Emil Bakkum "A Christmas carol" by Dickens has been molded into a film version many times. However this version from 1951 stands out for several reasons. At the time most people were still religious, so that they were sensitive to the sincere and supernatural connotation in Dickens' story. The film producer realizes this. In 1951 Scrooge is an evil man, he is evidently a sinner, but he is not yet a caricature. He is not a guy who reverse charges his obscene telephone calls. The black-and-white images fit in with the atmosphere of the nineteenth century, and this is reinforced by the sometimes gloomy music. This is Scrooge as Dickens meant him to be. Later versions suffer from the fact, that people have become agnostic (because atheists do not have holidays). Christmas has been transformed into a rather sentimental feast, with delusions about world peace. It must also be remembered, that Dickens portrays the real spirit of businessmen in olden times. It is the flourishing period of Manchester capitalism, and of Malthusianism. In a sense Scrooge is even engaging, because at least he abstains from a decadent lifestyle. He is simply a skillful investor, who knows the risks. He is indeed a man of rare gifts. He is the type who stuffs a pair of socks in each pocket, when he sends the pajamas to the laundry. Since the financial crisis of 2008 the personality of Scrooge has again become recognizable. Finally, it must be remarked that only true believers will be able to accept the sudden conversion of Scrooge. Indeed the intervention of God is needed in order to change a seasoned investor into a philanthropist, within a single night. It is a bit like your mother-in-law. You did not believe in Hell until you met her. The Bible is replete with such events. But modern psychology tells us that a protracted therapy would be required. Nevertheless, the film is worth watching, on Christmas day and beyond.

gavin6942 An old bitter miser (Alistair Sim) is given a chance for redemption when he is haunted by three ghosts on Christmas Eve.This is generally considered the best adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" ever made. That is a bold statement, given how many have been made (dozens, maybe hundreds). But, indeed, if it is not, it certainly ranks among the more prominent. (For my money, "Muppet Christmas Carol" is the best, though it may be a bit different.) Regardless, this one, having been made in 1951, has no doubt influenced future versions for more than sixty years.Worth checking out if you like the story and have not seen this version. It does not stray far from the novella, and therefore is not much different from most other versions, but still has a strong cast.

SimonJack Alastair Sims carries this 1951 version of "A Christmas Carol" without a doubt. The inimitable Sims, with the perfect physical appearance of larger than life eyes, makes the most convincing, ebullient, overly ecstatic Scrooge of any. That is, after he "sees the light" through his visits from the three spirits of Christmas. As the miserly, hard and cold Ebenezer Scrooge in the beginning, he is good, but not better than those in other films. But, Sim's interpretation of the character has a nuance that I think is very good. He soon is quick to plead with the spirits to escape what he is seeing and to change. So, when he changes, we see the greater joy he imbues. This 1951 version of the Dickens classic is one of the very best. It is a favorite of mine, along with the 1938 film with Reginald Owen in the lead role. This version is 86 minutes long and gives more details of the times with each ghost. I don't think the main supporting cast can match that of the 1938 film. It would have been something to see that cast of Bob Cratchit, Fred, Tiny Tim and Marley's ghost do this film with Sim. The whole film would take on more life. But as it is, the supporting cast here are all OK. This film also gives considerable attention to Scrooge's past love, and it gives him a glimpse of that lost love in the future. We see the Scrooge as a young man with his fiancé, Alice (played by Rona Anderson). After his logical talk about trying to better himself in the world, Alice says, "Another idol has replaced me in your heart. A golden idol." Then Scrooge sees her later caring for sick people. Other scenes show the joyful time he had at Fezziwig's party and with friends. These past events especially are fleshed out much more in this film, and that adds weight to the loss that Scrooge has suffered by his choices in life. All the more fuel to fire his heart when he has a conversion. I have five films of the Dickens story. My two favorite are the 1938 and this 1951. I also like the 1970 musical with Albert Finney. And the new films with George C. Scott and Patrick Stewart are fine. But these two old films have the feel and the scenery that looks for real for mid-19th century England as well. For people who can't stand black and white, the newer versions in color are still very goods renditions of the story. Not excellent, but very good. One other excellent film in color is the 1970 musical rendition. It stars Albert Finney and other top British actors.

MissSimonetta This 1951 adaptation of the oft-told Dickens novella is among my favorite movies of all time. There's no doubt in my mind that it is the best Christmas Carol film; Alastair Sim is perfection incarnate as Scrooge and the atmosphere is Gothic brilliance.Sim manages to take a character who could easily be a cardboard figure and endows him with a sense of inner life and deep sadness. This is not some Snidley Whiplash figure who bathes in other people's money; he's an isolated miserable soul who has made bad choices in life, a misanthrope who desperately tries cutting himself off from humanity. It's a marvelous performance all around, and I never fail to smile once he undergoes his redemption and jumps about with giddy joy on Christmas morning.The atmosphere is dark and ghostly. It's easy to draw comparisons with the expressionist look of David Lean's 1946 Great Expectations. The whole film is drenched in shadows; the streets of Victorian London are in equal turns grim and enchanting with old-time Yuletide traditions. The score also adds to this Gothic atmosphere, with lots of minor keys and such.The 1951 Carol has a plethora of other values: the supporting cast, cinematography, and tiny changes made to the source material are all excellent, adding to the success of the film. Outside of the George C. Scott version from the 1980s, no other film adaptation comes close to this one.