So, I was watching the 1938 MGM version of "A Christmas Carol" again, as I do every holiday season.
This time, however, I noticed that TCM had the Descriptive Video Service option for the move, so I turned it on, as I think it's kind of an interesting way to watch (hear) something you've seen before.
I raise my hand to admit that I never noticed, until the narrator mentioned it, that the sign for Fezziwig's warehouse has the first initial of "J" included?
I spend so much time nitpicking the movie that I guess I just have overlooked it all these years!
It's not really my intention every time I watch MGM's 1938 version of "A Christmas Carol" to wonder who should have been cast as Ebenezer Scrooge rather than Reginald Owen (since Lionel Barrymore), but I do wonder!
Throw in that I recently was listening to Charles Laughton's 1951 recording of "A Christmas Carol" for RCA Victor on which he did not portray Scrooge and it occurred to me...
What if MGM had cast Mr. Laughton as Scrooge in their movie?
I had mentioned before that Laughton could be very evil (1935's "Mutiny on the Bounty") or kind (1935's "Ruggles of Red Gap) so he could easily handle the before and after Scrooge characterizations.
And since "Mutiny on the Bounty" was an MGM production, their hype machine could say "It's Charles Laughton at his 'Mutiny on the Bounty' evil best!" or "You thought he was mean as Captain Bligh? Wait until you see him as Scrooge!"
If they had gone that route, it would be a bigger production with a longer running time and the story would have more meat and not be so fluffy.
As such, you throw in more of Scrooge's past, such as his doomed engagement to Belle. And who plays Belle? Laughton's real-life wife, Elsa Lanchester!
For visual reference as to how Charles Laughton might have looked as Scrooge, we merely have to turn to 1939's "Jamaica Inn":
That movie takes place in the 1820s, roughly the same period as "A Christmas Carol," so you can totally see it!
While I'm throwing things out there, here's another thought...
Producer Selznick (left) and director Hitchcock.
What if former MGM producer David O. Selznick, who had produced 1935's Dickens blockbusters "A Tale of Two Cities" and "David Copperfield," was involved in the production of a late-1930s "A Christmas Carol" and had imported Alfred Hitchcock to direct it? (Selznick brought Hitch to America to direct "Rebecca" (1940) following "Jamaica Inn," Hitchcock's last British film of the time.)
So, as I often often do, I was looking for a movie to watch on TCM and settled on "Listen, Darling," a 1938 release from MGM.
I had seen it years ago and remembered some of it but not so much as not to be entertained.
Anyway, what caught my eye was that this film was directed by Edwin L. Marin, who was also the director of "A Christmas Carol," another 1938 release from MGM!
This sort of thing makes me start thinking about context (my big thing) and how do those two movies relate and whatnot.
One thing to note is that Edwin L. Marin was the director of five MGM releases that year, which shows that he was efficient, if nothing else, and that he couldn't have spent much time on "A Christmas Carol," so that was not a big "prestige" picture.
I've enjoyed quite a few movies on his résumé, so I'd say he had talent to go along with his efficiency, so a valuable employee in the days when studios were churning out a lot of movies.
The other common thread of "Listen, Darling" and "A Christmas Carol" is that Gene Lockhart appears in both films.
He, of course, plays Bob Cratchit in "A Christmas Carol" and adds a lot to that movie. His role in "Listen, Darling" is smaller, but puts the plot in motion.
The plot (such as it is) of "Listen, Darling" is Judy Garland and her friend Freddie Bartholomew trying to find a suitable husband for Mary Astor, Judy's widowed mother, so she won't have to marry the "drizzle puss" played by Gene Lockhart!
Gene's character is named "Mr. Drubbs" (which has a Dickensian sound to it!) and is just as dull as his name. Gene plays the part very well and comparing this to his performance as Bob Cratchit shows his versatility.
Gene Lockhart is the only actor to appear in the two movies, but I started to wonder if anyone else in "Listen, Darling" would fit into "A Christmas Carol."
The obvious first thought is Freddie Bartholomew, the young British breakout star of MGM's earlier Dickens adaptation of "David Copperfield" from 1935. I think he would have been a good Tiny Tim if MGM had adapted "A Christmas Carol" a couple of years earlier, but even by 1938, Freddie was age 14 and not tiny enough anymore. Not that I think Terry Kilburn was ideal, but don't get me started!
If MGM had wanted to use Freddie in "A Christmas Carol," the best part would have young Ebenezer Scrooge, but that role would have needed to be expanded and it would have thrown everything off by having a box office name (which Freddie had been and sort of still was) play young Scrooge while a non-box office name (Reginald Owen never was) as old Scrooge.
The only other British actor in "Listen, Darling" was Barnett Parker, who plays his typical role of a butler. He could have been shoved into any number of small parts in "A Christmas Carol" if he had been hanging around the lot.
