Customer Reviews:
Not all there........2006-02-05
What can I say. This is a movie that it does well to see for informations sake.
However, comparing what I saw with what I read about on the Internet Movie DataBase I suspect this particular version has been edited.
It's a good film for all that, and an interesting alternative to the other versions extant, with the Alistair Sim Scrooge of 1951 the standard all others are measured by.
Incidentally Jacob Marley's Ghost doesn't appear here ... he's a voice only!
Definately worth looking out if you can.
Excellent Early Cinema!.......2005-08-05
The complete version of 'Scrooge' is very impressive. It focuses on the story's dark side. The almost continuous moving cinematography is most impressive along with it's atmospheric sets and costume designs. Sir Seymour Hicks portrayal of old Ebenezer is fantastic. The film is a great example of the last of expressionist film making. The future sequence is most impressive. The only downfall of this film is the very short and undetailed christmas past sequence which omits most of the origingal story lines from Dicken's original novel. THis is a great film that movie buffs will truly enjoy for it's artistic value!
An unusual but rewarding 1935 adaptation of the classic tale.......2004-12-21
We true fans of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and the various film adaptations it has inspired tend to have pretty strong feelings when it comes to which version is best. The film starring Alistair Simms wins the vote of many, despite its sometimes rash departures from Dickens' original story, while the newer version starring George C. Scott has many of its own stalwart defenders - including me. I doubt that many fans would nominate 1935's Scrooge, starring Sir Seymour Hicks, as their all-time favorite, but it is definitely a respectable and immensely rewarding theatrical recreation of the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. Some of this film's obvious shortcomings are necessarily accounted for by the time of its creation,
Sir Seymour Hicks makes for a surly and unattractive incarnation of Mr. Scrooge, leading me to wonder just how convincing his eventual change of heart would be on the screen, but those final scenes play out wonderfully and erased any prior doubts I had up until that point as to the emotional power of the film. Heart-strings that have been pulled many times in the past were pulled yet again for this fan, making this a truly memorable version of Dickens' intimately familiar Christmas story.
You'll notice some definite peculiarities with this film. It's rather dark, for one thing - and not just in terms of the print; a few scenes seem to have soft touches of German expressionism woven into them. All of this is not surprising, given the date of production. I will admit that one scene, in which an unimportant character's head becomes momentarily transparent, borders on the weird, though. Don't expect a whole lot from Jacob Marley - upon his arrival, he announces that only Scrooge can see him. He isn't lying, as Marley's ghost is completely invisible here. The Ghost of Christmas Past is equally unimpressive, existing as sort of a hazy area of light. (The Ghost of Christmas Present appears in all his glory, however - albeit without a certain pair of disturbing children underneath his flowing robes.)
The film is basically pretty faithful to Dickens' story up until the appearance of the Ghost of Christmas Past. Many adaptations spend an inordinate amount of time in the past, but here the first haunting is over before you can say "Bah! Humbug!" There's almost no attempt to explore the path by which Scrooge became such an insufferable miser. The Ghost of Christmas Present takes a few odd detours in his journey with Scrooge, but the story of the Cratchits is told quite well. (I was a little bothered to see Scrooge's nephew belittling him unmercifully at his own Christmas celebration, though.) The look at Christmas Future plays out very well indeed, and then of course we have the aforementioned change of heart that transforms Scrooge into the merriest of men. That change of heart begins far too early, however - right after the very much abbreviated look at Christmas Past, in fact.
The film is a little uneven in its middle portions, and it adds a few needless scenes to the original story, but Seymour Hicks evidences a grand rebirth on Christmas morning, and a film that moved me very little early on proved itself more than capable of delivering a powerful and heart-touching ending. I feel safe in saying there are better adaptations of A Christmas Carol out there, but this early film is more than worth your time should you happen across it.
The oldest version of "A Christmas Carol" you can still view.......2003-11-21
This 1935 version of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens stars Seymour Hicks as Scrooge, which probably explains the title. The performance by Hicks, who had played the role on stage may times and in a 1913 silent film version, dominates the rest of the actors (Hicks was knighted that same year). Beyond that it is the sense of Victorian England that director Henry Edwards evokes that stands out. The contrast between the home of Scrooge's nephew Fred and that of Bob Crachit (Donald Calthrop) is rather shocking; you would think the Crachits were squatters because they really do have NOTHING. Combined with Scrooge's brutal treatment of his kindly clerk, this is the version of "A Christmas Carol" that really emphasizes the poverty and social conditions that offended Dickens.
