I love vintage movies. This is a new “Christmas Carol” version for me. I’m binging vintage Christmas movies tonight. Thank you for sharing with us.

This version of "A Christmas Carol" was telecast on "SHOWER OF STARS" three years in a row (1954. '55, and '56). THIS one was the second telecast, as shown on December 15, 1955.

@sheilagravely5621

3 жыл бұрын

Cool. I want to see every vintage Christmas Carol before I pass. It's been my passion all my life. I love Basil Rathbone, but I'm not crazy about these other people though I do recognize some names, I just dont get the characters. It just seems completely off. And I've never seen a blonde Bob Cratchit.

@patriciajrs46

2 жыл бұрын

That year my grandfather had just passed away in October. I wonder if Grandma watched it when it came on. I wasn't even born yet.

@latoya7029

2 жыл бұрын

Was it at cinema theather too ? or only at television ?

@fromthesidelines

2 жыл бұрын

Television only.

Basil Rathbone as the tormented spirit of Jacob Marley is one of his greatest performances and one of the greatest supporting roles of all time.

@sharingthebounty2488

3 жыл бұрын

I disagree....

@BillHalliwell

3 жыл бұрын

Oh, come on, Nikos, Basil Rathbone gave hundreds of better performances in his long career than that poorly scripted and directed 'walk on' that was really a walk through ;) Watch his many portrayals of Sherlock Holmes that was, in it's day, the best Holmes about. As for 'modern' Holmes portrayals, no one in my opinion beats the late, great Jeremy Brett. What a sad loss he was. Have a Happy 2021 and stay well. Cheers, BH

@NikosTsoup

3 жыл бұрын

@@BillHalliwell yeah I ve seen all of his movie and TV work that still exists. I don't say that this performance is his best but it is the best Jacob Marley I 've seen.

@BillHalliwell

3 жыл бұрын

@@NikosTsoup OK, yes, I get you. My advice is to see more 'Marleys'. There are dozens and dozens of versions of A Christmas Carol out there. This one was not the worst by all means, but the chunks they took out of the original story bordered on disrespect to Dicken's. You really should read the story on the page, it is a short story in its original form and the description of the Marley character is really brilliant writing that gives you the perfect mental image. I'm a retired film and TY critic so I reckon I've seen most versions (at last official count there were 135, I kid you not.) For me, the absolute best is an English film version made in 1951 starring Alistair Sim as Scrooge (a brilliant performance!) and Michael Hordern plays a really scary Marley. It is recognised around the world as the best version by film societies, film clubs, critics, reviewers, clergy etc., etc. I'll leave you with a fun fact: regarding Scrooge's favourite word: humbug. Merriam-Webster defines a humbug as something or someone that is false or deceptive. In its verb form, to be humbugged is to be deceived or be the victim of a hoax. While the word's exact origins are unknown, it is defined by an exciting history of hoaxes and spectacles dating as far back as the 1750s. Cheers, again. BH

@NikosTsoup

3 жыл бұрын

@@BillHalliwell 135 wow. I have seen 61 and honestly my favourite Marley was Rathbone and Alec Guiness in the 1970 version. I understand that many versions are a disgrace to Dickens, but I like to examine the art of cinema without focusing on the original writing that much.

I always liked Basil Rathbone he was a very good Sherlock holmes

@sockmonkey22

2 жыл бұрын

He’s hilarious in a few episodes of Jack Benny radio, too, like when Jack goes trick-or-treating at Basil’s house.😋

@gokugoma3258

2 жыл бұрын

He was the best Sherlock Holmes

@christopherdixon6305

2 жыл бұрын

The definitive Holmes!

@christopherdixon6305

2 жыл бұрын

@@gokugoma3258 Well said!

@latoya7029

2 жыл бұрын

@@sockmonkey22 Where I can watch this please ?

I DO wish someone could have preserved the color version, but it’s still very enjoyable watching it.

Thank you very kindly for sharing this! What a thoughtful Christmas present. God bless all here!

Wow! With the iconic actors March and Rathbone as lead actors, the legendary Bernard Herrmann composing the music and the great Maxwell Anderson writing the adaptation and lyrics the creators of this television production didn't hesitate to hire the best that was available at that time!

@fromthesidelines

3 жыл бұрын

Herrmann also scored and conducted the 1938 and 1939 Orson Welles radio adaptations of "A Christmas Carol" on "THE CAMPBELL PLAYHOUSE" (the second one featured the great Lionel Barrymore).

