A Christmas Carol is a 1938 fantasy family-drama film directed by Edwin L. Marin. The film stars Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart, and Terry Kilburn. A Christmas Carol is an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella of the same name.
Director: Edwin L. Marin
Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Cast: Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart, Kathleen Lockhart, Terry Kilburn, Barry MacKay, Lynne Carver, Leo G. Carroll, Ann Rutherford, Lionel Braham
US Box Office: Unknown
Film Format: Black & White
Genre: Fantasy, Family, Drama
Release Date: December 16, 1938
Plot Summary: Ebenezer Scrooge (Reginald Owen) is a mean and miserable old man who hates Christmas and on Christmas Eve he fires his employee, the good-hearted Bob Cratchit (Gene Lockhart). This is especially cruel of Scrooge, given that Cratchit has to support his entire family including his disabled son Tiny Tim (Terry Kilburn). Later that evening, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his deceased business partner Jacob Marley (Leo G. Carroll). Marley warns Scrooge that he will be punished in the afterlife if he doesn’t change his cruel and uncaring ways. Scrooge learns that he will be visited by three spirits who will attempt to make him a more kindhearted man: the Ghost of Christmas Past (Ann Rutherford), the Ghost of Christmas Present (Lionel Braham), and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (D’Arcy Corrigan).
Production: In the mid-1930s Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer producer Joseph L. Mankiewicz began working on a film adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol (1843), about a mean old man who changes his ways after being visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve. The studio had recently produced films based on two of Dickens’ other novels: David Copperfield (1935) and A Tale of Two Cities (1935). MGM’s version of A Christmas Carol was the second sound film adaptation of the novella after the British film Scrooge (1935). Hugo Butler wrote the screenplay for A Christmas Carol. Edwin L. Marin was chosen to direct A Christmas Carol, he had been under contract with MGM since 1934. Marin had recently directed the comedy films All American Chump (1936) and Married Before Breakfast (1937) and the dramas Sworn Enemy (1936) and Man of the People (1937).
Lionel Barrymore was originally cast in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. Barrymore had a contract with MGM and he had been playing the role of Scrooge on annual radio broadcasts of A Christmas Carol since 1934. While filming reshoots on Saratoga (1937), Barrymore tripped over a cable and broke his hip. This injury combined with Barrymore’s arthritis and previously breaking his hip in 1936 left him crippled for the rest of his life. On Barrymore’s recommendation British actor Reginald Owen was cast in the role instead. Owen notably had supporting roles in The Great Ziegfeld (1936), Anna Karenina (1936), and Queen Christina (1933) and starred as Sherlock Holmes in A Study in Scarlet (1933). Canadian actor Gene Lockhart was cast as Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s good-hearted employee. Gene’s real life wife Kathleen Lockhart was cast as Bob Cratchit’s wife. Gene and Kathleen appeared together in many films: in 1938 alone they appeared in Men Are Such Fools, Penrod’s Double Trouble, Blondie, A Christmas Carol, and Sweethearts.
Mankiewicz’s original plan had been to release A Christmas Carol in early 1939, but studio executives wanted the film to be released in time for Christmas, so A Christmas Carol was rushed into production in late 1938. Edwin L. Marin began shooting A Christmas Carol in early October and filming wrapped up in early November. The film was primarily shot on set at MGM Studios in Culver City, CA. John Seitz temporarily replaced cinematographer Sidney Wagner during production when the latter was sick with the flu, while Marvin Stuart temporarily replaced assistant director Dolph Zimmer when the latter had a cold.
Although he wasn’t able to appear in the film itself, the trailer for A Christmas Carol featured footage of Lionel Barrymore sitting in front of a fireplace and introducing the film. This trailer was titled “A Fireside Chat with Lionel Barrymore,” and the new footage of Barrymore was also directed by Marin. Barrymore also didn’t voice Scrooge in the 1938 annual radio broadcast so that the broadcast wouldn’t interfere with the film’s box office performance.
Fun Facts and Trivia: Belinda Cratchit, one of Bob Cratchit’s daughters, was played by actress June Lockhart in her first role. June was thirteen years old at the time, and was the real life daughter of Gene and Kathleen Lockhart. She eventually became a television star and would later become best known for playing the mother character on two series: Ruth Martin in Lassie (1958-1964) and Maureen Robinson in Lost in Space (1965-1968).
The Ghost of Christmas Past was played by actress Ann Rutherford. Rutherford mainly appeared in low-budget films (including co-starring in several early westerns with John Wayne) before signing a contract with MGM in 1937. Her most high profile role was as Carreen, Scarlett O’Hara’s sister, in the iconic romantic drama Gone with the Wind (1939). Ruthford was also known for playing Polly Benedict (the main character’s girlfriend) in twelve films in the Andy Hardy series, beginning with You’re Only Young Once (1937) and ending with Andy Hardy’s Double Life (1942).
Reception: A Christmas Carol was released in the United States on December 16, 1938. The New York City premiere of the film at Radio City Music Hall was preceded by a special holiday revue that featured the Vienna Boys Choir and the Walt Disney cartoon short “Mother Goose Goes Hollywood.” MGM produced 375 prints of A Christmas Carol, a record at the time, so as many people could see the film as possible. Despite being rushed into production to coincide with the Christmas holiday season and being widely distributed, A Christmas Carol was not a big success at the box office on its original release.
Frank Nugent of The New York Times gave A Christmas Carol a positive review and described the film as “delightful.” Conversely, the critics at Time magazine gave A Christmas Carol a mostly negative review. Although it had some praise for the performances of Reginald Owen as Scrooge and Terry Kilburn as Tiny Tim, the magazine hated the film’s cheerful tone, which it described as “hideously false joviality.” Time noted that children would likely enjoy A Christmas Carol, but that it couldn’t recommend the film to adults.
A Christmas Carol has received generally positive reviews from modern critics. John J. Puccio of Movie Metropolis praised the film for its genuine sincerity. Ken Hanke of Mountain Xpress gave A Christmas Carol a 4/5 star review. Hanke described it as being a “solid version of the story,” but noted that the 1951 British film Scrooge was a superior adaptation of the source material. In a similar sentiment, Steve Crum of the Kansas City Kansan and Carol Cling of the Las Vegas Review-Journal also gave the film 4/5 star reviews.
Why You Should See It: A Christmas Carol is a good classic Christmas film. Reginald Owen gives a great performance as Ebenezer Scrooge. He is solid in portraying both Scrooge’s nasty intensity at the start of the film, and the character’s change of heart later on. His makeup is also fantastic, although only fifty-one years old during filming, Owen is believable as the elderly Scrooge (presumably at least in his seventies). Gene Lockhart also gives a good performance as Bob Cratchit and the scenes featuring his family are sweet and charming. The film features plenty of delightful Christmas cheer. A Christmas Carol is very short, and I do think that it could have been a stronger film if it was a little longer, but it is an overall enjoyable version of Dickens’ story.