This film runs only 78 minutes, and those familiar with the story will find that most of what is excised are the Ghost of Christmas Past scenes. This is rather unfortunate since they are the key building blocks in creating sympathy for Scrooge and the first steps in his transformation. Still, this is yet another fine version of "A Christmas Carol," and it is simply that there are versions that are better in various ways. But this particular "Scrooge" is the oldest version readily available and deserves to maintain that status. Final Note: Look quick for Maurice Evans as the Poor Man. The Shakespearean actor was still three decades away from his most famous roles in "Rosemary's Baby," "Planet of the Apes," and the television series "Bewitched."
Perhaps the earliest version of Dickens' story available..........2000-11-23
This 60 minute movie was filmed in 1935 and it shows. Nothing has been done to alter the poor sound or picture quality prior to release. However, it must be borne in mind that, as it is such an old film, credit must be given to the pioneering people who made it, as they undoubtedly influenced the subsequent version(s) (I think the next was in 1938 and much better). Directed by Henry Edwards, with the screenplay adaptation - and the role of Scrooge - carried out by Sir Seymour Hicks, it is a watchable rendition - but I wouldn't say too enjoyable. I suspect older fans of the story may show more respect for this version than younger ones. Of course, one quality the film does possess is 'nostalgia'. Little effort, I should have thought, would be needed to alter the streets, given the context of the period. When you're watching it it's strange to think that it was shot only 17 years after the First World War! So with this in mind, we have to be cautious in criticism. Performances aren't bad. Hicks is convincing as Scrooge, but I think Fred gives the best performance. I think the people that will buy this version are those who simply want to add to their existing collection. For anyone wanting to buy their first version, I would recommend Scrooge (1951) or A Christmas Carol (1984).
Customer Reviews:
Not all there........2006-02-05
What can I say. This is a movie that it does well to see for informations sake.
However, comparing what I saw with what I read about on the Internet Movie DataBase I suspect this particular version has been edited.
It's a good film for all that, and an interesting alternative to the other versions extant, with the Alistair Sim Scrooge of 1951 the standard all others are measured by.
Incidentally Jacob Marley's Ghost doesn't appear here ... he's a voice only!
Definately worth looking out if you can.
Excellent Early Cinema!.......2005-08-05
The complete version of 'Scrooge' is very impressive. It focuses on the story's dark side. The almost continuous moving cinematography is most impressive along with it's atmospheric sets and costume designs. Sir Seymour Hicks portrayal of old Ebenezer is fantastic. The film is a great example of the last of expressionist film making. The future sequence is most impressive. The only downfall of this film is the very short and undetailed christmas past sequence which omits most of the origingal story lines from Dicken's original novel. THis is a great film that movie buffs will truly enjoy for it's artistic value!
An unusual but rewarding 1935 adaptation of the classic tale.......2004-12-21
We true fans of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and the various film adaptations it has inspired tend to have pretty strong feelings when it comes to which version is best. The film starring Alistair Simms wins the vote of many, despite its sometimes rash departures from Dickens' original story, while the newer version starring George C. Scott has many of its own stalwart defenders - including me. I doubt that many fans would nominate 1935's Scrooge, starring Sir Seymour Hicks, as their all-time favorite, but it is definitely a respectable and immensely rewarding theatrical recreation of the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. Some of this film's obvious shortcomings are necessarily accounted for by the time of its creation,
Sir Seymour Hicks makes for a surly and unattractive incarnation of Mr. Scrooge, leading me to wonder just how convincing his eventual change of heart would be on the screen, but those final scenes play out wonderfully and erased any prior doubts I had up until that point as to the emotional power of the film. Heart-strings that have been pulled many times in the past were pulled yet again for this fan, making this a truly memorable version of Dickens' intimately familiar Christmas story.
