The Definitive A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1951): Starring Alastair Sim (3 Viewers)

[davidmatychuk]

Yes, it is. Here is my complete "Floating Floor" comparison of the ten versions I have here. "Yes" means the planks are bouncin':

2012 Blu-Ray: Yes.
2012 DVD: Yes.
2009 Blu-Ray: Yes.
2009 DVD: Yes.
2007 DVD (4 X 3 Black and White): No.
2007 DVD (16 X 9 Black and White): No.
2007 DVD (Colourized): No.
2005 Emerald DVD: No.
1998 VCI/Roan Group (Black and White): No.
1998 VCI/Roan Group (Colourized): No.

I think it's safe to say that the problem crept in when the attempt was made to improve the image for Blu-Ray. They really cleaned it up, but in taking out speckles and markings I believe they caused other problems. Now that I've seen this, I'll still watch the most recent Blu-Ray before the others, but the others will get the odd spin too. I was keeping them all for one reason or another anyhow, and now I'm sort of pleased to think of their transfers as being adorably flawed rather than outdated altogether.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Yes, it is. Here is my complete "Floating Floor" comparison of the ten versions I have here. "Yes" means the planks are bouncin':

2012 Blu-Ray: Yes.
2012 DVD: Yes.
2009 Blu-Ray: Yes.
2009 DVD: Yes.
2007 DVD (4 X 3 Black and White): No.
2007 DVD (16 X 9 Black and White): No.
2007 DVD (Colourized): No.
2005 Emerald DVD: No.
1998 VCI/Roan Group (Black and White): No.
1998 VCI/Roan Group (Colourized): No.

I think it's safe to say that the problem crept in when the attempt was made to improve the image for Blu-Ray. They really cleaned it up, but in taking out speckles and markings I believe they caused other problems. Now that I've seen this, I'll still watch the most recent Blu-Ray before the others, but the others will get the odd spin too. I was keeping them all for one reason or another anyhow, and now I'm sort of pleased to think of their transfers as being adorably flawed rather than outdated altogether.

Hi David!

Thank you very much for kindly sharing this list! While I had been thinking in terms of unloading my 2005 Emerald Edition DVD by Morningstar Entertainment upon receiving the 2012 VCI Blu-Ray/DVD Set, I'm now thinking that I'll be hanging onto this by dint of the Maid's 4 word dialogue that is missing from all three VCI BD/DVD Editions! Also, it is indeed, appearing more and more to me as though VCI may have slightly overdid it with A CHRISTMAS CAROL's Video Restoration, though I do still look forward to viewing its overall results!

CHEERS!

Tony

Note: For those who really want the Booklet Insert that's included on the VCI 60th Anniversary Edition, I just noticed upon checking Amazon (Both Canada and U.S.) that their base price is currently well under $20.

 

[davidmatychuk]

The Emerald Edition also lets you pick "A Christmas Carol" or "Scrooge" as your opening credits, which is unique. Keep 'em all, I say!

 

[Tony Bensley]

The Emerald Edition also lets you pick "A Christmas Carol" or "Scrooge" as your opening credits, which is unique. Keep 'em all, I say!

Hi David!

Unless I'm missing something, my Emerald Edition DVD doesn't have this particular feature!

Here are some Screenshots, consisting of the Main Menu, and the other Main Sub Menus; none of which appear to offer the Dual Opening Credits Option:

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[davidmatychuk]

Are there two Emerald Editions?

 

[davidmatychuk]

[SIZE=14.4444446563721px]What year is on the back of your copy of the Emerald Edition? I'm thinking there's more than the one 2005 edition I have. As you can see, the menus and options on mine are quite a bit different from yours. Also, mine has no subtitles at all. The "Scrooge" option is an alternate title sequence, and it switches somewhat awkwardly (there's a brief black screen) to "A Christmas Carol" at Chapter 3. Does your copy have the booklet I'm holding? Is there "Morningstar Entertainment" prominently featured on the packaging? Is the Emerald Edition a Canadian-only release (or releases)? It's all [/SIZE]very strange, but part of the fun of Christmas is the mystery of it.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Hi David!