@fromthesidelines

2 жыл бұрын

Herrmann scored and conducted the 1938 and '39 radio adaptations of "A Christmas Carol" for Orson Welles' "CAMPBELL PLAYHOUSE". Orson was "Scrooge" in the 1938 edition; Lionel Barrymore was featured in the 1939 version [the one heard most often today].

@desertwolf8089

2 жыл бұрын

😯🥵🤪

I always love to watch different versions of this story - this one was great! A new one for me! Excellent all the way, even if some of the singing was a bit overdone... those were the times. It was great to hear "new" Christmas carols (more like Yuletide really). Oh, those Chrysler commercials - priceless. Thank you!

Wow, Rathbone truly brought out the sorrow and desperation!

Basil Rathbone portrayed the most frightful Marley I have ever witnessed. Impressive.

@rstein926

7 жыл бұрын

Corgicottage I think Frank Finlay played the scariest Jacob Marley especially when he enters the bedroom and when he screams.

@corgicottage8578

7 жыл бұрын

rstein926 I watched Finlay's Marley...very nice job. Check him out in The Deadly Bees. A British B movie to be sure, but he gives it depth.

Today a friend and coworker mentioned that she and her partner had watched Basil Rathbone in a musical version "A Christmas Carol". That was a surprise, since until this afternoon I hadn't a clue that such a retelling of the story existed. She was right, though: it may have been short, but very engaging. I'll be saving this for what may become a yearly traditional viewing.

@toddjackson6674

Жыл бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/e2d_yptpfcnAXag.html your friend might mean this one 🤔

NEVER SEEN THIS VERSION B4...GREAT ACTING...FREDERIC MARCH & BASIL RATHBONE, ETC. ...IMMEDIATELY, FELL IN LOVE WITH IT...I WAS A YEAR OLD WHEN SHOWER OF STARS CAME OUT...;)

I WAS SIX YEARS OLD AT THIS TIME AND MUST HAVE WATCHED THIS GREAT SHOW THEN, IT STILL GIVES ME SUCH PLEASURE EVEN NOW IN 2020!!

@ws1435

8 ай бұрын

Same for me!😊

i simply loved this version of the Christmas Carol

I actually remember watching this as a kid in the early 50's. It was my first "Christmas Carol" and made a great impression on me. Yes, it's showing its years but, then, so am I. March and Rathbone were big stars then and the family all gathered around the TV to see a big production like this. Of course we watched it in black and white. Wonderful to see it again!

@johnrogers2222

7 жыл бұрын

Tom G Great to see it again without having to have someone get up and adjust the horizontal/vertical controls

@tomg8638

7 жыл бұрын

Amen to that!

One of my favorite stories. I have seen several versions of it. This one was well done. I have always been a fan of March and Rathbone. The caroling was a festive addition.

12/15/55 : wow, don't you wish it was? America was such a better place then

I was 12 when this was broadcast. I don't remember seeing it. But, I do remember the cars. I wanted to be a car designer when I grew up. I miss the America I grew up in and used to know. ☃🎄🤶🎅MERRY CHRISTMAS🎅🤶🎄☃

The caroling is wonderful!

I wasn't even born yet but enjoyed watching this adaptation.

I'm so stoked to watch this. I have no idea what to expect but I'm a Rathbone fan. Thanks for the UpL! Happy Holidays to all! AWESOME! Great version of one of my Holiday favs!

Bernard Herman score!? Whoa! Also March is great. Thanks for posting!

That young man singing in the opening has an amazing voice!

"Think of their neighbors as fellow passengers to the grave as". That is deep.

@movingpicutres99

3 жыл бұрын

Ram Das said we are all walking each other home.

This one is new to me...TY for sharing & posting...music score was wonderful...I'm sure I've not seen this one before & I really like Basil Rathbone...especially as Sherlock Holmes

@michaelpalmieri7335

4 жыл бұрын

I've seen some of those Sherlock Holmes movies with Basil Rathbone, and I used to have some cassettes and C.D.s of him on the "Sherlock Holmes" radio show, with Dr. Watson being played by Nigel Bruce, who also played the role in the films.

Never saw this version before, really enjoyed. I watch all of them.this time of year.

@sheilagravely5621

3 жыл бұрын

Me too.

