The 78 rpm album of "A Christmas Carol" put together by radio announcer Ernest Chappell is on the longer side for such a project. The album consists of four 12-inch records, so there's about 40 minutes to work with in telling the story.
Did Mr. Chappell use those 40 minutes wisely?
Yes!
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| Please click to enlarge image so you can read it! |
Obviously he was familiar with the concept of adapting this story in audio form, as he was the announcer on at least the 1938 and 1939 broadcast of "A Christmas Carol" on the "Campbell Playhouse" program.
I has heard both of those shows before I heard this album and I had wondered if this adaptation was influenced by those. The answer is... sort of!
There are naturally certain similarities just based on this album being done like a radio drama and telling the same story. All three feature a lot of narration in addition to scenes being acted out by the cast.
But they're not all the same, so let's discuss what's on this album.
As typical with almost any adaptation, the opening scenes mention that Marley was dead and Scrooge is mislery. We also have visits from Scrooge's nephew Fred and and (at least one) portly charity solicitor. And Bob Cratchit gets the business.
One thing this adaptation definitely borrows from the earlier radio broadcasts is Bob Cratchit making a donation to the charity gentleman. The dialogue is virtually the same, as Bob offers "thruppence" and the gentleman remarks that Bob is generous but his employer is not.
I think that's really the only thing that's not from the book, but it's a nice bit.
After this, we have Bob and Scrooge going home in very different moods and Scrooge being visited by Marley's Ghost. Marley's Ghost gets a fair amount of the running time with a side and a half.
The Ghost of Christmas Past gets about the same amount of time as Marley's Ghost, but he only gets to show Scrooge a couple of scenes. They go from Scrooge's boyhood right to his breakup with Belle then Belle and her husband. No Fan and even more surprisng, no Fezziwig!
The Ghost of Christmas Present only gets one side and not surprisingly takes Scrooge to Bob Cratchit's house for their Christmas dinner, where Scrooge learns about Tiny Tim.The ghost namedrops Martha, Belinda and Peter in addition to Tiny Tim.
The Cratchits have a lot of expository dialogue in this scene, saying things that the narrator usually would. I think it works well and shows that Ernest Chappell wasn't hogging the mike!
In common with the earlier "Campbell Payhouse" broadcasts, the spirt doesn't get the chance to take Scrooge to Fred's Christmas party.
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come also gets one side here. He does not talk, which I always think is a good move. He shows Scrooge the other businessmen, the Cratchit house after Tiny Tim's death, then Scrooge's grave. Scrooge pleads for a second chance as the side ends.
Now on the last side of the album, Scrooge finds himself back in his room. He enlists the kid out the window to get the turkey, which Scrooge says he'll send to Bob Cratchit as a joke.
Scrooge meets the portly gentleman and offers a donation, then the narrator then tells us that Scrooge went to church and went to Fred's house. Those two earlier broadcast made no mention of Fred after he left Scrooge's office at the beginning of he story, so it's good that this version tells us that they did reconcile.
We have the scene at the office the next day, then Ernest Chappell wraps up the story with some faithful narration!
So, a good job done by all with a pretty faithful adaptation. E.C. kept his promise about not taking too many liberties!
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