The Definitive "A Christmas Carol" Adaptation (1 Viewer)

[todd s]

The 1951 version starring Alister Sim.

 

[Peter M Fitzgerald]

And another vote for the 1951 Alastair Sim version.

 

[Mark Oates]

I'd like to supplement my post above with the case for the 1951 version with Alastair Sim. I know that the very poor colorized print of the movie a lot of people are familiar with might leave a nasty taste in the eyeballs, but the current digital remaster in R2 in the original monochrome is a completely different beast.

To start - Alastair Sim himself. Look the word "lugubrious" up in a dictionary and you might find a picture of the great man. It was obviously invented for him. If you're familiar with his other works such as Green For Danger, Happiest Days Of Your Life, Belles Of St Trinian or School For Scoundrels, you'll know that he frequently played characters who normally didn't elicit audience sympathy but got it anyway. His Ebenezer Scrooge is just such a character. Full of himself, strict and miserly, he isn't irredeemably bad when we first meet him, he's just small of character. Compare him with that other avaricious old bastard of the silver screen Old Man Potter in It's A Wonderful Life (boy, I'd like to see how the Spirits would have screwed with his mind). Scrooge is a petty character but that's the depths his character sinks. We see him in the film as a young man (played by his protege George Cole), starting his slide into Mammon-worship, we see him taking over his old boss's business and building up his tiny business empire with co-conspirator Jacob Marley (the always dependable Michael Hordern). He's a nasty piece of work, but he's no real villain. In spite of ourselves we care for him as much as Tiny Tim and the rest of the Cratchits as the Spirits show him the error of his ways. When he is redeemed, his giddiness is all the more endearing (much better than Patrick Stewart's dry snivelling). Suddenly there is a mischief in the character - look at the way he unintentionally terrorises his charlady (Kathleen Harrison at her best). He is completely rejuvenated by his (pardon) epiphany, and when you see him with Tiny Tim at the end of the picture you know he's got a lot more Christmases in him.

All of the roles in the film are filled with the familiar faces of 1950s British movies, and for anybody who has grown up with those movies can only acquire a nostalgic glow watching the movie. Michael Hordern, Patrick Macnee, Kathleen Harrison, Mervyn Johns, Jack Warner, Hermione Baddeley, Hattie Jacques and George Cole make the movie a real showcase of cinema talent for the era - much better than the same year's showcase biopic The Magic Box (made for the 1951 Festival Of Britain).

Adapted for the screen by Noel Langley (one of the co-writers of The Wizard Of Oz, remember?), moodily photographed by C Pennington-Richards and directed with the minimum of saccharine sentiment by Brian Desmond Hurst, the movie shows an excellent behind-the-cameras pedigree.

The movie is the nearest thing the British film industry has ever got to making a movie like It's A Wonderful Life, a magical, life-affirming romp. Other versions may come and go, but this one's the definitive version (IMHO).

 

[Bryan Tuck]

Very good post, Mark. I finally watched the 1951 Alastair Sim version (the black-and-white version, no less), and it is indeed a very good adaptation, treating the original story with a great deal of respect.

However, the version that I watch every year, and that is, to me, the definitive filmed version of the story is the 1984 TV movie starring George C. Scott. Allow me to make the case for it.

The 1984 version does just about everything right in my opinion. George C. Scott is the only Scrooge that I believe (Sim came close, but I still think Scott blows him away). Scott and the rest of the well-chosen cast do wonders with a screenplay that is very respectful of the original story and text. Sure, there are deviations, but much like the changes made in the Lord of the Rings films, they are not arbitrary but concious decisions, and actually reveal a very deep understanding of the story and characters.

I like the fact that this version pays attention to many of the supporting characters that often get the short end of the stick in other versions. David Warner (often a villain) is wonderful and truly believable as Bob Cractchit. As Stephen L pointed out, Angela Pleasance is a very faithful representation of Christmas Past as described in the book. Then there's Edward Woodward as Christmas Present, who is joyful and wonderfully sarcastic. The portrayal of Fred by Roger Rees (recently seen on The West Wing) is also notable; in many other versions Fred seems kind of immature, but here he's a very responsible man who just happens to not have a drop of cynicism in him. Tiny Tim is played by Anthony Walters, who is actually very tiny. And this is one of the few adaptations of the story where the kid really looks like he's about to die.

There's just a whole atmosphere of believability in this version. Part of this is due to the cast, but the technical qualities also add to it. The cinematography is terrific, especially for a TV movie, as is the splendid music by Nick Bicat. And the whole thing is kept under control by director Clive Donner (the editor on the 1951 film, BTW), who is not afraid to allow the film to become very dark at times. In fact, the film may be a little too intense for really young children; Marley and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come are particularly scary.

And that points to the main reason I love this version. It is genuinely scary, funny, emotional, and overall moving. So many other adaptations I've seen just have a false ring to them (the recent NBC musical version springs to mind), and that's why the Scott version is the one I remember.

Although, finally having seen the Sim version, I certainly found it respectable as well. Interesting that the two are so closely related (Clive Donner and all). In fact, watching the Sim version, I realized that there is a very clever nod to it in the Scott version. It's during the Christmas Past sequence, but I'll leave it at that.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Bryan and Mark

 

[todd s]

Mark, your reasoning is exactly why I love the 1951 version. Scrooge's reaction from being "crazy with glee" to him calming down talking to his servant was spot on.