You'll notice some definite peculiarities with this film. It's rather dark, for one thing - and not just in terms of the print; a few scenes seem to have soft touches of German expressionism woven into them. All of this is not surprising, given the date of production. I will admit that one scene, in which an unimportant character's head becomes momentarily transparent, borders on the weird, though. Don't expect a whole lot from Jacob Marley - upon his arrival, he announces that only Scrooge can see him. He isn't lying, as Marley's ghost is completely invisible here. The Ghost of Christmas Past is equally unimpressive, existing as sort of a hazy area of light. (The Ghost of Christmas Present appears in all his glory, however - albeit without a certain pair of disturbing children underneath his flowing robes.)
The film is basically pretty faithful to Dickens' story up until the appearance of the Ghost of Christmas Past. Many adaptations spend an inordinate amount of time in the past, but here the first haunting is over before you can say "Bah! Humbug!" There's almost no attempt to explore the path by which Scrooge became such an insufferable miser. The Ghost of Christmas Present takes a few odd detours in his journey with Scrooge, but the story of the Cratchits is told quite well. (I was a little bothered to see Scrooge's nephew belittling him unmercifully at his own Christmas celebration, though.) The look at Christmas Future plays out very well indeed, and then of course we have the aforementioned change of heart that transforms Scrooge into the merriest of men. That change of heart begins far too early, however - right after the very much abbreviated look at Christmas Past, in fact.
The film is a little uneven in its middle portions, and it adds a few needless scenes to the original story, but Seymour Hicks evidences a grand rebirth on Christmas morning, and a film that moved me very little early on proved itself more than capable of delivering a powerful and heart-touching ending. I feel safe in saying there are better adaptations of A Christmas Carol out there, but this early film is more than worth your time should you happen across it.
The oldest version of "A Christmas Carol" you can still view.......2003-11-21
This 1935 version of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens stars Seymour Hicks as Scrooge, which probably explains the title. The performance by Hicks, who had played the role on stage may times and in a 1913 silent film version, dominates the rest of the actors (Hicks was knighted that same year). Beyond that it is the sense of Victorian England that director Henry Edwards evokes that stands out. The contrast between the home of Scrooge's nephew Fred and that of Bob Crachit (Donald Calthrop) is rather shocking; you would think the Crachits were squatters because they really do have NOTHING. Combined with Scrooge's brutal treatment of his kindly clerk, this is the version of "A Christmas Carol" that really emphasizes the poverty and social conditions that offended Dickens.
This film runs only 78 minutes, and those familiar with the story will find that most of what is excised are the Ghost of Christmas Past scenes. This is rather unfortunate since they are the key building blocks in creating sympathy for Scrooge and the first steps in his transformation. Still, this is yet another fine version of "A Christmas Carol," and it is simply that there are versions that are better in various ways. But this particular "Scrooge" is the oldest version readily available and deserves to maintain that status. Final Note: Look quick for Maurice Evans as the Poor Man. The Shakespearean actor was still three decades away from his most famous roles in "Rosemary's Baby," "Planet of the Apes," and the television series "Bewitched."
Perhaps the earliest version of Dickens' story available..........2000-11-23
This 60 minute movie was filmed in 1935 and it shows. Nothing has been done to alter the poor sound or picture quality prior to release. However, it must be borne in mind that, as it is such an old film, credit must be given to the pioneering people who made it, as they undoubtedly influenced the subsequent version(s) (I think the next was in 1938 and much better). Directed by Henry Edwards, with the screenplay adaptation - and the role of Scrooge - carried out by Sir Seymour Hicks, it is a watchable rendition - but I wouldn't say too enjoyable. I suspect older fans of the story may show more respect for this version than younger ones. Of course, one quality the film does possess is 'nostalgia'. Little effort, I should have thought, would be needed to alter the streets, given the context of the period. When you're watching it it's strange to think that it was shot only 17 years after the First World War! So with this in mind, we have to be cautious in criticism. Performances aren't bad. Hicks is convincing as Scrooge, but I think Fred gives the best performance. I think the people that will buy this version are those who simply want to add to their existing collection. For anyone wanting to buy their first version, I would recommend Scrooge (1951) or A Christmas Carol (1984).
DVD Review:
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- Soul Searcher [2006]
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- Space Cowboys [HD DVD] [2000] [US Import]
- Space Precinct - Vol. 6 [1995]
- Space Precinct - Vol. 7 [1995]
- Space Rangers [1993]
- Star Cops - Complete Series [1987]
- Stargate Atlantis - Series 2 Vol.4
- Stargate Atlantis - Series 2 Vol.5
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