The romantic lead of "Listen, Darling," Walter Pidgeon, was Canadian, but sort of seemed British, but I don't think there was a good role for him in "A Christmas Carol," except maybe Fred, but he was perhaps too mature for that part.
Not British in the least was Alan Hale, who also appears in "Listen, Darling," but I submit that he could have been a great Ghost of Christmas Present, had things lined up that way!
Another thing to note is that Judy Garland also appeared in another 1938 MGM movie directed by Edwin L. Marin, "Everybody Sing," and her father in that movie was played by Reginald Owen and her sister by Lynne Carver ("Bess" in "A Christmas Carol")!
Everything comes back around!
From a non-"A Christmas Carol" standpoint, "Listen, Darling" is pleasant entertainment showing Freddie Bartholomew just after his peak of stardom and Judy Garland just before hers was to begin!
Here's the trailer for "Listen, Darling," which tells you all you need to know:
So, this is a poster for the 1962 reissue of MGM's 1938 version of "A Christmas Carol":
Three thoughts:
1. This was a viable theatrical reissue in 1962?
2. The Terry Kilburn is good, but the Reginald Owen is off-model!
3. What's with the old school inset illustration? Nothing to do with the movie! And Ann Rutherford is way better looking than this Ghost of Christmas Past!
Here's a still from MGM's 1938 production of "A Christmas Carol":
The effect of Leo G. Carroll as Marley's Ghost looks good, but you can really see that Reginald Owen is wearing a ton of makeup! It kind of ends at his chin, leaving his neck un-made-up!
So, around the holidays, TCM always shows MGM's 1938 version of "A Christmas Carol" with Reginald Owen. Certainly makes sense!
I usually either record it or watch it "On Demand" as that's easier than digging out the DVD or whatever.
This particular version is not overly well-regarded and I have certainly taken it to task, but if I get past what it's not, I do enjoy it as a bit of fluff.
TCM showed it as part of a Dickens block with the David O. Selznick produced MGM blockbusters "David Copperfield" and "A Tale of Two Cities" from 1935 and David Lean's brilliant "Great Expectations" and "Oliver Twist" from 1946 and 1948, respectively.
The 1938 "A Christmas Carol" suffers mightily in such company (1951's "Scrooge" can stand with them), but take it away from those other ones and it's a pleasant diversion.
"All-Star" Barry MacKay's Fred is awesome and Gene Lockhart's Bob Cratchit is outstanding too. They carry the movie, offsetting Reginald Owen's somewhat cartoonish Scrooge and the miscasting of Terry Kilburn as Tiny Tim.
Wait, did I go full-circle and start "dissing" the movie again?
As we continue to assemble our "A Christmas Carol" All-Star Team, we move from the supernatural figures to what I consider to be the major human characters.
Up to the plate steps Scrooge's nephew Fred!
He's an important character as his holiday cheerfulness contracts sharply with Scrooge's lack of said cheerfulness. Fred actually gets the first line, wishing his uncle a "Merry Christmas" and getting a "Bah! Humbug!" for his efforts!
And as the son of Scrooge's deceased younger sister, Fred provides a link to some relatively happy moments from Scrooge's childhood.
There are naturally lots of Freds out there, but my favorite is Barry MacKay from MGM's 1938 version with Reginald Owen:
That production certainly has its issues, but Barry MacKay's Fred is not one of them. His role is expanded quite a bit from the original book, but he's up to the task.
I really like the way he interacts with the other characters, including Bob, Peter and Tiny Tim Cratchit, as well as his fiancée Bess and Scrooge himself. He's extremely cheerful, but it never seems forced.
I only know Barry MacKay from this one role and I don't know his story, but he's terrific here! He's in a few British movies, mostly in the 1930s and his last move credit is from 1955, although he was around for another 30 years after that!
I believe the only other movie I've seen in which he's involved is "Knights of the Round Table" (1953), the big MGM picture with Robert Taylor and Ava Gardner. Barry has an uncredited part as "Green Knight's Squire," so I'll have to see if I can spot him the next time that flick shows up on TCM.
This American one for Republic Pictures in 1939 looks cool, though:
I'll have to see if I can track it down!
Interesting that Barry MacKay plays Fred here and Fred MacKaye plays Fred on Ronald Colman's 1941 Decca recording. Coincidence, no doubt, but fun!
We get back into the comic book, I mean graphic novel world with this "new" edition of "A Christmas Carol" from Classics Illustrated.
I think it's just a reprint of the old story from 1948 (discussed here)with the color zhuzhed up digitally:
It's Number 53 in the series even.
But.. it has a snappy new cover as seen at the top of the page.
What's most interesting is that Marley's Ghost is totally Leo G. Carroll from the 1938 version of "A Christmas Carol," (which featured Reginald Owen as Scrooge)!