The eloquent beginning of this television production makes me long for the wonderful carolers I heard when I lived in Oregon and years later in England. Sadly, you don't hear door to door nor public square carolers in California. :(

@bronxbearbud272

3 жыл бұрын

I was surprised and pleased bythe musical credentials

@MTknitter22

3 жыл бұрын

In 2020, trust me you hear them in quite a few places in America. There are still places where people will never let these wonderful traditions go! smile

@joannewatts6501

3 жыл бұрын

I'm a Californian & we would sing Christmas Carols every year. . San Francisco is dead now but every year our parents would bring us to I Magnin & Co. & talk about a fantasy Christmas~ wow!🎄🎁⛄️🍬🎅💟🎄

@sheilagravely5621

3 жыл бұрын

Nor anywhere else unless it's at church and then they won't sing anything but religious songs.

Thank You Very Much For Sharing This Great Film-Good For All The Year!!!

Wow, never saw this one. Tks for sharing

As somebody mentioned before, according to IMDB a very young Bonnie Franklin (like 10 years old) plays Susie and the credits at the end of this list Judy and Bonnie Franklin playing Martha and Susie. Bonnie had a sister Judy, this must be her. How cool!

@michaelpalmieri7335

4 жыл бұрын

You mean the same Bonnie Franklin from "One Day At A Time"? I think I misread the ending credits because I don't remember seeing her name listed. Speaking of which, I just realized that they didn't list the name of the actor who played Mr. Fezziwig.

Aloha from Hawaii! Sir Basil is my fave ever!

Yes,Jesus is the reason for the season ...Merry Chrismas

TY so much for this, some of my favorite actors-Basil Rathbone & Frederic March :-)

So many exciting moments🎄🤶🎅Many thanks for the upload. Wow even the commercials got me, thought it was apart of the movie @ 1st.

Beautiful music by Herrmann and great performance by March

people make comments about the colour issue. the original broadcast was in color. this black and white version is the only one still out there!

@bronxbearbud272

3 жыл бұрын

Frankly, how good was the color in a 1950s television broadcast?

@michaelnyny

3 жыл бұрын

@@bronxbearbud272 It would have been good, but not many people would have seen it in color back then.

@fromthesidelines

3 жыл бұрын

Owning a color TV set in the mid-1950's was an expensive pastime. It cost over a thousand dollars for a good model.

I remember every day that JESUS is the reason for the season! Thank you Carol. Merry Christmas to you!

This is good version of the other classics. Iike it. Ty N happy holidays to you N yours.N to all.🍗🎄🎁🍸🍷👍✌☺God bless all.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Beautiful! Thanks for posting.

The music score is very recognizable as Bernard Herrmann's--the darker passages are so strange to hear with A CHRISTMAS CAROL, yet they are suited to the darkness in the story.

@spockthelogical

Жыл бұрын

A meeeeerrrryyy. A merrrrrryyyyyy. A verrrrrryy merrrryyyyy Chrrrrrriiiiiiissstmmmmassss. Yes. So recognizably Hermann.

ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL...WHAT A GEM OF A CHRISTMAS MOVIE...I LOVED IT...;)

"Scrooges was the ogre of the family" -"A Christmas Carol"

I have read or watched A Christmas Carol every Xmas since I was a child. This is the first time I've seen this version. I loved it! Merry Christmas!

I have never seen this version before. I was 3 years old and we didn’t have a TV yet. Thanks for posting!

I never saw this version before, it's really nice! :-))

This Is a very well done rendition of the story. I like the one I grew up on. Thank you for sharing this.

Never seen this version before but it touched me.

@janethompson9390

3 жыл бұрын

So this is what Full Color looked like in those days?

@sheilagravely5621

3 жыл бұрын

The cars are gorgeous!!!

Basil Rathbone was 👍 as Marley,s ghost but he will always be my favorite Sherlock Holmes.

Frederick March undergoes an amazing transformation worthy of his oscar in doctor jekyll and mister Mister hyde

This was wonderful really enjoyable and I loved the ads thank you

I really enjoyed this. Thank You❤️

Thank u 4 posting. Love Basil

I'd like a brand new '56 Plymouth for Christmas!

I was very little when this aired so I don't remember but thank you for sharing with us!

I enjoyed it. Certainly has a charm of its own.

Never watched this version, music and songs are sublime!!!

Very interesting adaptation. Next to the Gospels this is my favorite Christmas story. Thank you for uploading this.

Thank You-Great!

Love it for many things. Read Dickens 100 X. I love early TV and live theater. Scrooge sits down to dinner with Bob & family. Wow! Dig it!

@fromthesidelines

4 жыл бұрын

Most adaptations ended with Scrooge have Christmas dinner with Bob and his family.

