A Christmas Carol (1951)

Best version on film of the timeless Dickens story. There are other versions I enjoy as well, and some more so for sentimental reasons. But, objectively, I believe this is the best version on a technical and artistic level. The production is first-rate. The cast is excellent. Especially Alastair Sim, who is perfect casting as Scrooge. He adds little touches to the character that sets his performance apart from the countless other Scrooges. As for the story, well unless you have been living under a rock or weren't raised in an English-speaking country, then you should know the plot to this classic. Miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve to show him the error of his ways. Obviously I recommend the book because it's a seminal classic. But, as far as film versions go, this is the one everyone should see first.

Fmovies: I hesitate to add to the avalanche of praise bestowed, on this site,

on this perfect picture, the definitive Scrooge of all time, which I

have watched, spellbound, every Christmas since I was three

years old and will continue to watch as long as I am breathing. I

endorse the review already placed here by "jackboot"; and I have

also been particularly touched by that small scene between

Scrooge and the maid, with not a word spoken, that "Seashell 1"

mentions. Two points I would like to underline here which I have

not seen mentioned by others: First, this is about the only

"Christmas Carol" movie that remembers to be a GHOST story as

well as a Christmas story. The superb camera work by Pennington-Richards and the powerful score by Richard Addinsell

help to make this movie rather scary in places, as it should be.

Nowhere else have I seen the grim bleakness of the grimier side

of Victorian London so immediately conveyed. The scene where

Marley's ghost is caught out in the snowstorm with a multitude of

other wailing spirits is truly horrifying; and there are many such

moments, such as the one where the Spirit of Christmas Present

suddenly reveals to us the personifications of Ignorance and

Want; they really scared me as a kid, and they should scare us all

as adults now. Secondly, and above all, I think that the reason why

Alastair Sim succeeds so brilliantly here in a role which has

defeated so many is that he was chiefly a COMIC actor. Ebenezer

Scrooge has from the beginning an underlying humor which

makes him human; by allowing it to come out he makes the

transformation plausible, by making you understand that this

humor was dormant in him all along, just waiting to be awakened.

It just isn't Christmas without Sim.

I do love Charles Dickens, critics of his might say that he went for the emotional jugular and that he even might be sentimental or even worse manipulative, but really, he had a consistent message to get out: that the plight of the poor and unfortunate is everyone's concern, and this story tells it best - against the backdrop of the Christmas season, the time to celebrate, give gifts and welcome friends and family into warm homes to share festivity and generosity. I think that a Christmas Carol is not so much a tale for the family as it is Dickens trying again to pierce hardened hearts of the - during that time - men in society. The men who had trained their eyes not to look down at the gutter or the darkened doorways where society's less than fortunates were cowering for mercy, help, a hand up or a hand out. I think this story speaks directly to those men in Dickens' day who could do the most to rectify the wrongs described in this tale. Those less fortunates were there in Dickens' day just as they are with us now, and just as there are influential, prosperous and greedy men and women Scrooges among us today who coolly and easily stare straight ahead past those less fortunates instead of choosing to extend a helping hand. I never could appreciate what this story was really about until I became an adult and witnessed the great divide in our society between the Have's and Have-not's and the amazingly steeled resolve of those among the Have's to enjoy the Christmas season while not really being concerned at all with those poor souls in the ranks of the Have-not's. "At this time of year, Mr. Scrooge, when want is most keenly felt...".

Dickens largely devoted himself to the plight of the less fortunate - and we should all be so generous to show even a trifle of such concern for our fellows in need. Many Britons would probably agree that after Churchill, Dickens is one of England's great men, greatest men perhaps, one of England's greatest people ever. A real humanitarian dedicated to social change.

And so, to the role of Scrooge in this edition of this great story - the role every mature actor hopes he'll get a chance to play - comes Alistair Sims and he certainly does the role of Scrooge no disservice. I'll agree with one of my fellow reviewers in saying that I'm not sure if he owns the role outright, but surely, no one yet has emerged to lay a better claim to it. Certainly not one-note and pompous little Patrick Stewart. George C. Scott acquits himself admirably, but certainly cannot claim to own this role.

So many of the other reviews here have stated well the praise that Mr. Sims deserves for his portrayal of Scrooge, and many have made mention of their own favorite and classic lines from the movie. I'll not try to restate what has already been written so well before me, but instead, I'll point out for others some of my favorite little details of this great story and specifically of this particular version.

I think some of the greatest lines of all are reserved for the ghost of old Jacob Marley, dead for seven years, who comes to call late on Christmas Eve and warn Scrooge to change his ways. His indignation at Scrooge for referring to him as "a good man of business" by screaming that "mankind was my business!" was a perfect retort to the old miser. Marley disparages how he had lived - and how Scrooge was presently living - and further, reduces their life's work to no more than bald faced greed with the di

A Christmas Carol fmovies. Some of the "Cockney" phrases and snippets of dialog were a wee bit hard to keep up with (like a foreign language), and some of the actual Dickens' novel is not in this version (but is in the 1938 movie), but all in all this is the best version. Alastair Sim should have won an Oscar for best actor.

On Christmas Eve in 1840's England, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who warns him to change his ways or be doomed to eternal damnation. The ghosts of Christmases past, present, and future to show him the error of Scrooge's ways and show the people who are able to keep Christmas in their hearts 365 days a year. Easily the best adaptation of the Dickens classic which can be attributed to several reasons. Sim's performance transcends all description of greatness. Hurst's direction evokes the ideal emotions at all the right moments. The rest of the cast remain faithful to the Dickens' characterizations. A perfect film to watch during the holiday season. Rating, 10.

I have not seen Albert Finney's nor George C. Scott's portrayal of Scrooge, so I cannot say definitively that Alastair Sim 'owns' this role, but I sure have trouble imagining anyone topping him; he is superb, the nitpicking comments of TinMan-5 notwithstanding. This version will always have a special place in my affections, and I am glad to see I'm not alone in holding this opinion.