A Christmas Carol (Excerpt)

Year Published: 1954

Country of Origin: United States

Description: 16mm Film - A Christmas Carol - USA 1954 (Excerpt) Directed by: Ralph Levy Written by: Maxwell Anderson, based on the book by Charles Dickens Cinematography by: George E. Diskant Music by: Bernard Herrmann Starring: Fredric March, Basil Rathbone, Ray Middleton, Bob Sweeney, Christopher Cook, Sally Fraser, Craig Hill, Queenie Leonard, Rex Evans, Tony Pennington, William Griffiths, Peter Miles, Janine Perreau, Bonnie Franklin, Judy Franklin, June Ellis A one-hour version of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol was presented on the CBS television anthology Shower of Stars on December 24, 1954. It was also one of the few American TV productions of the time telecast in England, in 1957. Unusually for the time, it was presented on film and in color. Unfortunately, only a black-and-white print seems to have survived, and it has been released on DVD. The commercials seen live during the program have also survived. The program is introduced on kinescope by host William Lundigan. The production boasted a script and lyrics by noted American playwright Maxwell Anderson, and a score by Bernard Herrmann. Fredric March, in his only known portrayal of the role, starred as Ebenezer Scrooge, and Basil Rathbone portrayed Marley's Ghost. The production featured few songs, but those it did feature forced the adapters to severely condense the story, especially the final third. Rather than having a Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, the adaptation featured a bird resembling a crow or raven, who leads Scrooge to a graveyard in which he sees not only his own grave, but that of Tiny Tim. The script added an unusual twist to the story in having the Ghost of Christmas Past (Sally Fraser) and the Ghost of Christmas Present (Ray Middleton) be portrayed by the same actors who played Scrooge's sweetheart Belle and his nephew Fred, respectively, and Scrooge not only notices the resemblance, but mistakes the Ghost of Christmas Present for his nephew. Der etwas ältere Geschäftsmann Ebenezer Scrooge lebt im London der 1840er Jahre, er ist geizig und gefühlskalt gegenüber anderen Menschen. Die Weihnachtszeit sieht er als puren Humbug an. Sein fleißiger Angestellter Bob Cratchit bittet Scrooge um einen freien Tag, um Weihnachten mit seiner Familie zu feiern. Doch Scrooge lässt ihn nur ungern gehen. In der Nacht vor dem Weihnachtstag erhält Scrooge Besuch vom Geist seines toten Geschäftspartners Jacob Marley, welcher ebenso geizig war wie Scrooge selbst es ist. Jacob Marley muss als Strafe noch im Tod schwere Ketten mit sich herumschleppen, die er sich durch seine Lebensweise selbst geschmiedet hat. Jacob kommt, um Ebenezer zu warnen und ihm zu zeigen, welche Zukunft ihm bevorstünde, wenn er sich nicht ändert.

Online Copy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMfbRGeLZkk

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