This is the A Christmas Carol version that was always my favourite growing up, a combination of both because it aired especially a lot (it's only 69 minutes in duration) during those decades and because it's a good brisk telling of the story; things keep moving and never become dull. Too, I'd say it's overall less heavy than other versions. For a kid, teenager, and young adult, this was very easy, agreeable, and pleasant to digest. And it still is when viewed at present age.

This, admittedly, is a "B" production (no high-gloss lustre, and a few in the supporting cast give rather ripe performances in full or part), however is rich in everything you could want in a truly wonderful, magical, memorable classic Christmas movie.

I like that this particular Scrooge (splendidly portrayed by Reginald Owen) is much more readily receptive to the messages of Marley and the three Christmas Spirits. Gene Lockhart (as Bob Cratchit), and the portrayers of Marley (Leo G. Carroll) and the first two Christmas Spirits (Ann Rutherford and Lionel Braham), also come off especially well, as does Kathleen Lockhart (Gene's real life wife, June's mother) as Mrs. Cratchit. It's a treat, in this, to see three Lockharts performing together. (That was another big plus of this version, when I was a kid, was that I loved watching reruns of the classic Lassie t.v. series when little, and June Lockhart - who portrays one of the Cratchit daughters in this - co-starred in that series as Timmy's mother. Too, I was familiar with Gene Lockhart from his portrayal of the judge in classic Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street.)

By the way, is it just me who thinks Kathleen Lockhart looked a whole lot like great Golden Age supporting actress Beulah Bondi?

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