THE CHRISTMAS CAROL (1949) – This relic from the VERY early years of television was a syndicated production. It was also one of THREE productions of the Carol to hit the airwaves in 1949.
This version’s biggest claim to fame is the on-screen presence of a bearded (despite the picture to the right) Vincent Price as the story’s narrator. For my fellow bad movie geeks the one and only Robert Clarke portrays Nephew Fred to Taylor Holmes’ Scrooge.
Price is the very best element of the production, which is so haphazard that it repeatedly presents Scrooge’s first name spelled “Ebeneezer” instead of “Ebenezer” like it should be.
All things considered, this is a reasonable (but bland) presentation given its brief 25 1/2 minute running time and technical limitations. With no special effects the tableau of Marley’s Ghost walking through a solid door is accomplished by a camera angle that permits the actor to dart to the right into what must have been a hollowed- out fake chest of drawers instead. You have to really be looking for it to spot it, though, so it’s a nice stage magician’s trick to provide the illusion.
Scrooge sleeps in his street clothes to avoid the necessity for costume changes in this live-on-tape production. The Ghost of Christmas Past shows Ebenezer his much younger self spending Christmas all alone during the school break then verbally chastises him for letting money drive his old love Belle away from him later in life. The Ghost of Christmas Present takes the old miser to the Cratchit household for the usual glimpse of Tiny Tim but forgoes the visit to Nephew Fred’s Christmas party.
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come wears the usual black robes and cowl but adds a black bandit mask for good measure. This spirit shows Scrooge the businessmen joking about an unnamed man’s death followed by the usual tombstone revelation that he is the man they were referring to. He might also have added “They even misspelled my name on my own tombstone, those bastards!” (rimshot)
Scrooge’s morning after conversion is intact, complete with the call to the boy below asking what day it is. Ebenezer and Nephew Fred then show up at the Cratchit house with gifts and food and Scrooge’s promise to help with Tiny Tim’s needs. Vincent Price ends the drama on a classy note with his reading of Dickens’ closing words from the original novel. This 1949 broadcast opened and closed with Christmas carols sung by the Mitchell Choirboys. There’s nothing genuinely moving about this rendition of the Carol but it’s a nice, quick novelty item that is at least pleasant enough to watch for us Carol completists.
FOR MORE VERSIONS OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL CLICK HERE: https://glitternight.com/category/a-christmas-carol-2/
© Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog, 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Balladeer's Blog 
I watched this last week, and here it is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxgU_J366JI Not great by any means. Way too short and abrupt. I wasn’t sure about Taylor Holmes as Scrooge. Up until now, all I knew him from was the voice of King Stefan in “Sleeping Beauty”. As far as the ghosts are concerned, Marley was easily the best. Hardly as good as some, but at least he vaguely captures the character Dickens created. I wasn’t pleased with the other ghosts at all, though. Christmas Present, in particular, was the worst I’ve seen so far. A few noteworthy things, though. Note how the Christmas Past sequence is terminated in a manner very similar to the Reginald Owen version, meaning the ghost starts to tell Scrooge about what he’s about to show him, when he started to take a turn for the worst, tells him too much in advance, and causes Scrooge to lose it and put it to an end prematurely. Also, the make the Cratchit family extremely poor, in that they don’t even have a goose in this case. Nothing but soup.
Oops, forgot to share my take on Holmes. He gave it his best but never once challenges the memory of numerous other Scrooges I’ve seen.
Mr. would have a good Scrooge
I agree! Vincent would have been very good!
Gotta love Vinnie!
I agree!
Love the Taylor Holmes line: “You’ll keep Christmas by losing your sit-e-ation.” Sort of nailed it like Will Geer as Grandpa Walton.
PS: As an aside Balladeer, I was at the NAIA title game. Close for about 10 minutes.
Yeah the comparison to Geer is great!
So regarding the NAIA championship, I guess me calling it “lopsided” is a bit mild, eh.
Ha! Lopsided works. Definitely.
Another aside — Have you seen the 1914 and 1901 Christmas Carols? I’ve seen where both are out now, but haven’t watched them yet.
Hello again! I’ve seen them but I haven’t had a chance to add reviews about them during any of my Carol-A-Thons yet.
I love versions of this story too! Thumbs up dude!
Ha! Thanks!
Wonderful! I’m like you. I could watch a hundred of these every Christmas season!
I know exactly how you feel!
I really think this version is way too bland.
I understand. Different tasted and all that.
I love these really old black and white Carols!
I understand how you feel!
I usually like A Chr Carol but this one was not at all good in my opinion.
I understand. Different tastes and all that.