A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
NR | 16 December 1938 (USA)
A Christmas Carol Trailers

Miser Ebenezer Scrooge is awakened on Christmas Eve by spirits who reveal to him his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his youth, his current cruelties, and the dire fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways. Scrooge is faced with his own story of growing bitterness and meanness, and must decide what his own future will hold: death or redemption.

Reviews
Cubussoli Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
TeenzTen An action-packed slog
Helloturia I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.
Abegail Noëlle While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.
bkoganbing Lionel Barrymore's loss was the gain of Reginald Owen in this adaption of A Christmas Carol. In that age of radio Lionel Barrymore's radio version of the Dickens classic was a holiday staple and I dare say that there are many places on the globe now which are hearing it. But when it came to doing a film version Barrymore became unavailable so another of MGM's contract players substituted.Much as I would like to have seen Lionel as Scrooge, Reginald Owen makes one fine Christmas miser. And MGM gave Owen a fine supporting cast with Gene Lockhart and his wife Kathleen Lockhart as Bob Cratchit and his good wife and a very precious Terry Kilburn as Tiny Tim.One interesting person in the cast was Barry MacKay who I can't believe came over from the United Kingdom just to play Scrooge's nephew Fred. Across the pond MacKay was a popular light leading man who did several well received films with among others Jessie Matthews. Yet this supporting role seems to be the reason MGM brought him over here. I can't believe they didn't have more in mind.Anyway this version of A Christmas Carol is one great adaption of Charles Dickens's Christmas classic. Even without Lionel Barrymore.
Christmas-Reviewer I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 400 Christmas MOVIES.BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. I HAVE NO AGENDA! I AM HONEST!. I am a child of 1970's. I grew up in the Los Angeles area. On Christmas Eve this film came on at 11:00pm on Channel 11. Every year my family would all gather together to watch this classic! Remember you could only watch this ONCE A YEAR and you had to catch it when it aired! . There was no such thing as Home Video or On Demand. Watching this film with my family is my happiest childhood memory. It was better than a trip to Disneyland. This production of "A Christmas Carol" was produced by MGM in its heyday. The film was shot In October and in theaters by December! So this rushed production over the years has been over shadowed by more lavish productions but casting wise this film has no equal. In this film Scrooge is a crusty old business man in old Victoria England. He seems to thrive on making money and not caring about anything else! He has alienated his only living family member and seems to thrive on making his trusted employee Bob Cratchit life a living hell. On Christmas Eve of course he gets visited by not 3 but 4 ghost. Bob Marley (his late former business partner) and the Ghost of Christmas Past Present and Future. The ghost of course come to teach Scrooge about the joy of not only giving but also the joy of living. This I think is the first film that makes the Ghost come in one night. In the book they come on different nights.What also is great about this version is that its never boring! It moves quit quickly and watching this in black and white gives this a the correct tone. It is a delight! I am not lying at when I say my Christmas Season is not complete without watching this! This film plus "Christmas Vacation" are mandatory viewing in my home. Please if you have never seen this version you should. The Jim Carey version borrowed heavily from this adaption. I beg all of you to watch it with your family. There is something so special to me about this film and viewing it with family.
ComedyFan2010 I never watched any other version of this Charles Dickens story, so i will not compare it to any, besides the novel itself.One thing which I find disappointing is how they avoided so many parts of the past that explain why Scrooge became the bitter man that he was. Especially him losing Belle. To me it was an important part of the story and seeing it cut out of a movie that is very short in itself makes no sense to me, especially since they added other elements.But I guess the explanation is that this movie was made as an entertainment for the whole family. And the original story may be too grim for the children. This is why it avoids Scrooge's grim past an also shows more of the happiness that fun character Fred shares with the neighbourhood kids.I really like the actors. Back in the days acting was more over the top than it is now, actors sometimes act as if they are on stage and not on screen. But this is suiting to this story and adds some old fashioned charm to it.I especially like Reginald Owen as Scrooge. He seems to be like two completely different people, super performance.The three spirits are captured perfectly. I like all 3 of them and the fitting mood that they bring.Terry Kilburn seems a bit out of cast as Tiny Tim. He seems way too healthy for me to worry about him dying. But this could also be because he represents the happiness that Scrooge misses.Very beautiful setting as well. The black and white cinematography is beautifully done. The buildings and costumes really transfer us in time.All in all a beautiful Holiday classic to have in one's collection.
Claudio Carvalho In the Nineteenth Century, in London, the bitter, greedy and cranky Ebenezer Scrooge (Reginald Owen) hates Christmas and people. He runs his business exploiting his employee Bob Cratchit (Gene Lockhart) and spends unfriendly treatment to his nephew Fred (Barry MacKay) and acquaintances. In the Christmas Eve, he is visited by the doomed chained ghost of his former partner Jacob Marley (Leo G. Carroll), who died seven years ago and tells him that three spirits would visit him that night. The first one, the spirit of past Christmas, recalls his happy childhood and coming of age; the spirit of the present Christmas shows him the poor situation of Bob's family and the happiness of Fred and his fiancée Bessy; and the spirit of future Christmas shows his fate. Scrooge finds that life is good and finds redemption changing thoughts about Christmas, Bob, tiny Tim, his nephew and people in general."A Christmas Carol" is one of the most beautiful Christmas tales in the cinema. I do not recall how many adaptations of one of the most known Charles Dickens' short story I have seen but this 1938 is also wonderful. I do not have much more to say but recommend this magnificent family entertainment. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Um Conto de Natal" ("A Christmas Tale")