The 1938 version of "A Christmas Carol" from "The Campbell Playhouse" is similar in some ways to the more famous 1939 version, but it's not just swapping Lionel Barrymore for Orson Welles.
The 1938 broadcast includes Orson Welles reading from scripture as a Christmassy introduction. The interesting thing with that is it's the same passage from Luke (although a bit longer) that Linus uses to illustrate the true meaning of Christmas in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (1965)! Surely a coincidence, but interesting nonetheless.
Once the story gets going, the beginning scenes in Scrooge's office use practically the same script as in 1939, including the odd bit about "Fothergill" (or something like that) having owed Scrooge "seventeen and six" since Michaelmas.
Everything with Scrooge's nephew Fred, the charity solicitor (played by Ray Collins - Fun!) and Bob Cratchit is the same, so you would think the rest of the show will follow suit. (As with 1939, Fred is never mentioned or heard from again. Joseph Cotten wasn't a star yet!)
Interestingly, though, while the incidents are largely the same in the rest of the show, the presentation and dialogue is a bit different.
This first becomes noticeable when Scrooge sees Marley's face in the fireplace and hears the bells ring, things that were not included in 1939. The dialogue with Marley's Ghost is also different, but the point is the same.
The Ghost of Christmas Past has the jet of light and the extinguisher cap here. He does show Scrooge the same scenes from the past: lonely young Ebenezer, Fezziwig's party, the breakup with Belle and Belle's happy marriage.
Of note, Scrooge does not call Fezziwig by name. He just says "my old master." Orson Welles does refer to him as Fezziwig when he's running over the cast at the end, however.
When Scrooge extinguishes the ghost, we have the station break.
When we return, Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Present. As in 1939, they go to Bob Cratchit's house, but not Fred's party. But here in 1938, the spirit flies Scrooge around the city to see people celebrating the holiday. The scene after Bob's house where the spirit shows Scrooge the other celebrations is extended quite a bit.
The most surprising difference in this production is when the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows up and talks to Scrooge! He doesn't really say a lot, and I presume that the next year they figured it was just as well to keep the spirit silent and have Scrooge say some expository dialogue. Oddest thing here is that the spirit points to Scrooge's grave and reads the name rather than having Scrooge read it.
The spirit brings Scrooge to the Cratchit house where we learn that Tiny Tim has died, but instead of including the scene with the other businessmen discussing Scrooge's death, we have the charwoman, identified as Mrs. Dilber, selling the shirt and bed curtains to Old Joe.
When Scrooge wakes up on Christmas morning, he sounds kind of crazy. He sounds like a leprechaun or something!
We don't have Scrooge doing much else on Christmas morning. He doesn't talk to the kid out the window or buy a turkey or meet the charity gentleman. Those things were all included in 1939.
Instead, in this version, we cut right to the next morning where Scrooge beats Bob to the office and raises his salary.
A little more narration and scene!
So, what we have here is a very solid version of the story. Orson Welles was a master of dramatic radio and he's at his peak here.
The whole company is hititing on all cylinders. The music (by Bernard Herrmann), sound effects, etc. - all topnotch.
Orson even does us a solid by running down the names of the cast and the roles they play. That helps us latter day listeners a ton!
I'm sure that radio listeners in 1938 were disappointed not to hear Lionel Barrymore play Scrooge that year, but he did so for many years to come and this gives us the rare chance to hear Orson Welles tackle the role.
The irony is that this is the earliest of the series as sponsored by Campbell's Soup that survives, so chronologically, we actually get to hear Welles before Barrymore!
Let's just be glad for whatever does survive from old time radio!
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