If you got the chance to listen to Lionel Barrymore's annual portrayal of Scrooge for 1949's "Capehart Christmas Hour," I'm sure you'll agree it's another solid job!
This is his first time on Mutual, after having appeared on CBS, NBC and ABC in the past.
Announcer Gene Baker indicates that it's Mr. Barrymore's fifteenth year playing Scrooge, but I think it's his fourteenth time, if my math is right. He started in 1934, didn't do it in 1936 or 1938, so 1949 would be his fourteenth time, right?
Anyway, one thing I like about the shows is that it's not the same script every year and it's always fun to see what might be different.
These half hour versions don't leave room for a lot of material, and this one cuts out a lot, so we'll just do a quick review of what was included.
The introductory scenes in the office and with Marley's Ghost are as expected. They take up about half the show, so the other spirits don't get much time.
An interesting bit is the narrator indicating that Scrooge went to bed without undressing. OK, thanks for letting us know!
The Christmas past sequence only includes the scene of Scrooge and Belle's breakup. He does call her Belle. The spirit does mention that it's but one shadow, but Scrooge doesn't want to see anything else.
This may be the only version to have this as the one and only scene from the past.
Christmas present has to include the Cratchit family's Christmas dinner with Tiny Tim and all, and indeed this one does so, and it's the only scene in the segment.
We get a little bit of Martha here as she talks about Tiny Tim with Mrs. Cratchit rather than Bob and the Mrs. doing so.
One of the younger Cratchit kid flubs a line by saying, "Here they come, Mother - Father and Tiny and Tim" then quickly says "and Tiny Tim." It's cute!
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come doesn't get any lines, but does get to show Scrooge two scenes: the Cratchit house after Tiny Tim's death and Scrooge's lonely grave.
We're running short on time, so on Christmas morning when Scrooge engages the boy to by the prize turkey, he also tells him that he's going to look after Tiny Tim and raise Bob Cratchit's salary.
Not that the kid really cares, but, hey, for half a crown he'll go along with it!
So, a quick run-through with Lionel Barrymore in good form.
I think at this point in time, the idea was that everyone already knows the story, so you just relax and enjoy whatever scenes are presented.
And Lionel's little speech about world peace at the end still rings true, doesn't it?
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