 

[Mark Oates]

Bryan - excellent argument for the George C Scott version, which brought memories of the film flooding back (I haven't seen it in a few years and I shall remedy that oversight). I don't think it'll supplant Alastair Sim's version as my favourite but I'm pretty sure I'll upwardly revise my opinion of it in my suite of favourite Christmas movies.

Anybody considered New Year movies? Top of the list - The Poseidon Adventure

 

[george kaplan]

When Harry Met Sally.

 

[Kevin M]

Favorite: Scrooge (1970) I know it isn't the most faithful adaptation to the book but I simply love the setting, songs, actors etc. etc. It holds a special place in my heart as a favorite from childhood that still makes me smile and tap my foot to this day....I like Life...Life likes Me...Me and Life fairly fully Agree...

Best: It's a split between the 1984 adaptation that everyone has spoken of and the 1938 Reginald Owen version.
Scott's 84 version has some great production values, cinematography, acting etc. just a great production all around.
The 38 version has that "stage acting" quality to it that many early talkies did as the introduction of sound led to the need for "vocal" actors, which led to producers casting mainly stage actors at the time since they had experience using..well..their voices! Now some might find this acting to come off as a bit corny and unrealistic sounding...and much of time it did...but for this film I thought it gave a "story book" feel to it that worked...plus I still feel that Gene Lockhart is the best Bob Cratchit that has ever been, just a sweet man & perfect for the roll.

Most Underrated: An American Christmas Carol (TV 1979) This is one that disappeared for years (now on DVD) and even when it is remembered it usually is made fun of...I don't understand why as it is a very interesting spin on the original story, set in depression-era New England with Henry Winkler giving a damn good performance as Benedict Slade (Scrooge) and in particular Dorian Harewood stands out as an african american Ghost of christmas yet to come, a really good performance by him and one that I always remembered him for, when I saw Full Metal Jacket and he showed up as Eightball I said to my friend "look, it's the ghost of christmas future!".
Not for everyone but I have always thought it was daringly different, special and unjustly maligned.

 

[Paul Padilla]

Sim and Scott are definitely the classic/faithful pics...but #1 and #2 are Finney and Winkler for me.

No other Ebanezer captured the diametric change from sheer coldheartedness to unadulterated joy as well as Albert Finney and the originality of Winkler's production was beautifully done.

I also received Steward's one-man-show on cassette a few years ago. I'm entirely too young to remember these days, but it must be what it felt like to listen to old radio shows. Everything taking place in your imagination alone. Loved it.

 

[Stephen_L]

Mark up David Warner's performance as another reason the George C. Scott TV version is the best. There are maybe five moments in all of film that make me cry every time I see them (for example Anthony Hopkins talk in the attic in "Shadowlands") and one is the moment where Warner, trying to be brave and cheerful for his children, breaks down remembering the loss of Tim. Dang, I'm getting teary thinking about it. Then seeing his terror arriving late the day after Christmas as the reformed Scrooge leads him on with bogus bluster. For a man known for his villains, he is a most sympathetic Bob Cratchet.

 

[todd s]

One thing I like about each of the versions. Is that we see different scenes that may not be in another version. If I remember correctly. In the Patrick Stewart version. Their are more scenes with his nephew than we see in the Alister Sim version.

Also, I was surprised how little I saw of any of these versions of the movies on tv. In the past. As it got nearer to x-mas. You couldn't put the tv on and not see one the versions on. :frowning:

 

[BrentWW]

I'm reminded of an episode of the Simpsons where they talk about all the versions of A Christmas Carol, including a Star Trek version.

Captain Kirk orders the Enterprise to fire on the Ghost of Christmas Future, only to have Scotty exclaim, "I can't! He's showing me visions of my future! My god..I'm so fat!"

 

[Tony Whalen]

You know, I don't know if I've seen the Scott version. (George C..not Scotty...)

I enjoy the Patrick Stewart version... I'd certainly love to see/hear his one-man stage version though! I'll bet it's simply amazing!

Love SCROOGED. I just about die laughing every time Carol Kane beats Murray with a toaster.

 

[DeeF]

The Sim version has a level of profundity that doesn't exist in the other versions. It reveals the story beneath the story, in scenes of Scrooge's early life, his romance, his descent into capitalism, etc.

Though I like George C. Scott as Scrooge himself the best, the Sim version is overall the best movie.

One scene in Sim's movie is superior to everything else in all the versions -- when Scrooge goes to his nephew Fred's house, and humbly apologizes to Fred's wife. While Scrooge is apologizing, the camera shot is a closeup of the wife, who graciously and movingly forgives him in a transfixing moment.

P.S. Another incredible moment in these pieces is the song "Winter Was Warm," sung by Belle in the Mr. Magoo version. The song is completely bleak by any standard, and why they thought kids would like it is beyond me. It is a very profound kind of song, and heartbreaking.

 

[DeeF]

By the way, we discovered last night that the editor of the Sim movie, Clive Donner, directed the George C. Scott version.