Let us first see how Reginald Owen holds up as Scrooge. Well let's be honest he starts off really over the top, goofy, and cartoonish. He yells, looks over the top grumpy, he walks funny, he pouts his lip, he does all the things that a stereotypical Ebenezer Scrooge would do, which is why I love George C. Scott's performance in the 1984 adaptation. He tried and succeeded new things done with a character that has been played by many actors before him. But as any great character does he grows on you and you eventually begin to enjoy his personality. It truly is a harmless performance, and some of the over the top scenes are actually pretty entertaining to watch. I think they're funny! There is then Bob Cratchit (Gene Lockhart), who I think maybe is the strongest character in this adaptation. I think the reason is that he Lockhart plays the Cratchit we all know and love, The humble, sensitive, loving, and Christmas loving family man. There is actually a dimension added to him as there is a scene that was added where Scrooge actually fires him because of an accident. Through the performance, the expressions on his face absolutely exploit the pain that he is going through as he tries to hide it from his family and just wants to celebrate the Christmas season with his family without any depression. The Tiny Tim (Terry Kilburn) in this film is a bit awkward to watch though. I think the kid acted a way bit too much over the top and I think whenever he smiles it gives me such an awkward feeling. But to be fair I think a lot of the other Tiny Tims in other adaptations are pretty awkward to sit through too. Plus, it is mention that he doesn't like Scrooge? Why? Isn't this suppose to be like the most nicest child you would ever meet on the planet? The one who would be friends with anybody? Sort of a flaw there. I know those kids try their best, but Tim does not look like an easy role to pull off. I think the three spirits are done well enough though. The Ghost of Christmas Past (Ann Rutherford) has this miraculous presence to her and I have not thought much about that spirit in any other adaptation but that is probably the best one I've seen. The Ghost of Christmas Present (Lionel Braham) is pretty likeable, though a typical jolly spirit of the Present. He is still engaging to watch anyway. Not much to say about the Ghost of Christmas Future (D'arcy Corrigan), but any scene involving him in any adaptation is more than entertaining. And though not as strong or powerfully done like in the 1984 adaptation , the Jacob Marley (Leo G. Carroll) was decent enough. I thought the ghostly affect on him was really impressive and well done, especially for the time. Though the no nonsense and threatening performance has been done before, the Leo G. Carroll pulls it off well enough for it to have a staple in people's minds whenever they think of Jacob Marley. Scrooge's nephew Fred (Barry MacKay) also plays a significant role especially in this adaptation. To be honest I actually find Fred probably the weakest character in any Christmas Carol adaptation alongside Tiny Tim. He always generally nice, there was no depth to him. Well except for when he says his speech about Christmas to Scrooge, that always gives me a warm feeling. But Barry MacKay does manage to make me believe that he is in fact the best Fred. He's likeable, loving, fun, and very charismatic. He is the type of guy you would make friends with easily. So Fred maybe a weak character in other tellings of the story, but MacKay does a great job of actually giving him depth.
The story as we all know it is still a great and timeless story. It is about redemption, second chances, renewal, and the wondrous gifts that Christmas has to offer such as love and family. Though watching this film something seemed a bit too uneasy for me, and I think it was the overall tone and delivery of the film. I only viewed this film once and from watching it something seemed off like the tone was a bit to cartoonish and childish. This is mostly because I am so used to the evolution of the story and how different filmmakers wanted to make it leave a strong impact by having most of it gothic and eerie but still come across as uplifting and heartwarming by the end, for example the 1984 adaptation starring George C. Scott. The tone of this film felt very Disney-ish like from Snow White or Pinocchio (even though I think those films are great), and yes Disney did do a Christmas Carol adaptation, two in fact. One in 1983 that was 30 minutes and animated starring Mickey Mouse and another in 2009 that was CGI motion-caputre directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Jim Carrey. But aside from that and to be fair, this was the first adaptation to be a talkie, and to use this tone at the time of its release is more than excusable. And not all the scenes are too cartoonish and over the top, there are actually some really good heartwarming scenes put into it like Cratchit dealing with being fired while at the same time trying to enjoy a joyous Christmas with his family, there is a scene at a church during Mass where there are people singing including Fred and is wife, Bob Cratchit, and Tiny Tim and the emotions expressed in that scene as well as the overall atmosphere is beyond incredible, and of course the the scene where Scrooge finds out he is a dead man doomed to suffer loneliness and struggle in the afterlife if he does not change his ways. Overall the film does do a decent job of still getting the point across, to be entertaining throughout, and to succeed in adapting Charles Dickens' classic tale. Sure there are added filler that goes on for too long and maybe awkward to sit through, but it is the same with The Hobbit. You can excuse the childish themes since it was originally based on a children's novel and they did a good job adapting that. With this they decided a tone they wanted to go with, and they truly did well enough to succeed! I think I may have added a film for me to definitely watch every holiday season!
SANTA'S LIST: NICE
GRADE: P
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