A Christmas Carol [Collector's Edition]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Widely considered to be the definitive of the many film versions of Charles Dickens' classic novel is this 1951 British adaptation, starring Alastair Sim (entitled "Scrooge" in its U.K. release). Sim plays Ebenezer Scrooge, a London miser who, despite his wealth, refuses to make charitable contributions and treats his sole employee, Bob Cratchit, as an indentured servant. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his late business partner, Jacob Marley, who was as selfish as Scrooge in life and has been condemned to an eternity of wandering the Earth in shackles. Marley informs Scrooge that he's to receive a trio of spirits that night who will take him on a journey through Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come. As Scrooge encounters each apparition, he is taken on a tour of his life and realizes what a wretch he is, transformed by greed from an idealistic youth into an embittered ogre. Infused with a new, cheery outlook, Scrooge sets about earning his redemption. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: All
• Number of Discs: 2
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 (Academy Apeture)
• Features:
  • Audio commentary by Marcus Hearn & George Cole
  • "Spirit of Christmas Past" George Cole remembers Alastair Sim
  • "Richard Gordon Remembers George Minter & Renown Pictures"
  • "Charles Dickens - His Life and Times"
  • Bonus: colorized version
  • Before & after restoration comparison
  • Optional English & Spanish subtitles
  • Optional narrative for the blind
  • Photo & press book gallery
  • Cast bios
  • Original American & British theatrical trailers
  • "Scrooge" (1935, Seymour Hicks version)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Alastair Sim - Ebenezer Scrooge
       Kathleen Harrison - Mrs. Dilber
       Mervyn Johns - Bob Cratchit
       Michael Hordern - Jacob Marley
       Hermione Baddeley - Mrs. Cratchit
       John Charlesworth - Peter Cratchit
       Glyn Dearman - Tiny Tim
       George Cole - Scrooge as young man
       Rona Anderson - Alice
       Carol Marsh - Fan, Scrooge's Sister
       Brian Worth - Fred
       Olga Edwardes - Fred's Wife
       Roddy Hughes - Mr. Fezziwig
       Hattie Jacques - Mrs. Fezziwig
       Clifford Mollison - Mr. Wilkins
       Michael Dolan - Ghost of Christmas Past
       Francis de Wolff - Ghost of Christmas Present
       C. Konarski - Ghost of Christmas Future
       Ernst Thesiger - Undertaker
       Miles Malleson - Old Joe
       Louise Hampton - Laundress
       Noel Howlett - First Collector
       Fred Johnson - Collector
       Peter Bull - First Businessman
       Douglas Muir - Businessman
       Eliot Makeham - Snedrig
       Henry Hewitt - Rosehed
       Hugh Dempster - Groper
       David Hannaford
       Maire O'Neill
       Eleanor Summerfield
       Patrick Macnee - Young Jacob Marley
       Jack Warner - Mr. Jorkins
       Richard Pearson

• Director:

  Brian Desmond Hurst

• Producer:

  George Minter, Brian Desmond Hurst

• Screenwriter:

  Noel Langley

• Book Author:

  Charles Dickens

• Cinematographer:

  C.M. Pennington-Richards

• Composer (Music Score):

  Richard Addinsell

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Muir Mathieson

• Editor:

  Clive Donner

• Art Director:

  Ralph W. Brinton

• Executive Producer:

  George Minter

• Makeup:

  Eric Carter

REVIEW:

• Scrooge is remarkable for staying faithful to Charles Dickens's classic story as it remains fresh and vivid, even upon repeat viewings. The entire cast is excellent, but it is the great performance of Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge that distinguishes this version from several other adaptations of this work. Sim creates a complex characterization, and, in the film's many flashback scenes, the audience is given a compelling view of the character as he evolves into the not-so-lovable curmudgeon visited by ghosts. Indeed, such complexity is necessary for the story to have its full impact, as the viewer must feel both sympathy and disapproval for Scrooge, a difficult combination for an actor to convey. The crisp, black-and-white cinematography of C.M. Pennington-Richards is also a major asset. This is one of the most convincing of all recreations of Dickens' England, with almost no condescension to sentimentality from director Brian Desmond Hurst. ~ Richard Gilliam, Rovi