Not "inspired by" or anything, it's just straight-up him!
Perhaps I will get my mitts on this edition to see what it's all about.
We were just looking at some lobby cards for "Scrooge" (1951), often regarded as the best-ever movie adaptation of "A Christmas Carol," but the 1938 MGM version has long been a major player in the cinematic world.
So, here's some lobby cards from "A Christmas Carol" (1938):
A few things about the MGM/Maxwell House old-time radio show "Good News of 1939" and its adaptation of the 1938 movie "A Christmas Carol."
As I mentioned before, I think they do a good job of representing the movie. I would almost say that I think it works better as an audio drama.
I've never been crazy about Reginald Owen's makeup in the movie, but that's something we don't have to worry about here.
And having Lionel Barrymore as the narrator instead of Scrooge is an interesting twist. We have other opportunities to hear him play Scrooge, so it's not like our one chance was lost.
With Barrymore not able to do the actual movie, however, we did miss our one chance to see him play Scrooge. It's not Reginald Owen's fault, but we have to blame someone!
In any event, listening to the whole hour-long "Good News" show is another one of those things that seems like a history lesson more than entertainment. I think the show is kind of bloated, like they're trying really hard to entertain you. The music to me is especially over the top. I can easily listen to an hour of records from 1938, but not of this type of music.
I think this was pretty square back then as well!
I do think Robert Young is a good emcee for the show. He was an MGM contract player for quite a while and did some good work for them in some good pictures.
He didn't really hit his stride, however, until he starred in the radio show "Father Knows Best," which led to the long-running TV show of the same name, which established him as a TV star, which later lead to his other successful series "Marcus Welby, M.D."
It's kind of fun that "Father Knows Best" was also sponsored by Maxwell House Coffee on the radio. Did one of the suits remember Bob Young from the "Good News" show?
I also remember his commercials for Sanka coffee, which were on quite often when I was a kid. Did he have to switch to decaf after all that Maxwell House?
I think it's fun that the announcer is Warren Hull, who started acting more over the next few years. He played the lead in "The Green Hornet Strikes Back" serial from 1940, as well as "Mandrake the Magician" and "The Spider's Web" serials. He was pretty good in those, but being a serial star didn't often lead to bigger and better acting parts. He eventually found a niche as host of the TV show "Strike It Rich" in the 1950s.
The comedy chores on "Good News" were handled by Frank Morgan and Fanny Brice and they were apparently quite popular with the listening audience, as they wound up outlasting the show, starring on "Maxwell House Coffee Time" after the MGM association was dropped.
Frank Morgan is best-known (only known?) these days for his title role in "The Wizard of Oz," but he was a versatile actor for MGM.
I don't think his radio act holds up well, though. He's a likeable performer, but the material is dated.
Fanny Brice, on the other hand, is still funny as Baby Snooks. At this point in time she was a 47 year-old playing a five or six year-old. It shouldn't work, but it does. Hanley Stafford does yeoman work playing her Daddy and the two of them work quite well together. Fanny wouldn't have been able to pull off the act on TV, but that shtick was perfect for radio. Radio was awesome for letting you form your own pictures in your mind.
If you're curious, here's the Baby Snooks sketch from this same episode of December 15, 1938:
We're fortunate that a number of episodes of the "Good News" radio show were preserved and it's fun to hear the MGM stars, but it's definitely an artifact of its time.
Funny thing, though... Now I have the urge to buy some Maxwell House K-cups!
Did you get a chance to listen to the portion of "Good News of 1939" containing the preview of MGM's 1938 version of "A Christmas Carol?"
I think it's pretty good. Lionel Barrymore could easily have played Scrooge here, as he sounds in good form, but since Reginald Owen stars in the film, he plays the part here and Barrymore is the narrator. I like his narration quite a bit.
We also have Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, Ann Rutherford and Ronald Sinclair reprising their roles from the movie.
Ronald Sinclair had a couple of snappy co-stars in "Thoroughbreds Don't Cry" (1937).
I notice that Ronald Sinclair is not "big" enough to be mentioned in the opening. I think he's a pretty good young Scrooge, though. He really only gets a couple of lines here.
Since this sketch is meant to promote the movie, it follows it pretty closely, although they have to cut a lot out.
Fred does not appear at all, although Bob mentions him at the end, and we don't have the charity solicitors. It's also interesting that in the Christmas present sequnce, we don't hear any of the Cratchits speak, so while we hear about Tiny Tim, we never actually hear him. That makes it a bit awkward when Lionel Barrymore quotes him at the end, but I bet most listeners didn't think much about it.
What we do get, however, is the sequence of Bob getting "sacked" for ruining Scrooge's hat, which really makes you know you're listening to an adaptation of the movie!
