Every year I used to read the novel "A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas (1843)" by Charles Dickens.
There are countless film adaptations, and this is one of my favourite.
"What day is it?" (George C. Scott - A Christmas Carol - 1984)
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Reply by rudely_murray
on December 25, 2018 at 5:04 PM
My favourite is the Alastair Sim film, but this one is a strong second place.
I love the novel, too.
Reply by strntz
on December 29, 2018 at 7:42 AM
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.
Reply by bratface
on December 29, 2018 at 8:08 PM
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
Reply by genplant29
on December 31, 2018 at 1:03 PM
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.
Reply by bratface
on December 31, 2018 at 1:43 PM
I agree about that too & every version I have ever seen. I just want to 'strangle' Tim. The character is beyond annoying.
Reply by genplant29
on December 31, 2018 at 2:05 PM
Ditto the girl who gratingly portrays Scrooge's little sister in the '38 version. She takes OTT to a whole other level.
Reply by strntz
on December 31, 2018 at 4:21 PM
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.
Reply by bratface
on December 31, 2018 at 5:38 PM
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.
Reply by rudely_murray
on December 31, 2018 at 10:47 PM
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.
Reply by bratface
on January 1, 2019 at 1:01 AM
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