A Christmas Carol (1951)

I watched this movie last week. It gets me in the mood for Christmas. Alastair Sim is such a pleasure to watch and he is the reason that this is my favorite interpretation of  A Christmas Carol.

There have been many versions of this great story. This is the version that I like the most. The great Alastair Sim plays Ebenezer Scrooge and he is the reason I like this so much. When I think of Scrooge… I think of him.

The movie is in black and white which turns some people off but it makes it that much better to me. They do have a color version but trust me…watch the black-and-white version. It gives the movie a darker feeling.

The effects they use are obviously not CGI but they get the point across well and serve the story. I like the scene where the ghost of Jacob Marley is warning Ebenezer of being greedy…the two were not on the set at the same time…it looked really good for being 1951…or anytime for that matter.

So get some eggnog or hot butter rum and sit back and watch this great movie.

From IMDB…spoilers

Ebenezer Scrooge (Alastair Sim) is a greedy businessman who thinks only of making money. For him, Christmas is, in his own words, a humbug. It has been seven years since his friend and partner, Jacob Marley (Sir Michael Hordern), died and on Christmas Eve. Marley’s ghost tells him he is to be visited during the night by three spirits. The Ghost of Christmas Past (Michael Dolan) revisits some of the main events in Scrooge’s life to date, including his unhappy childhood, his happy apprenticeship to Mr. Fezziwig (Roddy Hughes), who cared for his employees, and the end of his engagement to a pretty young woman due to a growing love of money. The Ghost of Christmas Present (Francis De Wolff) shows him how joyously is nephew Fred (Brian Worth) and his clerk, Bob Cratchit (Mervyn Johns), celebrate Christmas with those they love. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Czeslaw Konarski) shows him what he will leave behind after he is gone. Scrooge awakens on Christmas morning, a new man intent on doing good and celebrating the season with all of those around him.

Cast

  • Alastair Sim (Ebenezer Scrooge)
  • Kathleen Harrison (Mrs. Dilber)
  • Mervyn Johns (Bob Cratchit)
  • Hermione Baddeley (Mrs. Cratchit)
  • Michael Hordern (Jacob Marley)
  • Glyn Dearman (Tiny Tim)

…

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball fan, old movie and tv show fan... and a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

23 thoughts on “A Christmas Carol (1951)”

  2. They really lightened the mood in the second trailer. Lol. The first one starts off with music like it’s going to be a slasher movie… “Scrooge! The most psychotic killer of all-time! Don’t you dare go to sleep Tiny Tim!!!” Lol.

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  3. I agree, best version. I haven’t seen it for a couple of years, we watched the newish Jim Carrey CGI one this year, which isn’t bad (to my surprise) but doesn’t match this one for tension & overall effectiveness. My mom & I watched this Christmas Eve last 4 or 5 years I lived with her when I was a kid.

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    1. I’m going to watch a few tonight…this one will be one of them.
      Some people like the George Scott one…and I like that one but this one though sticks with me…

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    1. There are so many versions out there for every one….I even like the one Dave said he saw….the Jim Carrey animated version….although I’m not a huge Carrey fan…it was good.

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      2. It’s good… if you get a chance see it
        what a long day! finished Christmas shopping! I just got home

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      4. I took don’t like Carrey much which is why I was surprised his version was good despite a few needless add-ons like the rocket to the moon. But Sim is the ultimate Scrooge

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  6. It will always be Albert Finny for me, as I still have strong memories of going to the cinema at age six to see it with my dad. But I did watch Sim’s version last night and quite enjoyed it. Interesting it leaned heavily in the business aspects of Scrooge’s life (and death) more so than any other version, including the book. So, it felt like I was getting the story from a different point of view than the others. That said, as soon as the film was over we watched Finney’s version, and the transformation still made me quite emotional, despite the many times I have seen it.

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  7. I agree with the ‘best seen in black and white’ comments, though I’m not a stickler for originality, and reTechnicoloured doesn’t overly upset me , at least on some films. This one needs the depth of dark shadows though.

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