A Christmas Carol (1938)
– Your intruder seems to have hackscrewed it, if I may say so, sir.
– He was here! He was a spirit!
– Of course, sir! A fine night for spirits – of one form or another, sir!
According to many historians and literary experts, Charles Dickens had the most profound influence on the celebration of Christmas since the actual birth being celebrated. The Puritans were suspicious of any festivities that smacked of pagan influence and during the Industrial Revolution workers were rarely given much time off to celebrate. Yet, Christmas was about to undergo a Romantic revival. Queen Victoria’s much beloved husband, Prince Albert, brought decorating Christmas trees with him to England and other Christmas traditions started coming into vogue, like Christmas cards. Dickens wrote a number of Christmas stories with A Christmas Carol in 1843 being the most famous. Dickens was a notable proponent of social reform, and it is his fervent admonition that everyone deserves a happy Christmas with family and friends that we carry with us.
Dickens’s immortal classic had already been filmed twice before the 1938 version, but this was the first with sound. Dickens’s novels were popular for literary “prestige” films in the 1930s. There were notable versions of David Copperfield, Oliver Twist and A Tale of Two Cities. This 1938 production is truly an adaptation and certain plot elements from the original novella have been dropped such as Scrooge’s fiancée, Belle, who left him after his character changed to that of a miserly, miserable person. Scrooge’s nephew, Fred (Barry MacKay) and his fiancée play a much larger role. Still, overall, I was happy with these changes. I’ve seen dozens of adaptations of A Christmas Carol and whenever one shows me something different from the others, I’m delighted. A good example would be the scene where Fred meets Tiny Tim early in the film. By showing the fun and joy found within the spirit of the child and contrasting that immediately after with the dour demeanor of Ebenezer Scrooge (Reginald Owen), we understand immediately what is wrong with Scrooge.
As mentioned, Dickens was a reformer and so Scrooge’s main sin is not that he doesn’t celebrate Christmas, which is just one symptom of his overall spiritual malaise. It’s his cruel and unfeeling attitude toward mankind in general, and the poor specifically, that Dickens objects to. Probably the most telling line that Scrooge has is that as long as the prisons and workhouses are functioning to capacity he need do little else to provide for the destitute of the earth.
The familiar story is well told here. It’s the small details that made me smile, like the way the supernatural was not subtle at all with every bell in the neighborhood ringing loudly to announce the presence of a spirit or the way that the Cratchits think Scrooge has gone insane in the end. I loved all of the sliding scenes that showed that a little frivolity and spontaneity goes a long way to keeping youthful joy alive in our hearts. There are many lessons for our contemplation as we enter the holidays with our country under economic strain. Bob Cratchit (Gene Lockhart) has a wonderful moment where he is depressed going home. Scrooge has sacked him and he has no idea how he’s going to tell his family. Suddenly, he sees something that reminds him of how ridiculously silly life can be and he laughs. For me, it was a powerful moment and surely resonated with Depression-era audiences who frequently had to “pick [themselves] up, dust [themselves] off, and start all over again,” to quote a song of the day. Belts may be worn a little tighter this Christmas, but as long as we remember to show mercy and compassion, love and friendship, and allow joy in our hearts than surely we have learned the lessons intended.
