A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1914) – ANOTHER SILENT FILM VERSION

Christmas Carol-a-Thon 2024 continues here at Balladeer’s Blog with another all-new review.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1914) – This British production was directed by Harold M. Shaw and runs a bit over 22 minutes. Charles Rock starred as Ebenezer Scrooge and he delivered a very good performance, diminished only by the brief running time.

Though longer than the 1901 and 1910 silent film versions of the Carol, this 1914 movie is still a big step backward from the 1913 big-screen version which ran roughly 40 minutes. One of the very few Carols to overcome being limited to just twenty-some minutes was the 1971 animated production, and Harold Shaw’s effort falls far short of that one. 

Still, there are bright spots in the 1914 version. Let’s take a look.

THE COUNTING HOUSE OF SCROOGE AND MARLEY – Rather than just tell his employee Bob Cratchit (George Bellamy) not to dare use any more coal to try warming himself the Charles Rock Scrooge literally walks over and uses the tongs to pluck a bit of coal out of the fire and return it to the bucket.

Scrooge also finds some holly that Cratchit has hung in the Scrooge & Marley office and takes it down in disgust.

NEPHEW FRED’S VISIT – Fred is played by Franklyn Bellamy and is winningly jovial and charming. Pointlessly, this version of the story not only depicts Fred bringing his new wife along to visit his Uncle Ebenezer but Harold Shaw idiotically has her named Belle, which is really the name of Scrooge’s lost love from long ago.

That’s not nitpicking, that’s a fundamental error that even 1914 audiences no doubt noticed. If you’re wondering what name this production assigns to Ebenezer’s lost love, don’t worry about it. His lost love is entirely omitted from the story along with the emotional impact she makes.

For my fellow silent movie geeks I’ll point out that Fred’s wife is played by Edna Flugrath, the sister of silent film actresses Viola Dana and Shirley Mason. At any rate, Scrooge is so rude to Fred’s wife that she flees the building, following which Fred and his uncle mime the invitation to Christmas dinner and its refusal.

THE CHARITY COLLECTORS – Two perfectly cast stout gentlemen arrive as Fred leaves and they mime the request for charity funds from Scrooge, who disdainfully dismisses the notion. Poor Bob Cratchit donates some of his own meager funds to the Charity Collectors in a nice bit of business.

Soon, Fred and his crotchety boss close up the counting house for the day. No dialogue boards are provided for the “You’ll be wanting all day tomorrow, I suppose?” exchange.

THE CRATCHIT FAMILY – Shaw pointlessly thrusts this scene in right now rather than save it for when the Ghost of Christmas Present takes him to Bob’s house. It’s routine for most versions of this tale to screw up the number and sexes of the Cratchit children, so no big deal that this one does it too.

An element that made me laugh was the way Not So Tiny Tim, complete with crutch, towers over his brother Peter, who is supposed to be older than him, not younger. Very odd decision to have the smallest, frailest-looking Cratchit child NOT be Tiny Tim, especially since Tim does nothing in this version. 

THE TAVERN – Interestingly, this is one of the few early Carol films to depict Scrooge’s meal at a tavern on his way home after parting with Bob. I always award extra points for productions that throw in underused scenes from the Dickens novel.

Later, when Scrooge departs after his meal, we see his nasty disposition scaring some children playing in the street. He also smacks aside an apple being offered to him by a woman passing by. (You can insert your own “Want some?” apple joke from the bad movie Daddy-O here.)

MARLEY’S FACE IN THE KNOCKER – This Christmas Carol‘s depiction of Jacob Marley’s ghostly face in the door knocker at Scrooge’s home is well done and reflects improvements in special effects since the (still well done) knocker scene in the 1901 version. 

JACOB MARLEY’S WARNING – An appropriately transparent Marley’s Ghost (Edward O’Neill) shows up in chains and delivers a far too rushed warning to Scrooge. With no explanation or elaboration, Marley simply tells Ebenezer that he’ll be visited that night by three spirits. Then, Jacob is outta there! No time breakdown for the visitations, no glimpses of the other Suffering Ghosts, nothing.

THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST – This portion definitely demonstrates that Harold Shaw figuratively “knew the words” when it came to A Christmas Carol, “but not the music.” We get decent “ghost” special effects again but this Spirit (Arthur M. Cullin) shows Scrooge his lonely childhood self when the other students had all gone home for Christmas then leads him away before his sister Fan can show up to take his younger self home, too.

A tiny bit more time is spent at Fezziwig’s Christmas Party but we see dancing and nothing more. No remorse from Ebenezer that he doesn’t treat Bob Cratchit with even a fraction of the overflowing kindness with which Fezziwig treated him. 

THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT – This Ghost (Wyndham Guise) looks exactly as he should, but he is not surrounded by plenty, unfortunately. Plus, nearly all he gets to do is show Scrooge his Nephew Fred and his wife having a great time partying with friends at their home.

Luckily, we DO get to see Scrooge be touched by Fred’s fond toast to his Uncle Ebenezer. Next, the movie wastes time with a SECOND scene with the Cratchits just so Bob can toast his boss. We don’t even get to see Mrs. Cratchit (Mary Brough) react angrily to her hubby toasting his cruel employer.

THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS YET TO COME – With 9 whole minutes left in the runtime when this cloaked Ghost (H. Ashton Tonge) shows up, a first-time viewer might think we’ll get a reasonably fleshed-out segment, but nope.

Remember what I said about Harold Shaw knowing the words but not the music? We get further proof here as the ONLY sight that this Christmas Spirit shows Scrooge is the tombstone with his name on it. No context. No demonstration of the mean-spirited Ebenezer being unmissed and unmourned while Tiny Tim, one of those needy figures that Scrooge dismissed as being part of “the surplus population” has left the world far sadder for his passing.   

Apparently, Shaw thought that the lesson of this segment is having Scrooge realize “Holy crap! Ya mean I’m gonna DIE some day? That changes everything!” I know this is far from the only Carol to get this story element wrong, but it always bugs me when it happens.

THE MORNING AFTER – Charles Rock’s performance saves this final portion of the movie, even though Harold Shaw pads it out with unnecessary changes that add nothing to the effectiveness of the story.

There’s no “Boy, what day is it?” moment. Instead, Scrooge gives money to a large group of children just for themselves and gives the Charity Collectors a big donation. He then goes to the poulterer’s himself, so we viewers get a nice – but unneeded – bout of shopping while dead geese and turkeys hang on display.

I couldn’t help but think “All of this is time that could have been spent fleshing out other parts of the movie with REAL scenes from the Dickens work instead.” What can ya do? Plus, Scrooge has a note saying “From Mr. Scrooge” attached to the turkey that he has delivered to the Cratchits, undercutting Bob’s surprise at the office the next day.

Scrooge’s visit to Nephew Fred for Christmas dinner was handled pleasantly enough.

PUNKING BOB – The next morning, Cratchit shows up a bit late after “making rather merry” the previous night. Scrooge does his schtick feigning anger but then doubles Bob’s salary. Next, we are shown scenes of Scrooge going on to aid the Cratchits and finance Tiny Tim’s medical needs.

Scrooge proceeds to relegate this Carol‘s Tim even more to the background by stealing his closing line “God bless us, everyone!”     

*** I will point out once again that I enjoy all versions of A Christmas Carol, but I throw in critical observations for readers who may not be as in love with the tale as I am. Even so, this Carol has flaws that go beyond the unavoidable constraints of the silent era.   

FOR MORE VERSIONS OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL CLICK HERE:  https://glitternight.com/category/a-christmas-carol-2/