Welcome to another installment of Balladeer’s Blog’s annual orgy of versions of A Christmas Carol. This version was produced in Spain in 1947 (and was remade for Spanish television in 1966 ) and the Spanish language title is Leyenda de Navidad ( Legend of Christmas, of course). The film was written and directed by Manuel Tamayo (who wrote the screenplay for the 1955 feature Tarde de Toros) This is a wonderful version for several reasons, not the least of which would be its well-done (for the time period) sets of 1843 London.
We’ll take the differences and similarities to other versions in order – 1. Scrooge has several people working for him for some reason, not just Bob Cratchit and NONE of them get Christmas Day off from this Scrooge …
2. Marley’s Ghost steps out of a life-sized portrait of the man that adorns the wall above a fireplace, and returns to that portrait after his standard warning about
the 3 Ghosts …
3. Transportation through time with three very Spanish renditions of the Ghosts is accomplished NOT through cheesy special effects (that may well have broken the budget anyway) but in the very clever way of entering through doorways into other rooms or closets and as each Ghost pulls the door shut behind them, presto, the Ghost and Scrooge are at whatever locale the Spirit is showing him. For variety Scrooge and The Ghost Of Christmas Present arrive down Nephew Fred’s chimney …
4. The Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come is depicted as a grim, unspeaking man in a black top hat and black cape …
5. Among the visions of the future that he shows Scrooge is his long-lost love – here called “Mary” for some reason – who is still pining after him …
6. Part of Scrooge’s Christmas Morning conversion is conveyed with the nicely symbolic gesture of having him shave off a beard this incarnation of the miser has been sporting …
7. Scrooge and his long-lost love are reunited …
8. Scrooge’s impractical gesture of sending Bob Cratchit a huge turkey that would take forever to cook is compounded by having this Scrooge send Bob a LIVE turkey. (Ah, the Christmas Day tradition of killing, gutting and plucking the turkey! Now that’s a scene only Currier and Ives could do justice to!) This version runs under an hour and a half and is certainly a nice twist on the familiar story.
FOR MORE VERSIONS OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL CLICK HERE: https://glitternight.com/category/a-christmas-carol-2/
Balladeer's Blog 
Very interesting! Never knew there was a version made in Spain.
Glad to share the info!
Really interesting! Love some of the changes they made.
I know what you mean!
Very interesting to see these other versions of a Chrismas Carol.
Thanks! I know what you mean!
Very interesting! I enjoyed the Marley coming down from his portrait part.
Thanks! I know what you mean!
Very nice! I admire all the obscure Christmas Carol movies you found.
Thank you very much!
This ending sounds very romantic! I need to see this version.
I hope you enjoy it ^^^
Very sweet to have Scrroge get back with his lost love at the end.
Yeah, it’s an interesting touch!
Perfect synopsis of this forgotten classic! You rock dude!
Thanks very much!
Really lengthy collection of obscure Christmas Caarols you cover here.
Thanks! I try!
Shite! u got so many versions of A Christmas Carol
Ha! You said it!
Very nice! International love for the Christmas Carol!
Glad to do it &&
Very interesting review. Thank you! Where did you watch this version, as I would be keen to see it for myself?
Thanks! It was a gift so I’ll need to check! Keep looking back here for the details.
Thank you – that is very much appreciated.
Hi again. Just wondered if you have been able to confirm where you got hold of a copy of this.
U write 1 of my favorite blogs! Luv the obscure international films u find!
Thanks for all the kind words!
Have you seen the 1966 television remake?
No I have not had a chance to!
Nobody cares about this out of date story
Uh, yeah, right.
The Portuguese version you mentioned sounds cool too
It is! Maybe I’ll cover it next year!
Very cool! The 1966 tv version would be cool too I’ll bet
Thanks for the nice comment!
Muchas gracias!
No problem!
Very very awesome movies u find!
Thanks ______________________________________________
Very festive articles for Christmas!
Thank you —————————————————————
I need to find this before next Christmas!
I hope you enjoy it!
ur blog is so Christmassy every year
Thanks! I try!
Pingback: CHRISTMAS CAROL OBSCURITIES – CHRISTMAS CAROL-A-THON 2013 CONTINUES | Balladeer's Blog
This is another version that is discussed in great detail in Fred Guida’s book about the film versions of Dickens’s book. Apparently, in this version, Scrooge’s first name is changed to William, and Bob Cratchit is Scrooge’s doorman. And in the Christmas Future sequence, Scrooge’s grave isn’t completely abandoned: Mary is there grieving. She’s never forgotten him. Also, in the Christmas Past bit, there’s a scene with Scrooge and his sister listening to their grandfather telling them the story of Jesus’s birth, and the story is illustrated by manger figures. It’s one of only a handful of versions that directly emphasize the story’s religious references.
Cool! This one can sometimes be caught on Spanish language channels around Christmastime.
A few more things about this adaptation I read about: Scrooge and Marley had taken over their business from their old employer, whose name was Tackleton (which is also the name of a character in Dickens’s “Cricket on the Hearth”).The ghosts of Christmas past and present are middle aged men of about Scrooge’s age. The past ghost makes his (not so) grand entrance by struggling up the side of his house, and present playfully sneaks up on him in bed. I’ve even seen a photo of him (played by Mauel Requena) along with Scrooge (Jesus Tordesillas), plus one of the advertising poster.
The Tackleton bit went right by me. I’ve never been a big fan of Cricket on the Hearth but that’s cool that they did that.
Yeah. I had been listening to an audio version of that book, and I remembered reading the name in my adaptations book and put two and two together.
Pretty cool!
Interesting choice for a christmas carol
I certainly agree with that.
Pingback: CHRISTMAS CAROL OBSCURITIES | Balladeer's Blog
Logged.
Pingback: CHRISTMAS CAROL-A-THON 2017 BEGINS! | Balladeer's Blog
Logged.