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Title: A Christmas Carol (1938) Fireside Chat about Scrooge with Lionel Barrymore View count: 2581 Rating: 4.6153846 (13 ratings) Description: ► http://XmasFLIX.com A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938) Introduction to Ebenezer Scrooge by Lionel Barrymore with Movie Trailer http://bit.ly/ChristmasCarol This 1938 MGM version of the Dickens classic is not the most rewarding of the various adaptations (that honor goes to Biran Desmond Hurst's 1951 film, starring Alistair Sim), but it has a strong if narrow performance by Reginald Owen as the miser Ebenezer Scrooge. Directed by Edward L. Marin, the movie is stiffer and less imaginative than it ought to be, but there are some compensations in the supporting cast, including Leo G. Carroll, and the film debut of little June Lockhart. Reginald Owen — Ebenezer Scrooge Gene Lockhart — Bob Cratchit Kathleen Lockhart — Mrs. Cratchit Terry Kilburn — Tiny Tim Barry MacKay — Fred Lynne Carver — Bess Leo G. Carroll — Marley's Ghost Lionel Braham — Spirit of Christmas Present Ann Rutherford — Spirit of Christmas Past D'Arcy Corrigan — Spirit of Christmas Future Ronald Sinclair — Young Scrooge http://bit.ly/ChristmasCarol DISNEYS A CHRISTMAS CAROL Theatrical Trailer looks great! Have you seen it? Let me know in the comment area. DISNEYS A CHRISTMAS CAROL, based on the classic Dickens tale, is re-envisioned by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis in a groundbreaking 3D motion picture event starring JIM CARREY, GARY OLDMAN, COLIN FIRTH, BOB HOSKINS and ROBIN WRIGHT PENN. Coming to theaters in Disney 3D and IMAX 3D, November 6th, 2009. A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938) ... This 1938 version was made by MGM, and originally intended to star Lionel Barrymore, who played the role of Scrooge annually on radio, but was forced to drop out of the film because of his arthritis, the movie starred Reginald Owen as Scrooge and Gene and Kathleen Lockhart as the Cratchits. Terry Kilburn, better known for his portrayal of Colley in Goodbye, Mr. Chips, costarred as Tiny Tim and a young June Lockhart appeared as one of the Cratchit daughters. Leo G. Carroll played Marley's Ghost. The characters of Fred (Scrooge's nephew), and Elizabeth, his fianceé (his wife in the novelette), were greatly expanded in order to work in a romantic angle to the story that Dickens did not intend. The couple was played by Barry MacKay and Lynne Carver. Ann Rutherford, better known as Polly Benedict in the Andy Hardy films and as Carreen O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, was a young and attractive Ghost of Christmas Past, rather than the somewhat unusual creation that Dickens described. The music for the film was composed by Franz Waxman, in contrast to most MGM films of the period, whose scores were composed by Herbert Stothart. Some of the grimmer aspects of the story went completely unmentioned or unseen, in order to make this a "family film" in the style of other MGM literary adaptations. Although Marley's Ghost did appear, the phantoms wailing outside Scrooge's window were not shown. Scrooge's fiancee, who eventually leaves him because of his miserly ways, was completely dropped from the film, as were the two starving children "Want" and "Ignorance", who hid within the folds of the Ghost of Christmas Present's robe. Also gone were the thieves who ransack Scrooge's belongings after he "dies" in the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come segment. While Gene Lockhart's performance as Bob Cratchit is admired, he is often criticized for looking too "well-fed" for the role. One of very many adaptations of the work, this version was frequently revived in theatres by MGM, was shown on local television stations throughout the 1960's, and was once a staple of Chicago's WGN television station. For years it remained the most famous film version of the story in the United States, and the most lavish, though it clocked in at only 69 minutes. But its popularity was eclipsed by the 1951 film, after the 1951 version began to receive wide television exposure starting in 1970. There are also those who have found Reginald Owen's portrayal of Scrooge to be rather lacking, especially in comparison to later ones. http://bit.ly/ChristmasCarol Yes, Lionel Barrymore is Drew Barrymore's great Uncle. ► http://XmasFLIX.com * MySpace!: http://myspace.com/XmasFLIX * Blogspot: http://XmasFLIX.blogspot.com * Twitter: http://twitter.com/XmasFLIX * Digg: http://digg.com/users/XmasFLIX * Technorarti: http://technorati.com/people/XmasFLIX * Google: http://google.com/profiles/XmasFLIX * FeedBurner: http://feeds.feedburner.com/XmasFLIX - Tags: christmas, carol, trailer, mgm, reginald, owen, alistair, sim, charles, dickens, scrooge, lionel, drew, barrymore, not, disney, jim, carrey, ebenezer, gene, lockhart, bob, cratchit, kathleen, tiny, tim, barry, mackay, fred, lynne, carver, bess, leo, g., carroll, marley's, ghost, braham, in, hollywood, present, ann, rutherford, ghosts, past, tree, children, spirit, of, future, ronald, sinclair, young, movie, evil, haunted, undead, xmaxflix, xmas, flix, flicks, films, songs, Author: XmasFLIX |
