Movie Critics Corner
For this week's music I chose a powerful rendition of "Carol of the Bells." This song seemed
to go well with this movie critique where it sounds like bells chiming at the hour... a preview of the visions to come.
The music will get quite loud so keep the sound down. You may also want to refresh the page
or the media player bar if you want to keep reading with the music.
The Main Characters:
Sir Seymour Hicks as Ebenezer Scrooge
Donald Calthrop as Bob Cratchit
Robert Cochran as Scrooge's nephew Fred
Philip Frost as Tiny Tim
Maurice Evans in a bit part
Summary:
Amid the Christmas music playing in the background of the opening credits, this excerpt is
posted by Charles Dickens, whose "A Christmas Carol" is retold in this movie:
"I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book to raise the Ghost of an Idea
which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other,
with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one
wish to lay it.
Their faithful Friend and Servant, Charles Dickens" December 1843
The scene opens with street musicians playing "The First Noel" near the business office
of Scrooge and Marley. The music of the brass instruments is heard while the elderly
Scrooge is hunched over a table with his employee Cratchit at another table looking over a
book barely lit by candlelight in the very dark room. Cratchit tries to warm his cold hands
with the candle's flame. Quietly he tries to add a few more coals to the furnace, but
Scrooge sees him in the mirror and tells him to go back to work. If he keeps working he
won't be cold. Scrooge learns Cratchit has a family to support: a wife and six children.
Sadly he wraps his skimpy scarf around his neck and returns to his work. Scrooge's jolly
nephew arrives with Christmas cheer carrying an armload of gifts. He is invited to the
Christmas dinner tomorrow. Scrooge sends him away.
Later, three children sing at the window of the office. Distracted, Scrooge goes to the
window which scare the children away. With the evening chimes, the two men extinguish their
candle flames and close the office. Cratchit is asked to work all day the next day.
Scrooge's nephew continues buying little items from the street vendors with a smile, while
Cratchit follows the boys gliding on the ice on the street. Scrooge says "bah humbug" to all
the well wishes of "Merry Christmas" from the townfolk. He enters a simple diner for his
evening meal.
Elegantly dressed lords and ladies arrive in a carriage at a large ballroom. Several chefs
are busy at work cooking or testing the liquor. Scraps of food are thrown to the boys
waiting outside the gates. At the dinner celebration, the host opens the event with a toast
and all the richly guests stand with glasses raised to sing "God Save the Queen." Outside
the gates the poor folk also stand and sing the anthem.
Scrooge enters a dark and quiet house. Holding a single candlestick he cautiously inspects
the rooms. He is unnerved by a coat hanging near the window and fearfully pokes at it with
his cane. Seeing it is just a coat he replies "bah humbug." He seems unusually fearful as
he looks around him. He sits and finds a bowl of cold food which he begins eating. He hears
a fierce jangling of the metal bell on the wall and looks outside. He sees nobody there.
Then the door opens by itself and he hears the voice of his late partner Marley. Scrooge is
terrified as he talks to the invisible voice. The voice tells Scrooge he will be haunted
by three spirits: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost
of Christmas Future. The first will visit at the stroke of midnight. Terrified, Scrooge
looks out the window. The quiet sky is now filled with a snow storm. Within a few minutes
the storm is calm as if nothing happened. Scrooge appears uncertain.
Later that night Scrooge is unable to sleep. At the stroke of midnight he sees a bright
shape of a person on the wall of his bedroom who tells him he will see images from his past.
Scrooge looks and sees a young couple arguing with Scrooge. He refuses to increase his pay.
The couple leave brokenhearted. An older woman watches in sadness and confronts Scrooge.
He argues about his good money which annoys her. She removes her ring from her finger and
pleads with him to have a heart like he used to. She leaves in tears. He picks up the ring
she left behind. The present Scrooge lowers his head in defeated sadness.
The next scene shown to Scrooge is of a group of children dressed for the holidays, singing
and dancing around the Christmas tree. They are overjoyed when their father returns home.
The same older woman of earlier is the wife of the happy man. Scrooge doesn't want to see
any more.
The next scene shows a large man dressed like a king feasting. He has a garland on his head.
Scrooge looks around and sees he is in an area surrounded by flowers.
