My favourite is the Alastair Sim film, but this one is a strong second place.

I love the novel, too.

I grew up watching Alastair Sim et al on WPIX in the 70s and the other versions as they'd appear because it's such a great story. I never thought I'd love another version as much as the Alastair Sim production, but the 1984 Scott version is right up there. I wish they could do a meld with Sim playing (in his prime) in the 1984 version instead of Scott.

I am a purist when it comes to 'A Christmas Carol'. No puppets/muppets, no singing (other than carols), no cartoons. These are my favorites:

A Christmas Carol 1938

Scrooge 1951

A Christmas Carol 1999

George C. Scott's version is my fave, after Reginald Owen's 1938 version. I mainly consider '38 my fave as it's the version that - no doubt mainly due to short run time of just 69 mins. - aired especially a lot on t.v. throughout my childhood and teens years, therefore was seen and enjoyed numerous times and wound up feeling like "the main" one. I've never at all cared for its OTT Tiny Tim (portrayed by Terry Kilburn) though.

@genplant29 said:

George C. Scott's version is my fave, after Reginald Owen's 1938 version. I mainly consider '38 my fave as it's the version that - no doubt mainly due to short run time of just 69 mins. - aired especially a lot on t.v. throughout my childhood and teens years, therefore was seen and enjoyed numerous times and wound up feeling like "the main" one. I've never at all cared for its OTT Tiny Tim (portrayed by Terry Kilburn) though.

I agree about that too & every version I have ever seen. I just want to 'strangle' Tim. The character is beyond annoying.

Ditto the girl who gratingly portrays Scrooge's little sister in the '38 version. She takes OTT to a whole other level.

@bratface said:

@genplant29 said:

George C. Scott's version is my fave, after Reginald Owen's 1938 version. I mainly consider '38 my fave as it's the version that - no doubt mainly due to short run time of just 69 mins. - aired especially a lot on t.v. throughout my childhood and teens years, therefore was seen and enjoyed numerous times and wound up feeling like "the main" one. I've never at all cared for its OTT Tiny Tim (portrayed by Terry Kilburn) though.

I agree about that too & every version I have ever seen. I just want to 'strangle' Tim. The character is beyond annoying.

A lot of early movie acting was based on stage acting, which most definitely required OTT expressions in order to be seen by audience members. Some directors early on were able to capture subtle nuances in closeups, but a lot didn't.

I strongly suspect the young Kilburn's performance was a direct result of the director's, well, direction.

@strntz said:

@bratface said:

@genplant29 said:

George C. Scott's version is my fave, after Reginald Owen's 1938 version. I mainly consider '38 my fave as it's the version that - no doubt mainly due to short run time of just 69 mins. - aired especially a lot on t.v. throughout my childhood and teens years, therefore was seen and enjoyed numerous times and wound up feeling like "the main" one. I've never at all cared for its OTT Tiny Tim (portrayed by Terry Kilburn) though.

I agree about that too & every version I have ever seen. I just want to 'strangle' Tim. The character is beyond annoying.

A lot of early movie acting was based on stage acting, which most definitely required OTT expressions in order to be seen by audience members. Some directors early on were able to capture subtle nuances in closeups, but a lot didn't.

I strongly suspect the young Kilburn's performance was a direct result of the director's, well, direction.

Probably. But as I said every child that has played the part (of the ones I've seen) has turned Tim into an annoying/saccharine pain in the tush.

@bratface said:

I strongly suspect the young Kilburn's performance was a direct result of the director's, well, direction.

Probably. But as I said every child that has played the part (of the ones I've seen) has turned Tim into an annoying/saccharine pain in the tush.

I don't disagree, but to be fair - as written by Dickens - I doubt it would be possible to make a Tiny Tin less than cloying while remaining true to the story. He's written that way.

@rudely_murray said:

@bratface said:

I strongly suspect the young Kilburn's performance was a direct result of the director's, well, direction.

Probably. But as I said every child that has played the part (of the ones I've seen) has turned Tim into an annoying/saccharine pain in the tush.

I don't disagree, but to be fair - as written by Dickens - I doubt it would be possible to make a Tiny Tin less than cloying while remaining true to the story. He's written that way.

I had to go & reread the story. I went to 'Project Gutenberg' & read it again & except for what he said to his father in church (see below), he wasn't that bad.

"He told me, coming home, that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see."

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/46/46-h/46-h.htm#link10