Scrooge

12/20/2020

My first time watching this adaptation of Charles Dickens' work - thoroughly enjoyed it! I've previously only watched the Disney animated film and the 2019 television miniseries with Guy Pearce. I also like both of those, they each have things that are inferior and superior to this 1951 film. Alastair Sim is the best Ebenezer Scrooge of the three, I loved watching him from start-to-finish. Sim's facial expressions are terrific throughout, while his happiness later on is infectious. A top performance! None of the others massively standout, unlike the aforementioned productions, but George Cole (young Scrooge) is pleasant, as are those who play the ghosts. Other positives include the score, the tension building and the arc of the lead character - given the fact that they make him ho

12/26/2020

I read a review by a critic which stated this is the best adaptation of the oh so familiar story of Charles Dickens’ Scrooge. Not because of advanced production value or cutting edge special effects. In fact, this movie is definitely low tech, being from 1952 as it is. But now I agree with that assessment. There are three elements that in my mind elevate this production to the top of the pile. The first is the setting and the mood of the film. This felt like Dickensian London to me, the rough streets and dense atmosphere through the fog and just the look of the people. The story was also handled with a deft touch. It has been a long time since I have read the novella by Dickens, but this story felt closer to the original. I like the details they added sometimes when Scrooge was wit

12/18/2024

Alastair Sim is in his element here as the curmudgeonly miser who routinely spends his Christmas alone counting his fortune. Luckily for him, "Scrooge" receives a visit from his late but not so lamented partner "Marley" (Michael Hordern) who warns him that he is to receive three visitors this cold and snowy Christmas morning. These ghosts are to show him was has happened, is happening and might well happen if he doesn't mend his venal and selfish ways. Meantime, in a hovel nearby his clerk "Bob" (Mervyn Johns) is celebrating with his wife and five children - including the enthusiastic but poorly "Tim" (Glen Dearman). As the dawn approaches, perhaps "Scrooge" can find salvation from the home truths being presented to him? This version tells us more of the establishment of the character, aid