Taking the time-tested story A Christmas Carol to the big screen was not an overnight event, but Lionel Barrymore was a man with a mission to get it made. Originally he was even going to play the role of Scrooge, but had to step aside when he became ill. Taking is place was longtime friend Reginald Owen, who would make this is only leading role on film. Thus the story had its leading man, and began filming the famous novel by Charles Dickens for the first time.

A Christmas Carol opens with the happy-go-lucky feel of many comedic films of the time, and does its best to present a nice winter-wonderland where everyone is having fun. Even the music adds to the skipping of the characters, but it of course is all just a build-up of things to come. The music starts to take a backseat as Bob Cratchit (played in the film my the famous Gene Lockhart) makes his way to the offices where he works for his Uncle Ebenezer Scrooge. The entering of Scrooge is much like a villain in a Disney film, entering in a storm and to an ominous set of music.

Ebenezer Scrooge is not a fan of Christmas, and turns a cheek to any merriment that the season might bring. Where one side of the story tries to present the benefits and harmony of the season, Scrooge (as he is called) seems steadfast in his mission to ruin the holiday for everyone around him. This includes making people work on Christmas, talking down to them if they enjoy the season, and even threatening to fire an assistant who talks about the great time of the year. The character is set as an evil old man, with his stoic face and white hair standing out against everything dark that surrounds him. He is definitely a character that can scare you, and Owen plays him well.

This isn't just a story about one mans hatred of the season though, but what happened to send him down this road, and how he had better change his ways if he wants to live out the night. You see, he is setting to be visited by 4 ghosts, the first of which will explain the situation to him, and the others will show him Christmas Past, Present, and Future, in an effort for him to see his life from the outside. While the character starts to learn more about himself, we as an audience are able to grab a glimpse of what made this man the way he is today. The drama builds as we see how the character evolves and is faced with some important decisions on life.

Though it must be pointed out that the film takes a few liberties when it comes to sticking to the original short story by Dickens, I felt that the characters really set the tone for how the story was being told. If the film were to stand on its own, I think that it would be a classic of the genre both in presentation, and how well Owen does as the main character. It is only because of the re-make in 1951 that people seem to forget the original film. This though, is one that is not to be missed, presenting a great look at films from the 1930's, and giving great performances from nearly all the characters involved in the telling.







Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD