This is a great time of the year. I allow myself to watch the various holiday movies whenever the mood strikes me. I’ve already watched four versions of, “A Christmas Carol” this week and I’m bound to add materially to that number very soon.
Now, in my opinion, the top three versions are the 1938 MGM version with Reginald Owen as Scrooge; the 1951 English production with Alastair Sim as the miser and finally the 1984 version starring George C. Scott as the awful old man. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses. But each one manages to provide the catharsis that is the reason for the story. We get to see Scrooge start out as the victim of a father who blames his son for his wife’s death in childbirth and then the son becomes this misanthrope who punishes everyone around him for revenge.
And along the way we get to see the beauty and joy that Scrooge’s friends and relatives create during their Christmas celebrations; Bob Cratchit and his poor family gather around the tiny Christmas dinner that Scrooge’s pathetic wages afford and rejoice at their day of celebration and family warmth. Scrooge’s nephew; Fred entertains his friends and even manages to toast Scrooge’s health despite his knowledge that the old man despises him for his generosity and kindness.
As ever I find the 1984 version has the best Jacob Marley scenes. The 1951 film does the best job chronicling Scrooge’s career with Fezziwig and his subsequent turn toward miserly misanthropy. And in this presentation, it strays into territory not covered in Dickens’ story. A subplot emerges where Scrooge’s beloved sister Fan dies after giving birth to her son Fred. This is given as the origin of Scrooge’s hatred for Fred. But in the film the Ghost of Christmas Past allows Scrooge to hear his sister’s dying words. She begs Scrooge to take care of her boy (Fred). Hearing these words that he’d missed in real-life, Scrooge is wracked with guilt and remorse.
The 1938 version, I believe, has the best portrayal of the Cratchit family. And in point of fact the actor who plays Bob Cratchit, Gene Lockhart has his real-life wife playing Mrs. Cratchit and his real-life daughter; June Lockhart as one of the younger Cratchit children. Now, when I say best portrayal, I’m not implying that the acting is better than in the other two versions. In fact, I think the other two versions have fine actors and stay much closer to Dickens’ text. But the longer screen time given to the Cratchit family in this version provides a warmer feeling and gladdens the heart of the viewer to watch it.
So then, who is the best Scrooge? Well, I can’t answer that. The best I can do is to bring it down to a choice between Alistair Sim and George C. Scott. And choosing between them is only a matter of what mood I find myself in that day. I will add that of late I think the George C. Scott mood finds me more often but I have to say at this time of the rolling year I want to have all three DVDs available for whatever mood I find myself in.
And as Tiny Tim observed, “God bless us, everyone.”