The definitive Christmas Carol, marked by emotion and touted by the Christmas spirit
Added 10/24/2009
A Christmas Carol (1938) directed by Edwin L. Marin, based on the novel by Charles Dickens, written for the screen by Hugo Butler.
Starring: Reginald Owen as Ebenezer Scrooge
Reginald Owen was not set to play this part until his long time friend Lionel Barrymore had to cancel his part as Scrooge because of sickness. Fate had other plans it seems.
We all know the story: Mean man Scrooge humbugs his way through life eschewing Christmas as if it was a nagging sore that rooted itself more deeply each year, that he could not get away from. It seems everyone under the moonlight was celebrating this holiday called Christmas, with global cheer and good will. Scrooge, who had been bittered and shriveled through a life without love, and without forgiveness, was a man of business, of rules, and of ascetic necessity. He did not know happiness and he wished that anyone he came across would keep the optimism away from him, especially a man he worked for named Bob Cratchit, played wonderfully by Gene Lockhart (whom made this film with his wife and daughter).
Bob Cratchit counted on Scrooge for his survival and the well being(or living) for his family. Bob oozed with altruism and obsequiousness, and Scrooge knew this, turning his blind eye to it as much as he could till one a Christmas Eve Bob, having fun with the local kids, unintentionally threw a glittering white snowball at Scrooge as he passed. Upon finding this out, Scrooge fired him. Cratchit walked home that night on Christmas Eve holding his dignity in his hand and left his confidence in the melting snow that was stepped on by Scrooge himself. He wanted this night to be a night for his children and family, selflessly not revealing to them what had happened just moments prior.
Everyone who is a fan of Charles' Dickens A Christmas Carol knows how the story plays out, with some tweaks in different film adaptations here and there, knowing the moral that Scrooge learns at the end of this fateful Christmas night.
What I find different in this film than all the others out there is in the characters that are portrayed wonderfully by the cast of actors here. Scrooge is a bitter, curt, presumptuously crass old man while Reginald Owen poses the look of those qualities perfectly. He grumbles his way through the night and humbugs all who try to help him. You can see the years of misery on his face. As the ghosts progress through the night, you can sense and see the gradual inclination towards redemption and hope that he expresses with nothing but a slight opening of an eye that had been squinted from a life of lost passion and lost love, all with a little dribble of a tear down his left eye. I like how Owen grows as the film goes on and we see this happening before our eyes, as the audience, and I don't think it has been matched since. Owen makes the film for me and till this day I have not been filled with as much saving grace for this character than the 1938's version of Ebenezer Scrooge. It is my definitive version and hopefully with a little Christmas cheer, will be yours for years to come in this ageless timeless film.
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A Christmas gem!
Added 10/5/2009
Great service. great movie. Our holidays will be a little more "spirit" filled. Thank you.
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Christmas Carol
Added 9/19/2009
My favorite version of this movie have it on VHS and wanted a copy on DVD. Amazon is a better place to get movies than BB.
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Excellent story
Added 7/29/2009
I have retired this since I got it one DVD. I put a few miles on it before I retired it. I recommend it.
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This is my favorite Christmas Carol. It is so true to the original story. I have many versions and this by far is the best.
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