The MGM Records version of "A Christmas Carol" from 1947 starring Lionel Barrymore is an interesting case.
As I mentioned before, I think it was a great idea to have Mr. Barrymore record this for posterity, but I'm not really sure what they were going for.
The whole thing plays like a kids' record to me, rather than something the whole family would listen to. I'm sure many families did listen to this together, but this doesn't have the same oomph as, say, Ronald Colman's popular recording from 1941.
It's kind of a lighter Christmas treat, in spirit not unlike MGM's movie version from 1938. This recording is not an adaptation of the movie in any way, but the tone is similar.
I think it's the um, exuberant narration by Richard Hale more than anything that makes it seem like a kids' record. He had recorded "Peter and the Wolf" with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and that piece calls for emphatic narration as it's aimed squarely at kids.
He employs a similar style here, which makes me think this was considered a record for children.
Incidentally, I think that Richard Hale's appearance as an actor as seen in tons old of movies and TV shows is at odds with his spirited narrating style.
Not lost on me is Sammy Timberg's name on the label as composer and conductor. I recognize him as the musical director for the Max Fleischer studio back in the day, when they were making Betty Boop, Popeye and Superman cartoons. In fact, the Superman theme he composed for the cartoon series, which was later used for the radio show, is still my favorite Superman theme.
Anyway, I don't think the musical score here is all that cartoony, but it's perhaps a bit jaunty.
None of these issues have anything to do with Lionel Barrymore himself, as I think he's solid.
If I were around back in 1947, I would have liked to have had this album, but I would still have preferred my Ronald Colman set.
Today, if you want to hear Lionel Barrymore as Scrooge, that 1939 Campbell Playhouse radio broadcast with Orson Welles's narration and Bernard Herrmann's music is the best bet!
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