People are filing out of a building. Bob Cratchit is carrying a little crippled boy riding
on his back. He stops to buy a tiny boat from a street vendor for the boy. A family is
welcoming relatives through their door. Cratchit and the boy arrive in this cozy setting.
The present Scrooge and the kingly man are looking through the Cratchit window. The large
family sit at the table with one little goose to feed them. The family later lift their
cups to Mr. Scrooge's health. Tiny Tim begins singing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" joined
by the family and into the whole city.
The present Scrooge awakens in his bed shaking. He sees the shadow of a hand across his
face. He will be shown the future next.
Fine-dressed men are discussing the joy of the death of someone. Homeless people are showing
off the goods they collected. They share the coins among each of them. The present Scrooge
wonders why the people are joyful at a man's death.
Cratchit is shown crying. When he composes himself he quietly enters the bedroom of a boy
lying quietly. He kisses the forehead of the boy while Scrooge continues to look on sadly.
He returns to the family and they discuss the health of Tiny Tim. Scrooge wants to know
who the man who died was. The kingly ghost takes him to the deserted snow-covered ground
where a simple nameplate of "Ebenezer Scrooge" lies. Scrooge in agony scratches at his name-
plate only to be taken back into his own bed and scratching at the sheets. The scene is
brightly lit now as Scrooge awakens with a determination and smile amidst some tears of
gratitude. He prays he will be a giving man from now on and is overjoyed to be alive. His
poorly dressed maid is surprised at the change in him who is now jumping and woo-ing. He
calls a poor boy to his window with an errand to get a large bird. Scrooge dresses up in
fine clothes and meets the boy and butcher downstairs. He doesn't take the bird but pays
both handsomely to their surprise.
Scrooge hesitantly arrives at his nephew's home where he is having a family reunion. The
guests are shocked at seeing Scrooge in the doorway. He greets them cheerfully and walks to
the decorated tree. He hears the voice of Tiny Tim singing and is saddened. He has a meal
with the family.
At the Cratchit home, Bob Cratchit hastily rushes to the office. He sees Scrooge appearing
busy at his table. At first he appears angry but then sends Cratchit off to enjoy the day
off with his family.
THE END
Noteworthy Scenes:
The simple effects are interesting here. Only Scrooge's face is seen through a larger black
silhouette of his own figure reflected off the cloudy window. Hard to describe, but the
window is speckled with white frost, a black silhouette of his head and shoulders are on
this white backdrop with just his face in the middle of the silhouette. The kingly ghost's
black silhouetted hand is pointing to the scene.
Another dramatic silhouette scene shows the white surface of snow on the ground. In his
agony of learning he was the man who died, hated by all, a black silhouette of a hand is
shown on this white ground, one hand clutching the wrist of the angry hand image.
QV Comments:
This movie looks very old. I vaguely heard of the main actor Sir Seymour Hicks. Maurice Evans
appears in a bit part. He has appeared in such diverse roles as the red-haired ape in Planet
of the Apes with Charlton Heston and as the richly dressed warlock father of Elizabeth
Montgomery in TV's "Bewitched." The others I've never even heard of.
The scenes are very dark and seem full of fog in the streets. The rich ballroom shows a
marked contrast with brightness and clarity. The sound is quite poor. The acting is superbly
done, being a cast of Shakespearean actors. I think the darkness is intentional, to add
drama to the storyline. The overall feeling is of poverty and coldness of heart--the dark
scenes--highly contrasted by the warmth of wealth and cheerful hearts in the lighter scenes.
The two silhouetted scenes mentioned are like the struggle between good and evil or warmth
and coldness. The brightly lit scene after Scrooge becomes a changed person shows this
drama well. His dark home is bright, the snowy scenes are bright. "Glorious!" as Scrooge
calls out.
Although this movie had good ratings, I am sad to say because the sound quality is so poor
it is a treasure that can't be fully enjoyed. Even the DVD version of this movie lacks in
the potential of this well-attempted movie. I would likely watch it again if just for the
drama of the fine acting and the superb use of light and dark contrasts. Sir Seymour Hicks
has played the character of Scrooge on stage as well with good reviews.
Thank you for visiting.
This page was updated on Dec. 5, 2003