One thing to remember is that the "Good News" show is meant to promote MGM movies as in make you want to go see them, so this sketch ends with Scrooge pleading for a second chance. You have to go see the movie if you want to know how it ends!
Franz Waxman also did the score for "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935)!
All in all, I think it's a good representation of the movie. I recognized Franz Waxman's music, which was a plus for the movie and sounds really good here.
"Good News of 1939" Episode 51 (December 15, 1938) Director: Edward L. Marin Scrooge: Reginald Owen
We head back 20 years from Stan Freberg to visit the old-time radio show "Good News of 1939," which was a co-venture between MGM and Maxwell House to promote movies and sell coffee. And both of those goals were accomplished!
So, why are we talking about this show? Well, when the episode of December 15, 1938 rolled around, the movie MGM needed to promote was... "A Christmas Carol!"
That is, of course, the version starring Reginald Owen, who had taken over the role when Lionel Barrymore was incapacitated.
Lionel is here to narrate the proceedings, which is fun.
The whole show is an hour long with material that doesn't necessary hold up or at least suit our purposes, so I edited it down to about 20 minutes to showcase the movie adaptation.
Did you think we were done dissecting the 1938 MGM version? Oh, no, we're not!
There are still a few little curiosities here and there.
Interestingly, the opening indicates that the story takes place "more than a century ago." Perhaps neither here nor there, but this would place the events earlier than 1838. The book was published in 1843, which is the year a lot of versions place it in, if a year is mentioned at all. The book does say the story takes place "once upon a time," so it technically does not take place in 1843. So not only does "more than a century ago" sound cool, it's also accurate!
Fred and Bob Cratchit are very well-acquainted here. They have a scene together before Scrooge first appears and prior to that, Fred met Peter and Tiny Tim. He meets Bob and Tim again in the Christmas Present sequence outside of the church. This makes it seem a bit odd in the future when Bob says he ran into Fred and Fred was so understanding of Bob's troubles that it made it seem like he really knew Tim. This is faithful to the book, but here Fred does know Tiny Tim well!
A neat little touch is that Scrooge takes the bottle of wine that Bob and Fred had been drinking at the beginning of the movie rather than throwing it away!
A couple of characters that are unnamed in the book are given names here. Fred's fiancée (his wife in the book) is Bess and the two gentlemen collecting for charity are named Twill and Rummidge. Don't know why those two need names, but at least they sound Dickensian!
And don't get me started again on Fan being rechristened Fran!
When the Ghost of Christmas Past brings Scrooge back to bis old school, Scrooge calls out the names of his fellow students. He does that in the book too, so whatever, but... Scrooge yells, "Dick Wilkins!" So, wait, Dick Wilkins went to school with Ebenezer and also worked with him at Fezziwig's? Could be, but it seems like an odd thing to add in.
What's odd to leave out is that Tiny Tim does not say "God bless us every one" during the scene at the Cratchits' Christmas dinner. I actually rewatched the scene a couple of times to make sure! Tiny Tim always says that so it can be echoed at the end. He does say it at the end of the movie, but...
Something that I think might be unintentional was when Scrooge asked the Ghost of Christmas Present if Tiny Tim would die. The ghost misquotes Scrooge as he only says that Tim dying would "decrease the population." What happened to the "surplus" in there? Scrooge said "surplus population" earlier, but the ghost doesn't. I think the actor (Lionel Braham) flubbed the line and either no one noticed or they didn't bother to fix it. Line!
What really would appear to be a blooper is when Scrooge is eating his melancholy dinner in the melancholy tavern. He's reading a ginourmous banker's book (clearly labeled for our benefit!) then leaves it on the table in the tavern when he's done. Surely he wouldn't want to leave something like that behind! The waiter doesn't seem to react to it either.
One more thing that's probably not intentional is that you can see the face of the Ghost of Christmas present a couple of times. Very fleeting, and nobody had freeze frame in 1938 anyway!
Not a mistake, as it is scripted that way, but I find it very odd that Mrs. Cratchit is the one who offers the Christmas toast to Mr. Scrooge. Almost every other version has her squawk when Bob makes the toast, but not this time. Interesting!
And as mentioned before, Fred and Bess are not married, as they don't have enough money. I presume that's why in this version they have the Christmas party with Bess's "people." Otherwise how could Fred afford a big shindig?
Scrooge makes Fred his partner, which is also as different take, so by next Christmas he'll be many hours richer!
And one thing I can't help but wonder, is how long did Scrooge make the carriage driver wait while he was with Fred and Bess? That guy had to babysit that big turkey until Scrooge was ready to go to Bob's house. Luckily for the driver, his passenger was newly generous and probably gave him a big tip!
OK, so perhaps we're done with this movie for now, but it's a fascinating little thing!