Nope. The back of my case does bear the year 2005, but the menu style is otherwise different, and I don't have the separate "Play A Christmas Carol/Play Scrooge" options. My Emerald Edition doesn't include the Booklet, either!

I think that I got the "Bare Bones" Emerald Edition, instead of the "Bright & Shiny" One!

CHEERS!

Tony

P.S. Morningstar Entertainment is Featured on the Back Cover!

 

[davidmatychuk]

Hi David!

Nope. The back of my case does bear the year 2005, but the menu style is otherwise different, and I don't have the separate "Play A Christmas Carol/Play Scrooge" options. My Emerald Edition doesn't include the Booklet, either!

I think that I got the "Bare Bones" Emerald Edition, instead of the "Bright & Shiny" One!

CHEERS!

Tony

P.S. Morningstar Entertainment is Featured on the Back Cover!

That's crazy. I wonder which version their Blu-Ray takes after? Here's a link to the very excellent "NIXPIX" review site, where Nick (also a Canadian!) reviews the VCI Blu-Ray and mentions the Emerald Edition unfavourably:

http://nixpixdvdmoviereviewsandmore.blogspot.ca/2012/12/scrooge-aka-christmas-carol-renown.html

And here's a link where you'll find more harsh words by yet another fellow Canadian:

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/150-blu-ray-software/1194403-christmas-carol-1951-alastair-sim.html

I see Walmart's website lists the Emerald Edition Blu-Ray (from E1 Entertainment) for $10. I might have to get one just for comparison.
I guess I'll go to Kickstarter now to raise funds.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Tony Bensley, on 08 Oct 2014 - 09:59 AM, said:

Hi David!

Nope. The back of my case does bear the year 2005, but the menu style is otherwise different, and I don't have the separate "Play A Christmas Carol/Play Scrooge" options. My Emerald Edition doesn't include the Booklet, either!

I think that I got the "Bare Bones" Emerald Edition, instead of the "Bright & Shiny" One!

CHEERS!

Tony

P.S. Morningstar Entertainment is Featured on the Back Cover!

That's crazy. I wonder which version their Blu-Ray takes after? Here's a link to the very excellent "NIXPIX" review site, where Nick (also a Canadian!) reviews the VCI Blu-Ray and mentions the Emerald Edition unfavourably:

http://nixpixdvdmoviereviewsandmore.blogspot.ca/2012/12/scrooge-aka-christmas-carol-renown.html

And here's a link where you'll find more harsh words by yet another fellow Canadian:

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/150-blu-ray-software/1194403-christmas-carol-1951-alastair-sim.html

I see Walmart's website lists the Emerald Edition Blu-Ray (from E1 Entertainment) for $10. I might have to get one just for comparison.
I guess I'll go to Kickstarter now to raise funds.

Hi David!

That's a good question regarding the Emerald Edition Blu-Ray! Perhaps there's two Versions of this, also?

I now wonder whether the A/V Sync issue that was reported for the "Marley's Ghost" Sequence on the Emerald Blu-Ray also applies to the earlier DVD Edition? I think that this does bear checking!

CHEERS!

Tony

P.S. Upon checking, I can now state that the "Marley's Ghost" Sequence is in proper A/V Sync on my Emerald DVD!

 

[davidmatychuk]

Here are scans of the pages of the Emerald Edition (2005) booklet for all the Emerald Edition fans out there. They're ready to be printed, cut out, and pasted together. Hours of fun (if, like me, you're not that good at such things)!

 

[Tony Bensley]

Hi David!

Thank you very much for kindly sharing your Emerald Edition Booklet!

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[davidmatychuk]

From the Morningstar Entertainment Proofreader (unofficial):

I tried to tell President Ron Moring that it was "Sim", not "Sims".

