We're getting near the end of our countdown of the members of the "A Christmas Carol" All-Star Team, so we land on the second biggest character - Bob Cratchit!
Bob features in the beginning and end "real time" segments as well as the Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come scenes, so he has a big impact.
I find that Bob Cratchit portrayals are all over the place in various adaptations, but I've said before that a good Bob to me is a humble and loyal employee. He knows he needs his job, but I don't think he's resentful, or else he wouldn't raise a toast to "the founder of the feast" at his family's Christmas dinner.
I think a lot of Bobs argue with Scrooge too much, which is something that up with which Scrooge would not put!
So, who makes a really good Bob from a notable adaptation that hasn't been represented yet? Donald Calthrop from the 1935 British production "Scrooge," starring Seymour Hicks as Scrooge:
I know I've said before that he looks like he stepped out of the pages of an old edition of "A Christmas Carol" but he acts the part in addition to looking the part:
Donald Calthrop is another actor that I really don't know outside of this part. He's in quite a few British films - I don't think he was ever in a US production - from the silent era up through his death in 1940.
But he certainly left his mark as Bob Cratchit!
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