"A Christmas Carol”: 10 Notable Versions of Dickens’s Holiday Classic
BY JOSEPH W. SMITH III | Here are 10 notable versions of Dickens's "A Christmas Carol," reviewed (as Mr. Scrooge might have it) in terms of assets and liabilities—and rated out of 5 British shillings.
There’s nothing like celebrating the December holidays with a good, faithful version of Charles Dickens’s yuletide classic A Christmas Carol. Happily, many fine screen renditions are available these days—and a bunch of goodies on audio as well.
Here are 10 notable versions, discussed (as Mr. Scrooge might have it) in terms of assets and liabilities—and rated out of five British shillings:
1. Scrooge (1935), with Seymour Hicks
Assets: An astoundingly abrasive and unpleasant Ebenezer; and aging production values which, ironically, tend to foster a fitting sense of Dickensian nostalgia.
Liabilities: No Fezziwig; no visit to Scrooge’s old school; no men soliciting for the poor!
Unique elements: The Lord Mayor’s Christmas feast, plus Scrooge’s glimpse of the happily married Belle—both in the book but often omitted onscreen.
Value: Three shillings (out of five).