "Boz" wrote many of his later works there.)
While an inexpensive production, this program was made with care and sensitivity. The camera moves around; the characters are energetic & well-conceived. It's too abbreviated to be a great Carol--but it is a worthy one. - DirectorAbe LevitowStarsJim BackusMorey AmsterdamJack CassidyThis musical adaptation of the classic tale by Charles Dickens stars Magoo as the cold-hearted old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge.7/10
A musical play within a play! The songs vary in quality, but I must say I enoyed the energy and high spirits of this version more than many more solemn adaptations. - DirectorZoran JanjicStarsRon HaddrickBruce MontagueJohn LlewellynOn Christmas Eve, an old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the spirit of his former partner, Jacob Marley. The deceased partner was in his lifetime as mean and miserly as Scrooge is now and he warns him to change his ways or face the consequences in the afterlife. Scrooge dismisses the apparition but the first of the three ghosts, the Ghost of Christmas Past, visits as promised. Scrooge sees those events in his past life, both happy and sad, that forged his character. The second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present, shows him how many currently celebrate Christmas. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows him how he will be remembered once he is gone. To his delight, the spirits complete their visits in one night giving him the opportunity to mend his ways.7/10
An attractively animated version, with watercolour backgrounds. The dialogue stays very close to Dickens's story. Marley is very creepy. But where is Fred? - DirectorRonald NeameStarsAlbert FinneyAlec GuinnessEdith EvansA musical retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel about an old bitter miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.2/10
A mean-spirited abomination. Bah humbug!
Finney is fine--but the score is lame, the singers mediocre, the direction campy. Give it a miss unless you're a Carol completist. - DirectorRichard WilliamsStarsAlastair SimMichael RedgraveMelvyn HayesAn old bitter miser is given a chance for redemption when spirits visit him on Christmas Eve.8/10
A delightful animated short; in some ways I enjoy Sim here more than in his 1951 version. The distinctive animation style is reminiscent of the original 1843 illustrations by John Leech. Well worth tracking down. - DirectorFriz FrelengStarsMel BlancWhen nasty Ebenezer Scrooge (Yosemite Sam) fires Bob Crachit (Porky Pig) on Christmas Eve, Bugs Bunny sets out to change the miser's mind that night.6/10
8-minutes of Bugs dressed up in a sheet in order to spook Yosemite Sam. It's fun, and won't take up much of your time. - DirectorBurny MattinsonStarsAlan YoungWayne AllwineHal SmithThe classic Disney animated characters play the roles in this animated retelling of the Charles Dickens masterpiece.5/10
Cute but forgettable--although Donald Duck makes a surprisingly effective nephew Fred. - DirectorClive DonnerStarsGeorge C. ScottFrank FinlayAngela PleasenceA bitter old miser who rationalizes his uncaring nature learns real compassion when three spirits visit him on Christmas Eve.9/10
My very favorite version. This one stays close to Dickens; the special effects are tastefully done to enhance the mood; and I truly am spooked by Christmas Yet-To-Come here. The production has a lush Victorian atmosphere, with a good score. I found myself truly caring about Scrooge's fate. My only quibble is with Rees's overly restrained Fred. - DirectorArthur DavisOscar DufauCarl UrbanoStarsGeorge O'HanlonPenny SingletonDaws ButlerWhat do Santa Claus and George Jetson have in common? They both have to work on Christmas eve! That mean old Mr. Spacely forces George to work late, while the family wonders what has happened to him, while Astro opens one of his presents early, breaks it, accidentally swallows a piece of it (a Spacely Sprockett) and becomes very ill. It seems the Jetsons may lose their Tiny Tim-like dog. Plus, Mr. Spacely is visited by his old partner, Jacob Marsley, who tells him of three spirits that will visit him. And they do, first the Past ghost robot who shows him young Spacely picking on young George, Present (which is an Xmas present) shows him of dying Astro, and Future shows the Jetsons very rich after sueing Mr. Spacely. When Spacely wakes up after seeing all this, he's a changed man! A sadder, wiser, nicer and happier Cosmo Spacely! At least until the next episode.1/10
This is not an episode from the original 1962 series, just 22 mindless minutes made two decades later. It doesn't have much to do with Dickens either. - DirectorRichard BodenStarsRowan AtkinsonTony RobinsonMiranda RichardsonAfter a genial spirit shows the benevolent Ebenezer Blackadder visions of his unscrupulous ancestors, he resolves to mend his generous ways.7/10
A clever anti-Carol, which every Blackadder fan must see. - DirectorBrian HensonStarsMichael CaineDave GoelzSteve WhitmireThe Muppets present their own touching rendition of Charles Dickens' classic tale.7/10
Clever, full of colour and energy, blissfully non-campy. The songs are banal, but the cast's sincerity shines. - DirectorJoanna RomersaStarsHenry CordenJean Vander PylFrank WelkerFred is cast as Ebenezer Scrooge in a stage adaptation of the story, but is acting a bit stingy in real-life.2/10
Another play-within-a-play version. The tedious frame story goes on and on, repeatedly interrupting the Carol itself. For Flintstones fans only. - DirectorDavid Hugh JonesStarsPatrick StewartRichard E. GrantJoel GreyAn old bitter miser who makes excuses for his uncaring nature learns real compassion when three ghosts visit him on Christmas Eve.8/10
An intelligent and attractive adaptation, beautifully cast and filmed, with nice special effects. Stewart is excellent. But somehow this one does not dig at my gut the way the 1984 & 1951 versions do, perhaps because I found the Christmas Present sequence weak. - DirectorJimmy T. MurakamiStarsSimon CallowKate WinsletNicolas CageOld bitter miser Ebenezer Scrooge (Simon Callow) who makes excuses for his uncaring nature learns real compassion when three ghosts visit him on Christmas Eve.
- DirectorArthur Allan SeidelmanStarsKelsey GrammerJesse L. MartinJane KrakowskiAn old bitter miser is given a chance for redemption when he is haunted by ghosts on Christmas Eve.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsJim CarreyGary OldmanColin FirthAn animated retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.3/10
Ugly and startlingly unpleasant, a heartless if dazzling array of special effects. - DirectorSerena EbhardtScott DavisStarsDavid Zum BrunnenCharles Dickens is portrayed conceiving the story of A Christmas Carol, in his study at 1AM on Friday, October 13, 1843.4/10
A disappointing one-man version of how Dickens came to write A Christmas Carol. Not much fun to be had here.