A Christmas Carol/Scrooge

Alastair Sim

 

I caught the 51 version for the first time ever last night.
Very very enjoyable.
From now on out its going to be a must view every year.

 

I watched a version on YouTube the other night that I've never seen before... had Vincent Price as the narrator... apart from him it was kinda 'meh'.

 

I was thinking the other day how I'd love to see Rob Zombie do a straightforward take on 'A Christmas Carol' done in the style of a London Hammer horror film... making the ghosts really terrifying.

 

I found two reviews of the George C. Scott version that I thought I'd share here:

http://sequart.org/magazine/53363/a-christmas-carol-with-george-c-scott-review/

This one was from the NY Times , just after the original 1984 CBS TV debut:

http://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/17/arts/tv-review-george-scott-in-a-christmas-carol.html

 

Yeah this blew my mind it was quite the short version that's for sure, I saw it on HULU. So it was quite the surprise version for sure.

 

I made it a goal to collect every version of A Christmas Carol/Scrooge...and I enjoy every single one of them.

 

that would be interesting! I like his takes on Halloween...

 

Don't forget Mr. MaGoo's version as that is also a Classic version too. Razzle Berry Dressing...

 

YES! It's in the Christmas library...

 

Growing up, our family used to watch the Alastair Sim version every Christmas Eve. Now, though, I don't think I've seen it in 10 or 15 years.

 

Can't forget -

 

I have a soft spot for this one as I remember watching it with my brother as a kid...a really cool & creepy Marley ghost, if nothing else!

 

For me, it's:

• Alastair Sim: The best version, with a few embellishments (such as the scene where Scrooge and Marley offer to buy the company) that add to the story.
  
• Mr. Magoo: Magoo is perfectly cast as Scrooge, and while the story is simplified a bit due to time limitations all of the key elements are there.
  
• Patrick Stewart: Excellent performance, likely due to Stewart performing a one-man show of A Christmas Carol.

 

one of the better versions out there! I love it.

 

Yes sir! ...

 

I love the way George gets into the role...great actor indeed.

 

Me too!

A Christmas Carol - YouTube »

Note that there are TWO 1939 versions with Barrymore and Welles, and I've been curious to confirm the reason, was it just an 'East Coast/West Coast' problem with transmission, as a comment to one version suggests?
Searched here and found this thread, surely someone else has noticed!

Some versions of the longer of the two have audible 'WBBM Chicago' i.d.s, while the other version omits some character interactions, such as having Scrooge want Crachitt to go collect a debt for him, then later in the scene commenting that it has gotten too late to do so. edited in the script 'on-the-fly' so it seems, giving Lionel a stumble or two.

My favorite audio version, obviously!

 

My wife won't cotton to anyone but Albert Finney, that's her final answer.

 

as yes! Tis the season to be jolly!

 

I think George C. Scott's is the best version.

 

So true. We watch it every year on Christmas night and have done so for years. Michael Caine is just amazing.

 

By far and away, I heartily agree. Scott's version is an annual tradition for us.

We watched the Patrick Stewart version again last night after not seeing it for a few years (it happened to be playing on TV). I had only vague memories of not thinking much of it the first time we saw it. Last night I was reminded just how pale of a production it was in comparison with Scott's version--both in acting portrayals, and just overall cheap look and production values. I honestly don't see what the point even was to making that new one when it was such a big step down in overall quality. We were sitting there laughing out loud at how bad, and poorly done some of it was...like my wife said the ghost of Christmas yet to come looked like something pulled out of a Star Wars production trash can.

 

No other version has the production values of the George C. Scott version... and Scott himself is utterly convincing in every scene.