Scrooge - 1935

Excellent early adaptation of this classic story, although very abridged. Unfamiliar with this version, this film came as a wonderful surprise. The movie does cut some very important aspects of the book but at only a little more than an hour that is not too surprising and they do a good job of merging the gaps. Wonderful performances by all especially Sir Seymour Hicks as Scrooge. Interesting interpretation of the Christmas spirits. Excellent B&W filming that succeeded in enhancing the various emotions of this story and included some wonderful detail in both sets and costumes. The disc includes both the B&W and the colorized version but you must go to the special features to get the B&W version. This will definitely be a “Christmas Carol” favorite!

A Christmas Carol - 1938

Ok version of this classic Dickens story. With a somewhat choppy storyline, this version struggles a little. Very abridged, this film skips a great deal of Scrooge’s early life including the portions with his fiancé. Other events are included but are altered drastically. They also skip the grimmer aspects of the ghostly visits, altering the impact of the changes in Scrooge and making them less believable. At the end his change of attitude seems almost too abrupt. The filming and costuming are well done, although the bald rubber cap on Scrooge is pretty obvious. The ending is also not my favorite of the “Carol” endings. Even so, the performances themselves are excellent and this version has one of my favorite portrayals of Bob Cratchit. Even with its weaknesses this is still an enjoyable part of the “Christmas Carol” family of films.

A Christmas Carol - 1951

Excellent adaptation of this classic story. This well known version has a great script that moves smoothly and even neatly fills in a few of the gaps in the Dickens story. Exceptional performances by both Alastair Sim as Scrooge, as well as a superb supporting cast, that gave great emotional depth to the changes in Scrooge. Excellent B&W filming that succeeded in enhancing the various emotional levels created in this film. Wonderful detail in both the sets and costuming. As a fan of “Christmas Carol” in all its various adaptations (including the cheesy ones), the holidays are not complete without viewing this particular one! Definitely one of my top two favorites! *****

The Bishop's Wife - 1947

Charming holiday movie! This film is about a Bishop ( David Niven) and his wife (Loretta Young) and the struggles they are having in their marriage as the Bishop struggles to build a cathedral. As he prays for help, an angel (Cary Grant) comes to his aid. What follows is humorous, inspiring and fun as the angel maneuvers the Bishop into realizing what is really important. This movie has a great story with the plot being developed well. The characters are interesting and fun and well done by both the main characters and the supporting cast. This movie is definitely filmed in the old classic style for black and white movies but the story flows well without the need for color to put across the emotions. Definitely a favorite in our home.*****