If you got the chance to listen to the 1950s-era AFRTS recording of the US Navy's "Joy to the World" featuring Otto Kruger as Ebenezer Scrooge in an adaptation of "A Christmas Carol," you may be thinking it's déjà vu all over again.
This experience is a bit different from the AFRS show with Basil Rathbone which incorporated the 78 rpm recording of "A Christmas Carol" into the show, but there was something very familiar...
It didn't take me long to realize that Otto Kruger was speaking the same words that Ronald Colman had spoken on his recording of "A Christmas Carol" from 1941!
As it goes along, yes, definitely it's the same script. Hey, why not?
But I do wonder how many service personnel had heard Mr. Colman's recording over the years and were wise to this!
As for this recording itself, it doesn't sport the high production values of the Colman version and does not have anywhere near the cast.
I have no reason at all to doubt host Robert Paige when he says the supporting cast are members of the Navy from Pensacola and their families. They do seem amateurish, but I'm sure they had fun and the show is pleasant.
Ronald Colman's album had a supporting cast of top radio actors, so it's not a fair comparison, but there you go.
As for Otto Kruger, he does a good job and has a good voice, but if you compare him to Ronald Colman, well, no one can beat Ronald Colman in the voice department!
One thing I will say is that Otto Kruger's voice sounds like it was recorded separately from the supporting cast. The quality is different. I'm guessing he recorded his lines and the Pensacola folks recorded their lines and someone mixed them together.
That's just one mystery about this recording.
The main one is that I can't determine when it's from. Neither the AFRTS announcer nor Robert Paige mention the year.
The biggest clue is that it was presented by the AFRTS rather then the AFRS. The extra T for television was officially added in April of 1954, so this program is no earlier than the Christmas season of 1954. I wouldn't imagine it's a lot later than that, but who knows? Otto Kruger was around until 1974 (and Robert Paige until 1987), so there's not much of a clue there.
And why is the show called "Joy to the World" and not "A Christmas Carol?"
I can't find any references to this show anywhere, yet here it is! It's all a mystery!
Paging Nick Carter!
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