A CHRISTMAS CAROL 1938 Reginald Owen Is The Best Version

Every year there is another version of "A Christmas Carol" produced.  It can be an adaption of the book set in the time in which the book was written but more & more version are "loosely based" on the Charles Dickens Story  and seem  set  the story in Modern Times.   I prefer seeing any adaption set in the 19th century.   I have seen  many television adaptions that adapt the story into modern times and all of them are not worth seeing again.

From the beginning of films "Hollywood" has made "Christmas Carol" movies.  The 1938 version produced by MGM is my favorite version of them all.

Made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and originally intended to star Lionel Barrymore (who played the role of Scrooge annually on radio but was forced to drop out of the film because of his arthritis, though he narrated its trailer),^[2] the movie starred Reginald Owen as Scrooge and the married couple Gene and Kathleen Lockhart as the Cratchits. Terry Kilburn, better known for his portrayal of Colley in Goodbye, Mr. Chips, costarred as Tiny Tim and a young June Lockhart (Gene and Kathleen's daughter) made her screen debut as one of the Cratchit daughters.^[3] Leo G. Carroll played Marley's Ghost. The characters of Fred (Scrooge's nephew) and Elizabeth, his fianceé (his wife in the novelette), were greatly expanded in order to work in a romantic angle to the story that Dickens did not intend. The couple was played by Barry MacKay and Lynne Carver. Ann Rutherford, better known as Polly Benedict in the Andy Hardy films and as Carreen O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, was a young and attractive Ghost of Christmas Past, rather than the somewhat unusual creation that Dickens described.


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.