The Christmas Carol (1949)

Dickens' classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and three Christmas Ghosts that change his perception of life. Narrated by Vincent Price.

Director:

Arthur Pierson

Writers:

Charles Dickens (short story "A Christmas Carol"), Arthur Pierson (adaptation)

Stars:

Vincent Price, Taylor Holmes, Patrick Whyte

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vincent Price	...	Narrator
Taylor Holmes	...	Ebeneezer Scrooge
Patrick Whyte	...	Bob Cratchit (as Pat White)
Robert Clarke	...	Fred
Earl Lee	...	Ghost of Marley
Nelson Leigh	...	Ghost of Christmas Past
Joe Battista	...	Boy Scrooge
George James	...	Ghost of Christmas Present
Queenie Leonard	...	Mrs. Cratchit
Mike Miller	...	Peter Cratchit
Karen Kester	...	Belinda Cratchit
Jill St. John	...	Missie Cratchit (as Jill Oppenheim)
Robert Hyatt	...	Tiny Tim (as Bobby Hyatt)
Constance Cavendish	...	Martha (as Connie Cavendish)
Jack Nestle	...	Ghost of Christmas to Come

Storyline

Dickens' classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and three Christmas Ghosts that change his perception of life. Narrated by Vincent Price.

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Plot Keywords:

scrooge | christmas | ghost | the end | narrator | 

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Genres:

Drama | Short | Fantasy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Christmas Carol

Filming Locations:

Jerry Fairbanks Inc., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jerry Fairbanks Productions, Teletec

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
Host: G. K. Chesterton has said 'In everyone there is a certain thing that loves children, fears death and that likes sunlight: that thing enjoys Dickens.'

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Connections

Version of Sanford and Son: Ebenezer Sanford (1975)

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Soundtracks

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Traditional English Carol
Sung by The Robert Mitchell Boy Choir (as The Mitchell Choirboys)

User Reviews

Well Done Little Version of the Dickens Christmas Classic

This half-hour digest telling of Charles Dickens' Christmas CAROL from 1949 is one of the earliest American television programs to survive. Taylor Holmes (a character actor perhaps best known for as Henry Spoffard Sr. in Marilyn Monroe's GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES) is well cast as the sour Mr. Scrooge. Although he is a bit over the top in a few of his early scenes, he is very good otherwise and there is a unusual touch of poignancy in his performance that often is not in other actors as Scrooge, possibly due to Mr. Holmes' having lost two of his sons (including the well-known actor Phillip Holmes) within the previous five years, thus giving him perhaps an emotional link to Scrooge's inner sadness that some actors couldn't quite reach. This little drama is moves quickly of course given the time frame and the cast of mostly unknowns does very well (although the ghosts are fairly ridiculously costumed, particularly the ghost of Christmas present who resembles some actor in a king costume for a 1960's cereal commercial). It's an effective little piece of television and Christmas nostalgia. It won't be anyone's favorite rendition of the classic story but it's worth seeing and rather endearing.