Scrooge
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Movie Reviews of Scrooge
Movie Review: Dated, but Hicks is Still Good!
Summary: 3 Stars
This is the oldest talking version of The Dicken's Classic and stars Seymour Hicks as Scrooge. Sir Seymour Hicks was a renowned stage actor during his time and actually does a commendable and faithful portrayal of Scrooge. He's certainly among the meanest, most surly and unkept Scooges you've ever seen on screen. This version isn't nearly as well known as the 1939 Reginald Owen or 1951 Alastair Sim versions due mainly because it very rarely shows up on TV these days...in fact it's rarely been on TV as long as I can remember.
There are some notable differences in this version. First, you never actually see Marley's ghost, merely here the disembodied voice of Scrooge's former partner. The sets are also far less ornate than even in the 1939 version. Although removed by only four years, clearly there was not a lot of money thrown into this version. Another weak point is the supporting cast. Hicks was a pro and had to pretty much carry the whole show. It's a good thing he is onscreen most of the time. Donald Calthrop is a rather dull Cratchit and a bit old for the part. Oscar Asche is a rather Bulbous Spirit of Christmas Present and far different than the types we've seen in latter versions.
Still the dinginess and starkness of the sets and costuming kind of fits with this period of Dicken's England so in some ways there is perhaps more authenticity to the film. It's not a horrible version but it's definitely dated.
Reviewed by Tim Janson
Movie Review: Not bad .. Iliked it but it wasn't the one I was looking for
Summary: 3 Stars
I was looking for the version that they used to play on family classics with Frazer Thomas and Roy Lenard. I remember when I was a kid they used to play this specific version before they started playing this other you'd see on WGN channel 9. anyway like I said in the title that it wasn't bad. I liked it. I would have given it 4 stars but it wasn't the version I was looking for. If you enjoy the classic story of A Christmas Carol in black and white, I think you will enjoy this one too.
For those of you interested there were to version that family classics played. the earlier version they used to play is the one I was looking for whiched starred Reginald Owens and Gene Lockhart. I found it here and ordered it through amazon. thought I have not watched it yet because I am waiting to watch it christmas eve night (traditional thing).
Oh and from looking at the pictures on the case it looks as if it has been done over in color. though I was looking forward to the old black and white look of it. its something about watching it in black and white that gives it that old fashion christmas feeling. It's like watching "It's a wonderful life" in black and white. you just have to apeciate the classics, I guess.
Movie Review: A Good and Really Old Film Adaptation Of A Christmas Carol.
Summary: 3 Stars
I first saw Scrooge starring Seymour Hicks on television when I was a little girl, I believe it was on Christmas Eve and I remember sitting on the livingroom floor in front of the TV and liking this movie so one day I was in a store and found this movie on video and I bought it but the tape's quality was awful and it was cut down in length from about 80 minutes to 60 minutes so it made an already short movie even shorter and very choppy so I'm very glad that the movie was put on DVD and is of better quality!Movie Review: Lackluster production values
Summary: 2 Stars
One of the reasons Alister Sim and Albert Finney work so well as Scrooge is that you are able to witness a transformation of a person throughout their lives. This truncated version does little to convey the whole story. It is also a horrible transfer and the original print has faded to dull tones of grey.It is interesting to see the censorship laws at various times throughout our cinematic history in the choices made when producing "A Christmas Carol." The Patrick Stewart version is perhaps the best-filmed version but the heavy-handed script writing destroys the illusion of 19th Century England. Stewart's one-man stage play is a much better version by far.
Seymour Hicks is very good at being nasty but that's not what Scrooge is about. Scrooge is a guy who has had a tough life and he chose to value money above people to get through the day. Hicks can never seem to rise above the nastiness. He is never subtle like Finney or giddy like Sim, he's always just there.
For a completest, you should get this DVD; other folks should enjoy Albert Finney's musical version and Alistar Sim's B&W triumph.