The Definitive A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1951): Starring Alastair Sim (1 Viewer)

[Tony Bensley]

Hi Tony, my apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I can confirm that Mrs. Dilber's "for reaching it out" line is included. Sadly the Patrick MacNee introduction isn't included with either the original B&W or colour versions. Hopefully Renown will include that on their Blu-ray, whenever they are able to release it.

Hi Andrew!


No worries, and thank you very much for your kind reply!


That's too bad the Patrick Macnee introduction wasn't included with the Colorized version, since from my recall, he actually made reference to the process at some point in his narrative! Without this, in my opinion, the Color version's inclusion is a beyond pointless waste of valuable higher bitrate potential space! I had no expectation (Or desire, for that matter!) of this being included / interspersed with the original Black & White.


On the other hand, that's great news regarding the inclusion of Mrs. Dilber's "For Reaching It Out" line!


Keeping in mind the physical media in question is DVD, how did you find the visuals compare with the other DVD versions, and did you get the sense that the Blu-ray equivalent could be at least as good as the 2012 VCI Blu-ray?


CHEERS!


Tony

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

On a related tack, the George C. Scott version which I purchased back in early November for $7.99 is now going for $24.89. Guess the time to get Christmas films cheaply is over till after Christmas.

 

[Marvin]

On a related tack, the George C. Scott version which I purchased back in early November for $7.99 is now going for $24.89. Guess the time to get Christmas films cheaply is over till after Christmas.

That reminds me...I picked up the Patrick Stewart version early this year (though it became cheaper as the year went on). I think I'll watch this one soon. I've only seen parts of it on TV.

 

[davidmatychuk]

The Patrick Stewart Scrooge is pretty good, but I think there's a great future Scrooge in that version as Cratchit, Richard E.Grant. Can you imagine an age-appropriate Withnail as Scrooge? Also, I'd sure like to see a film of Patrick Stewart's one-man stage version of "A Christmas Carol".

 

[Mark Booth]

Am I the only one that prefers Disney's motion-capture animated 'A Christmas Carol' from 2009? (Sorry, I didn't read the entire thread yet.)


Mark

 

[Mike Frezon]

Mark:


Yup! You're the one!

 

[atfree]

This version holds fond memories for me, used to watch it after school (or during Christmas break):


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452599/



LOVED those Famous Classic Tales on CBS!

 

[moviebuff75]

Mark I love the 2009 version!

 

[Marvin]

The Patrick Stewart Scrooge is pretty good, but I think there's a great future Scrooge in that version as Cratchit, Richard E.Grant. Can you imagine an age-appropriate Withnail as Scrooge? Also, I'd sure like to see a film of Patrick Stewart's one-man stage version of "A Christmas Carol".

I thought Stewart did a good job, though he didn't look like Scrooge. I was always aware that I was watching Stewart play Scrooge, rather than watching Scrooge. (I had the same reaction to George Scott's Scrooge.)


This version seemed patterned after the Sim version in what they showed and didn't show. (They even had a 'reaching out' line.) It had a made-for-TV look and feel. I don't know if this is one I'll watch every year, but I'll definitely watch it again.

 

[Kilgore]

Am I the only one that prefers Disney's motion-capture animated 'A Christmas Carol' from 2009? (Sorry, I didn't read the entire thread yet.)


Mark

Jim Carrey completely lifted his Scrooge from Alistair Sim. Completely.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Jim Carrey completely lifted his Scrooge from Alistair Sim. Completely.

Hi Glen!


That's because, like myself, this fellow Canuck would've been reared on the annual CTV Midnight Christmas Eve Broadcasts of the 1951 Alastair Sim Scrooge! Mr. Sim's Ebenezer Scrooge is basically ingrained into our DNA!


CHEERS!


Tony

 

[Rob W]

Hi Glen!


That's because, like myself, this fellow Canuck would've been reared on the annual CTV Midnight Christmas Eve Broadcasts of the 1951 Alastair Sim Scrooge! Mr. Sim's Ebenezer Scrooge is basically ingrained into our DNA!


CHEERS!


Tony

Actually, Tony, Carrey would have seen A Christmas Carol on the independent CHCH channel 11 from Hamilton during his formative years . They ran it on Christmas Eve ( in prime time ) for at least fifteen years before CTV picked it up.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Actually, Tony, Carrey would have seen A Christmas Carol on the independent CHCH channel 11 from Hamilton during his formative years . They ran it on Christmas Eve ( in prime time ) for at least fifteen years before CTV picked it up.

Hi Rob!


Now that you mention it, I do recall that CHCH channel 11 did air it during my early formative years. I think CTV picked it up at some point during the 80s, by which time Jim Carrey was in Hollywood performing stand up!


Thanks for the correction!


CHEERS!


Tony

 

[davidmatychuk]

In Vancouver, it was KVOS from Bellingham, twenty miles across the border in Washington State, that was my earliest yearly Christmas Eve experience of the Alastair Sim version. Our neighbourhood wasn't wired for cable but that station came in as clear on the roof antenna as any Vancouver station. KVOS was a CBS affiliate in those days, so their regular weekday evening "Million Dollar Movie", which ran from 5:15 to 7:15, would break at 6:30 for Walter Cronkite, and then resume the movie at 7. Imagine that! We certainly weren't spoiled for choice back then, and that fact is that I first saw a bunch of my lifelong favourite movies that way. I don't think there's any movie that I've seen more times than the 1951 "A Christmas Carol", and I may squeeze in a few more viewings yet. I just don't think Walter Cronkite will be interrupting me again.

 

[davidmatychuk]

Jim Carrey completely lifted his Scrooge from Alistair Sim. Completely.

I know I did when I played Scrooge in our school's Grade 5 Christmas play. Several adults complimented me on my English accent and wondered where a 9-year-old in Surrey, B.C. might have picked it up. Steal only from the best, I say.

 

[Dr Griffin]

I'd love to see some screen grabs from this edition, does anyone that has this have that capability. There's really no information or reviews of this version that I can find, and no screenshots yet.

 

[davidmatychuk]

Here's the poster for one of my Vancouver Christmas concerts this year, for those who might be interested. There's a song I do every year called "Remembering Old Fezziwig", the music for which is derived from the little "I don't know anything, I never did know anything, but now I know that I don't know, all on a Christmas morning" song Alastair Sim sings in the movie.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I'd love to see some screen grabs from this edition, does anyone that has this have that capability. There's really no information or reviews of this version that I can find, and no screenshots yet.

Stanley: Are you talking about the new Renown DVD version?

 

[Dr Griffin]

Stanley: Are you talking about the new Renown DVD version?

Yes.

 

[Andrew Budgell]

I tried to make a few screen captures from the new Renown DVD but they weren't reflective of what I was seeing. The last thing I want to do is post something that is misleading.