Thank you,

David Matychuk

 

[Tony Bensley]

From the Morningstar Entertainment Proofreader (unofficial):

I tried to tell President Ron Moring that it was "Sim", not "Sims".

Thank you,

David Matychuk

Hi David!

While getting Alastair's first name misspelled might be understandable (Heck, even I'm guilty of that! ), how could the Morningstar President get Sim wrong, especially when you alerted him? I've never seen that misspelling of his surname anywhere else! At least John Harkness got it right!

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[John Maher_289910]

Although I love the Alastair Sim version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL (I love many versions of it). it takes second place to George C. Scott's version. For me, that one is the definitive one. I'm happy to have a good copy of the Sim version, after many years of faded viewings.

 

[davidmatychuk]

The version with George C. Scott is my favourite colour version, but if I need to pick my all-time favourite, it's Alastair Sim all the way. Having said that, I even have numerous print editions of "A Christmas Carol", so I agree totally with John about loving many filmed versions too.

 

[Tony Bensley]

I've heard many great things about the George C. Scott version, though I must confess that I've never seen this! Maybe someday.

Over the decades, I've seen numerous variations of the "A Christmas Carol" story, and some are actually quite entertaining. In my opinion, the story itself is so marvelous, that it is very hard to completely ruin, though there have been a few valiant attempts!

One that I remember not particularly liking was AN AMERICAN CHRISTMAS CAROL, starring Henry Winkler, though I haven't viewed this in over 30 years! The much more recent animated version with Jim Carrey providing the Ebenezer Scrooge voice-over was pretty good, but I felt that too many key parts were skipped over for this to ever become a true Yuletide classic, though I could be wrong about that! Regarding the 1938 MGM version, I've always thought that Reginald Owen was simply wrong for the part, fine actor that he was! In my opinion, MGM's first choice, Lionel Barrymore would have been far better as ole' Ebenezer, especially the miserly, pre transformation incarnation!

However, for me, none of these can touch Alastair Sim's quintessential Ebenezer Scrooge, who portrayed the insufferable miser and the "giddy, merry as a schoolboy" post transformed Ebenezer with equal aplomb! Had this been Mr. Sim's only film appearance (And many aren't aware of any of his other numerous films!), he would still be equally well remembered today!

If pressed to reveal any weakness within the 1951 version, I would say George Cole (Who is still living, as of October, 2014!) as young Ebenezer Scrooge. Oh, George is all right! He's just no Alastair Sim!

But then again, who is?

CHEERS!

 

[Charles Smith]

I've never seen the Scott version, either, and I generally love George C. Scott in most anything. I'll try to rectify that this very season.

 

[Tony Bensley]

I probably should give the George C. Scott version a viewing at some point, as this isn't at all difficult, or expensive to obtain. Ironically, I have a DVD copy of the 1938 MGM version that I purchased at Wal-Mart for $5 a couple of Christmases back, though more for the 2 minute Judy Garland "Silent Night" extra, than for the Reginald Owen version itself, though I have also given that a viewing! Am I the only one who finds the Tiny Tim character a bit too annoyingly wide eyed in the MGM version?

Meanwhile, I'm hoping to receive the 2012 VCI Blu-Ray/DVD edition of A CHRISTMAS CAROL sometime this week!

CHEERS!

 

[John Maher_289910]

The MGM version is my least favorite of the traditionally told versions of the story. I really like the Disney version with Jim Carrey, which is saying a lot, since I neither like Carrey, nor the motion capture process. Carrey's Ghost of Christmas Past is my favorite version of the character from any film. It's also an excellent example of a modern 3D film. As for Scott vs. Sim, I wasn't even comparing the two Scrooge's, just the overall production. The Scott version is my favorite, overall.

 

[Osato]

Albert finney's scrooge is a good one. I own several versions of a Christmas carol as well.Finney's, and sim's are my 2 favorites. The Jim carrey disney one was good too.I just recently picked up mickeys Christmas carol. I don't think I have seen it since it was in the theater!!