A Christmas Carol

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A Christmas Carol

1938

1h 9m

Kids & Family

Holiday

Fantasy

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100%

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13 Reviews

75%

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50,000+ Ratings

Crotchety miser Ebenezer Scrooge (Reginald Owen) hates Christmas and mistreats his long-suffering employee, devoted family man Bob Cratchit (Gene Lockhart). But a visit from the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley (Leo G. Carroll) and three Christmas spirits (Lionel Braham, Ann Rutherford, D'Arcy Corrigan) might convince him to change his ways and become more kindhearted. This adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic became a holiday staple for decades.

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David Parkinson

Radio Times

11/19/2019

3/5

[A] typically polished MGM version of Charles Dickens's yuletide favourite.

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

07/18/2011

B

Effective adaptation of Charles Dickens novel, well acted by Reginald Owen and the rest of the cast.

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Scott G. Mignola

Common Sense Media

01/02/2011

4/5

A gentle, less scary version of the classic.

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Steve Biodrowski

Cinefantastique

11/11/2009

Although slightly corn-ball, this 1938 production...should appeal to fans of old-fashioned Hollywood-style filmmaking.

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TV Guide

11/27/2007

3.5/4

A great and eternally heart-warming film that can stand an appreciative viewing every year through every decade.

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John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

11/23/2005

7/10

The movie is nothing if not sincere, which goes a long way in a sentimental tale like this one.

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@Ilovemovies506 13h

I absolutely love this 😁😁😁😁😁

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Simon T

2d

Coming in at just over an hour, this is a necessarily abbreviated version of the Dickens favourite. For the most part that's a good thing - there are a few longeurs in the original narrative and taking scissors to the more long-winded passages does improve things. Other pluses are the production design and cinematography, which must have influenced later versions. The major problem is the miscast Reginald Owen as Scrooge, who is more Fezziwig than Ebenezer and doesn't find the layers that Alastair Sim definitively did a decade later. There's also a generalised archness in several of the supporting performances which is a pity.

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Cade H.

@cholton Jun 29

A classic that set the standard for every Christmas movie created afterwards. While the film is definitely dated and other adaptations are better suited for modern audience’s tastes and production expectations, this film has served as a benchmark writing wise for not only other adaptations of the story, but Christmas movies in general.

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Troy B

Dec 29

Definitely the best version of a Christmas carol. Watch it every December.

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Don L

12/16/2024

The best. It captures the magic of the Dickens story with a few, minor, Hollywood twists. But they add to the movie, not detract from Dickens novella. The best of all the film adaptations.

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mar q

12/11/2024

Dreamy. Great scrooge. Pretty Good for a 90 year old film. Short and sweet

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Edwin L. Marin

Director

Reginald Owen

Ebenezer Scrooge

Gene Lockhart

Bob Cratchit

Kathleen Lockhart

Mrs. Cratchit

Terry Kilburn

Tiny Tim Cratchit

Barry MacKay

Fred

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Synopsis

Crotchety miser Ebenezer Scrooge (Reginald Owen) hates Christmas and mistreats his long-suffering employee, devoted family man Bob Cratchit (Gene Lockhart). But a visit from the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley (Leo G. Carroll) and three Christmas spirits (Lionel Braham, Ann Rutherford, D'Arcy Corrigan) might convince him to change his ways and become more kindhearted. This adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic became a holiday staple for decades.

Director: Edwin L. Marin
Producer: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Screenwriter: Hugo Butler
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Loew's Inc.
Genre: Kids & Family, Holiday, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 16, 1938, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 19, 2008
Runtime: 1h 9m

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