This made-for-television version was necessarily quite short, with the story pared down even more by the inclusion of the songs by Maxwell Anderson and Bernard Herrmann. Herrmann's score is the real star here. Atmospheric and moody, the music really helps build the suspense in what is, essentially, a ghost story. It is sad that so many of the modern reviewers cannot appreciate its beauty and lyricism. It was hearing the score that made me track down the DVD. The production is fairly lavish for television in the early 1950s. If you're a fan of serious music and good, old-fashioned singing, check this version out.
Review of A Christmas Carol
