A Christmas Carol is a 1935 British Christmas fantasy film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Seymour Hicks, Donald Calthrop and Robert Cochran. It was the first sound film of feature length to adapt the Charles Dickens novella A Christmas Carol, and it was the second cinematic adaptation of the story to use sound, following a now lost 1928 short subject adaptation of the story. Hicks had previously played the role of Scrooge on the stage regularly, starting in 1901, and in a 1913 British silent film version. The 1913 film, retitled Old Scrooge, was reissued in 1929 as a "sound film" by the low-budget Weiss Bros. studio, with a synchronized musical score added.
Critical reception to Scrooge has been generally positive over the years. Praise has focused on the film's atmosphere, which has been compared to works of German expressionism, and on the performance of Hicks in the title role. Some reviews have criticized the film for its technical limitations and for heavily abbreviating Scrooge's backstory.
Plot: Ebenezer Scrooge (Seymour Hicks) is a curmudgeonly businessman who hates the Christmas season because it interferes with making money. His meek employee, Bob Cratchit (Donald Calthrop), dutifully serves Scrooge despite his mistreatment because Bob needs to provide for his family. On the night of Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by a number of visions, including the Spirit of Christmas Present (Oscar Asche), which shows him things he cannot normally see, changing the miser's attitude forever.
Soundtracks: Hark! the Herald Angels Sing Written by Charles Wesley and Felix Mendelssohn Heard behind the opening credits, sung later by Philip Frost and sung in the church at the end.
The First Noel Traditional Heard as background in the opening scene.
Good King Wenceslas Traditional Sung by the carollers.
We Three Kings Traditional Heard when Scrooge is sitting in the pub.
God Save the Queen Music by unknown composer Lyrics by Henry Carey Sung at the banquet.
Here we go gathering nuts in May Traditional Sung by the children dancing around the Christmas tree.
Credits Sir Seymour Hicks as Ebenezer Scrooge Donald Calthrop as Robert "Bob" Cratchit Robert Cochran as Fred Mary Glynne as Belle Garry Marsh as Belle's husband Philip Frost as Tiny Tim Oscar Asche as Spirit of Christmas Present Marie Ney as Spirit of Christmas Past (voice, physical outline only) C. V. France as Spirit of Christmas Future Athene Seyler as Scrooge's charwoman Maurice Evans as Poor man pleading with Scrooge Mary Lawson as Poor man's wife Barbara Everest as Mrs. Cratchit Eve Gray as Fred's wife Morris Harvey as Poulterer with prize turkey D.J. Williams as Undertaker Margaret Yarde as Scrooge's laundress Hugh E. Wright as Old Joe Charles Carson as Middlemark, seeking charitable contributions Hubert Harben as Worthington, seeking charitable contributions Robert Morley as Rich man (uncredited)
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