Christmas Carol

UPC: 089859900129

Studio: VCI Video

MPAA Rating: NR   Contains:[Suitable for Children]

Summary: 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

Category: Fantasy

Features: Audio Commentary by George Cole, Pop-Up Trivia, American Theatrical Trailer
British Theatrical Trailer

Christmas Carol

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 11/03/2009

Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Academy Apeture

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo

Runtime: 86 Minutes

Sides: 2

Number of Discs: 2

Language(s) English,Spanish

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: Universal Compatability

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Christmas Carol
1. Main Titles [1:40]
2. "Christmas is a Humbug!" [5:27]
3. Christmas Eve [3:52]
4. Marley's Ghost [10:13]
5. Ghost of Christmas Past [5:24]
6. Scrooge In Love [4:54]
7. Fan's Last Request [4:14]
8. A Lost Love [3:40]
9. Marley's Death [10:00]
10. Ghost of Christmas Present [3:07]
11. A Toast to Uncle Scrooge [7:53]
12. A Tormented Scrooge [2:14]
13. Life Without Tiny Tim [2:51]
14. Dead Man's Possessions [4:50]
15. The Grave [3:03]
16. Christmas Day [5:56]
17. The Christmas Goose [5:53]
18. God Bless Us, Every One [1:08]
1. Main Titles [1:35]
2. "Christmas is a Humbug!" [5:31]
3. Christmas Eve [3:51]
4. Marley's Ghost [10:14]
5. Ghost of Christmas Past [5:19]
6. Scrooge in Love [4:53]
7. Fan's Last Request [4:14]
8. A Lost Love [3:40]
9. Marley's Death [10:00]
10. Ghost of Christmas Present [3:08]
11. A Toast to Uncle Scrooge [7:53]
12. A Tormented Scrooge [2:13]
13. Life Without Tiny Tim [2:51]
14. Dead Man's Possessions [4:48]
15. The Grave [3:17]
16. Christmas Day [5:46]
17. The Christmas Goose [5:44]
18. God Bless Us, Every One [1:10]

Richard Gilliam

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

Cast and Crew: Patrick Macnee  Actor 
Maire O'Neill  Actor 
David Hannaford  Actor 
Eleanor Summerfield  Actor 
Jack Warner  Actor 
Richard Pearson  Actor 
Richard Addinsell  Composer (Music Score) 
Brian Desmond Hurst  Director 
Brian Desmond Hurst  Producer 
Noel Langley  Screenwriter 
George Minter  Executive Producer 
George Minter  Producer 
Alastair Sim  Actor 
Kathleen Harrison  Actor 
Mervyn Johns  Actor 
Michael Hordern  Actor 
Hermione Baddeley  Actor 
John Charlesworth  Actor 
Glyn Dearman  Actor 
George Cole  Actor 
Rona Anderson  Actor 
Carol Marsh  Actor 
Brian Worth  Actor 
Olga Edwardes  Actor 
Roddy Hughes  Actor 
Hattie Jacques  Actor 
Clifford Mollison  Actor 
Michael Dolan  Actor 
Francis de Wolff  Actor 
C. Konarski  Actor 
Ernst Thesiger  Actor 
Miles Malleson  Actor 
Louise Hampton  Actor 
Noel Howlett  Actor 
Fred Johnson  Actor 
Peter Bull  Actor 
Douglas Muir  Actor 
Eliot Makeham  Actor 
Henry Hewitt  Actor 
Hugh Dempster  Actor 

Country: UK