@michaelpalmieri7335

4 жыл бұрын

@@fromthesidelines In the book, it is Scrooge's nephew, Fred, his wife and friends that Scrooge has Christmas dinner with. The next morning, Scrooge goes back to the counting house where he works and pretends to be mad at Bob Crachcit for coming to work late, but then becomes friendly and cheerful as he wishes Bob a Merry Christmas and promises to raise his salary and help his family, especially Tiny Tim. These scenes, for some reason, are left out of this adaptation of the story. Also not shown are the scenes depicting Scrooge's lonely childhood, his being left alone at school, and his sister, Fan, coming to bring him home. The show doesn't even mention that Fan was Fred's mother. Then, when Scrooge is shown his future, we don't see the scenes where the businessmen are standing in the streets talking about Scrooge being dead, where his charwoman and undertaker are selling some of his possessions to a receiver of stolen goods named Joe, or where the Crachcit family is mourning the death of Tiny Tim. Incredibly enough, they don't even show the Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come! I've heard of literary license, but this is ridiculous!

@sheilagravely5621

3 жыл бұрын

And the first time I ever saw the Cratchits had a tree.

< 68 and had never seen this version of A Christmas Carol before. i enjoyed it!

Two things: 1) The Ghost of Christmas Past is certainly a babe; 2) One of the Cratchit kids (Susan) was played by Bonnie Franklin, who grew up to be Ann Romano in One Day At A Time.

@dr.migalitoloveless1651

4 жыл бұрын

Yes the ghost of Christmas past was really beautiful.

Thank you. This version was great. 12/2021

Basal Rathbone was the best Holmes of them all, bar none!"

If you haven't seen March as "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" you are in for an Academy Award® winning performance - matched by his turn as Scrooge!

Quite a lavish production when you consider the musical numbers & talent

I like how the narrator announces "Now in FULL COLOR"

Basil Rathbone should have played Scrooge!

@SonofFrenzi

6 жыл бұрын

He did! In The Stingiest Man in Town - 2 years later, and again in low budget British tv piece in 1958 - introduced by Fredric March!!

@michaelpalmieri7335

4 жыл бұрын

@@SonofFrenzi Fredric March, of course, plays Scrooge himself in this program from the 1950s. I knew that Basil Rathbone played Scrooge in "The Stingiest Man In Town" (a live television musical special, also from the '50s), because I read about it in a book about the early days of TV entitled "How Sweet It Was" (1966). As I once pointed out in another KZread comment a few years ago, this wasn't the only time Rathbone played a Charles Dickens character, because he also appeared as the cruel Mr. Murdstone in the 1935 film adaptation of "David Copperfield," with Freddie Bartholomew, W.C. Fields, and Edna May Oliver. "The Stingiest Man In Town" was also the title of an animated television musical special broadcast around the 1970s or '80s, in which Walter Matthau was the voice of Scrooge and Tom Bosley (whom we all remember as Howard Cunningham on "Happy Days") voiced Scrooge's companion, a tiny insect named B.A.H. Humbug ("Bah, humbug," get it?), who's also the story's narrator. It's kind of weird that the producers of the program gave Scrooge a bug as a pet. It made a little more sense when, in another cartoon version of the novel from the 1990s (I think), the old man's pet was a dog named Debit (in the book, Scrooge had no pets at all).

@caroldixon7796

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for posting this. I really like the way the direction went. I am certainly no expert, but it was such a different take then others I have seen. I am not sure why they thought mr. March needed a fake nose. A couple of times I thought it would get lit on fire when he got too close to a candle. It made me think of Lucy when she caught her fake nose on fire in I Love Lucy! LOL Merry Christmas!

@sheilagravely5621

3 жыл бұрын

Indeed.

If I were Chrysler I'd show the commercials BEFORE and AFTER the play. But not during! Ah, but what am I complaining about? Otherwise I love this adaption.

Perhaps the nephew of Scrooge (in view of his financially suggestive top hat and all), could at least have given Bob a shilling, maybe even a half crown, for Christmas.

I recognize Bonnie Franklin form One Day at a Time ...one of the Cratchit kids

The height of frugality Scrooge's dinner was thin warm cereal w molasses and tea without milk. Old humbug.I was always glad he got haunted.

A great Christmas Carol. I’ve never seen this one

Still have to wonder what Scrooge is thinking about in the end part.lol. oh well. Good movie over all. 👍☺

Thank you for putting this on the Web. Who knew that Frederick March ever played Scrooge? Too bad about the singing but nowadays we can mute the speakers without getting up from the couch. Commercials were interesting, too. Looks like March took out his left front canine to fit the character.

