Shower of Stars - A Christmas Carol (1954)
Director: Ralph Levy
Scrooge: Fredric March
We go back in the archives for this 1954 made-for-TV adaptation that was an episode of the series "Shower of Stars."
If not exactly a shower, we do get a couple of great stars with Fredric March as Scrooge and Basil Rathbone as Marley's Ghost.
This is another item from the public domain that popped up when all sorts of things were being released on budget VHS tapes back in the day. I hadn't heard of this before, but for a couple of bucks it was worth a chance!
This was apparently broadcast live and in color(!) back in 1954, and it survived as a black and white kinescope. Apparently there was a rebroadcast in 1955 and 1956, but otherwise it was probably unseen for about 30 years.
I don't suppose a color copy will show up at this late date, but you never know. Most people didn't have color sets back then anyway, so we're seeing it now as the average viewer did in 1954.
I really think that this is something that needs to be viewed in the proper context. Is it fair to judge something that was made 65 years ago to be seen once or twice? No, but we're gonna do it anyway!
There are a couple of different versions floating around out there these days. The most common starts with some carolers, then has a gentleman opening a book of "A Christmas Carol," which leads into the credits.
But... there is a complete version of "Shower of Stars" (which I think is arerun from 1955) that includes the opening credits with "normal" (not in character) shots of the stars and an introduction by host William Lundigan and the commercials for the sponsor! That the sponsor is Chrysler is even better as it's great to see those awesome mid-1950s cars!
Seeing this whole show in the way it was originally presented is a blast and to me, the only way to go. There's your context right there!
So, what kind of a present did Chrysler give those viewers so many Christmases ago?
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