A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol, adaptation of the 1843 novel by Charles Dickens about a miserly old man who learns the error of his ways on Christmas Eve. Released in 1951, this British film stars Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge, a bitter businessman who has lost all interest in Christmastime sentiment and behaves in an aggressive, ungenerous way toward his employees. Scrooge receives visits from three ghosts on Christmas Eve, each on a mission to show the man a scenario: one taking place in the past; one in the present; and one in the future. The view of the future is particularly gloomy and encourages Scrooge to change his ways. Other versions of this oft-filmed story were released in 1901, 1911, 1938, 1954, 1958, 1972, 1984, and 1995.

Alternate Title

• Scrooge

Director

• Brian Desmond Hurst

Cast

• Alastair Sim (Ebenezer Scrooge)
• Kathleen Harrison (Mrs. Dilber)
• Jack Warner (Mr. Jorkins)
• Michael Hordern (Jacob Marley)
• Mervyn Johns (Bob Cratchit)
• Hermione Baddeley (Mrs. Cratchit)
• John Charlesworth (Peter Cratchit)
• Glyn Dearman (Tiny Tim)
• George Cole (Scrooge as young man)
• Rona Anderson (Alice)
• Carol Marsh (Fan, Scrooge's sister)
• Brian Worth (Fred, Scrooge's nephew)
• Olga Edwardes (Fred's wife)
• Roddy Hughes (Mr. Fezziwig)
• Hattie Jacques (Mrs. Fezziwig)
• Clifford Mollison (Mr. Wilkins)
• Michael Dolan (Spirit of the Past)
• Francis de Wolff (Spirit of Present)
• C. Konarski (Spirit of the Future)
• Ernest Thesiger (Undertaker)
• Miles Malleson (Old Joe)
• Louise Hampton (Laundress)
• Noel Howlett (Collector)
• Fred Johnson (Collector)
• Peter Bull (Businessman)
• Douglas Muir (Businessman)
• Eliot Makeham (Snedrig)
• Henry Hewitt (Rosehed)
• Hugh Dempster (Groper)
• Patrick Macnee (Young Marley)

Trivia

• Actor Sim reprised his critically acclaimed role as the voice of Scrooge in the animated version released in 1972.