How many film versions have there been of this story? 10? 20? When I think of this story, the first image that pops into my head is the lovable but mad-as-hell Scrooge McDuck in Mickey’s Christmas Carol. I have such a fondness for that version of the story that I recently went on Amazon and shelled out the money for a collection of animated shorts that houses that very film (which has a running time of less than 30 minutes!). The second film I think of is the Muppet Christmas Carol, with the terrific Michael Caine in the leading role, and the large muppet ensemble cast lending support. The purely live-action versions of the story I don’t have much of a memory of. I remember as a kid seeing a black-and-white version of the story, maybe the one made in 1951? And then there’s been a new Christmas Carol movie announced for 2009 starring Jim Carrey and directed by Robert Zemeckis. The story never dies, and neither do the movies. Here’s another up for review: The 1938 version. I had no recollection of having seen any images from this film, and I must say, even though the story is so familiar you can practically recite the lines of dialogue in each new version you see, I enjoyed this one immensely.  

Reginald Owen plays Ebenezer Scrooge (looking as if he had make-up done to make himself look older), and he gives one of the best performances I’ve seen as the dour pitiful curmudgeon. It’s hard to really be affected by the cruelty of the guy when you know what’s coming in the third act, but it’s still awful to see just how he treats everyone, particularly Bob Cratchit (Gene Lockhart), with children aplenty at home to care for. Leo G. Carroll is kind of chilling as Marley’s Ghost, and Ann Rutherford, Lionel Braham, and D’Arcy Corrigan, playing Spirit of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, respectively, are all appropriate for their roles. I particularly liked the sweetness of Rutherford, bringing the movie some warmth after minutes on end of Scrooge verbally knocking down everyone who comes near him. 

One might wonder how the special effects are in an older presentation of the story. Remember, this is 1938, not 1915. The Wizard of Oz would come just a year after this.  The Invisible Man, released five years before this, had tremendous visual work. Just because the film is made in the 1930’s doesn’t mean that everything is laughable. The effects are far more advanced than you think. One particular effect, in which Scrooge and the Spirit of Christmas Past fly across a land to reach his younger years, looks marvelous. The effect of Marley’s Ghost, a weird dissolve effect, looks like a little dated, but it still gets points for trying. I love old-school effects, and every one from beginning to end in the movie made me smile big time. 

What is it about this story that moves me every time? This version is particularly heart-breaking in the end, right before Scrooge realizes what he must do for just one extra day of life. A lot of it has to do with Owen’s performance of course, but this one, maybe more than any other live action version I’ve seen, feels timeless. It doesn’t feel like you’re watching anything modern, anything with a hip new take on the material. This version doesn’t deviate from the original story in any sense. It’s probably the most faithful adaption of Charles’ Dickens A Christmas Carol I’ve ever seen. I’m still partial to Mickey’s Christmas Carol. It’s the film I grew up with, the first thing I think of when I hear the names Ebenezer Scrooge or Bob Cratchit. But this 1938 version is another welcome addition to the Christmas Carol film canon. It’s really a delightful film that I’m glad to have seen this holiday season.