That nose on Scrooge! Whoah. Love Basil so much he was great in all he did. I don’t think that small bird would take hours and hours to cook lol

If WE refuse to restrain ourselves in this Life we will find ourselves shackled in the Next!

Funny how scrooge's nose grew larger over time.

@sheilagravely5621

3 жыл бұрын

I was wondering if that thing was real.😆

While not up to the filmed versions, this was probably quite a lavish production for TV in 1954 when musical films like Kiss Me Kate and Student Prince were big box office. Aimed at family audiences the darkness was toned down a bit perhaps and of course the hour TV format hobbled it a bit, but overall very well done. It was broadcast in color back in the day, but was only recorded in black and white. Pity.

Merry Christmas 🎄💚🎁💙❤🎅

OMG I've never seen even a reference to this. I was twenty days old when this was broadcast!

OMG, that Tiny Tim looks like Ted Cruz! :O

I was 10 days old when this was first broadcast!

What a nice surprise to see Fredric March x thank you x

Best yet! Takes me back to my younger days. God Bless Us Everyone!!

Yes Ebeneezer Scrooge pulling up in a Chrysler Dodge may not be historically accurate but you get the idea. Also : Marleys ghost :`I am condemned to walk the earth because I didn`t buy a Chrysler.`

I think this was Bonnie Franklin's TV debut. I only knew Ray Middleton from 1776, so hearing a younger version of him sing was pretty cool.

Perhaps not my fav version but NOTHING is bad if Frederic March and Basil Rathbone is involved!! b

@joobalee5776

3 жыл бұрын

Totally agree.

Sally Fraser is breathtakingly beautiful in this production - IIRC (???) her singing was dubbed by Marilyn Horne - would love to hear Fraser's voice

@michaelpalmieri7335

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, I was thinking the same thing. Miss Fraser was gorgeous in her day!

@robertbrawley5048

2 жыл бұрын

Th a nasty for identifying some of the players

Just perfect.

Great version of A Christmas Carol; not the #1 in my book but this is a VERY good version.

@sheilagravely5621

3 жыл бұрын

Well, its certainly different. 😆😆

Great adaptation of A "Christmas Carol"

This is the only version where Scrooge is fickly on repenting or not. You can clearly see at the end that either he wants to change his ways or remain as a squeezing, wrenching, coverus old sinner.

@michaelpalmieri7335

4 жыл бұрын

*covetous

I would like to know the name of the song Tiny Tim sings when putting the star on the tree!

I thought this was supposed to be in color! 🎄🎄🎄

@terrytc1

2 жыл бұрын

It was broadcast live in color, but in 1956 there was no way to record it in color.

`Mr ghost,tiny Tim is six foot two and occasionally saying Phew my leg hurts does not constitute being a cripple.`

I have watched this great play for years but never before at such an early date but this year 2018 has been such a sick and twisted sad one that I and thousands like me have turned to grabbing something decent and wonderful which is more than a Month away but I need it desperately. greed has been with us forever but in this year over $200Billion has been made buy Tax benefits to those who already have more than they'll ever need and Poverty has increased by 400%. watching and listening to this ONE story give me a touch of hope that some good will come out of this pitiful year!!

@michaelpalmieri7335

4 жыл бұрын

We've got Mr. Trump to thank for that, because he's the one who gave all those rich fat cats their tax breaks, not to mention the fact that he added to the budget deficit after he promised to balance the budget. His promises obviously mean nothing to him, anymore than common decency does. He said he would "drain the swamp," meaning he would clamp down on government corruption, but instead, he has made it worse by filling his administration with some very shady characters. Yet, so many people still talk about what a great President he is, and how he allegedly improved the economy, even though a lot of that improved economy started long BEFORE Trump took his oath of office, and some economists predict that there may be another Stock Market failure or bank meltdown. Then, what good does the economy do us?

@christmas10023

3 жыл бұрын

Well I'm watching it right now in Dec 2020 Seems to me things aren't much better since your post

@sheilagravely5621

3 жыл бұрын

2020 here. I think we surpassed anything 2018 put us through. Oh, sorry. Its 2021 now.

Actually, AXIAL TILT is the real reason for the season.

@MossyMozart

4 жыл бұрын

@Richard Benz - BINGO!

@michaelpalmieri7335

4 жыл бұрын

SAY WHAT?

Watching this on the 25-12-2021.

The song is especially touching

whats the name of the first song never heard it before and it didsay full color but its b n w .. but I don't mind :)