Listen!

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:

A Journey Back to 1938

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?

Oh, well...

A Christmas Carol (1938) - Who's Who

Now let's take a look at the cast of the 1938 MGM version of "A Christmas Carol."

First up, Reginald Owen as Scrooge. He's OK, but doesn't seem all that mean and reforms extremely quickly. Granted, that's the script and direction, but I don't think he adds much. He does have an iconic Scrooge look, but sometimes you can really see the heavy makeup!

As mentioned previously, Bob Cratchit gets an expanded role here. That's a good thing as Gene Lockhart does a great job in the role. He has tons of Christmas spirit! I know the knock on him is that he looks like he hasn't missed too many meals, so he doesn't seem poor, but what're you gonna do? He's a total pro  and was in a lot of movies over the years. His other Christmas classic movie claim to fame is his part as the judge at Kris Kringle's hearing in "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947). Not too shabby!

A fun thing is that Gene Lockhart's wife, Kathleen Lockhart, was also a performer and she was cast here as Bob's wife. No name given to her in the book or in this adaptation. She does a good job, but her role is much smaller.

Even more fun is that the Lockharts' 13 year old daughter, June, appears here as Belinda Cratchit! June Lockhart of course was later famous for her roles in the TV series "Lassie" and "Lost in Space." She's recognizable here in  her film debut. She guesses that Bob brought home sausages for Christmas dinner!

So, what about that other Cratchit kid, Tiny Tim? Well, he's played here by Terry Kilburn, who's not an unappealing performer (I've seen him elsewhere, most notably in "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" from 1939), but he just seems wrong here. Too old, too healthy looking. He's just not, you know, tiny!

This movie has the full complement of six Cratchit kids, including Martha and Peter. They all kind of run around screaming a lot, in the manner that adults think that kids act. They remind me of a Victorian Brady Bunch!

Scrooge's nephew Fred also has a greatly expanded role here too. What about the actor, Barry Mackay? Best. Fred. Ever. I don't know who he is, as I've never seen him in another movie (his filmography is small), but he does a great job here. Fred's supposed to have the most infectious personality of anyone you've ever met, and this Fred does!

Fred's not married yet in this version, but he has a fiancee named Bess. The actress, Lynne Carver is attractive, but she doesn't really get a lot to do.

Marley's ghost is played by Leo G. Carroll, whom I've seen in a zillion things, all they way up through "The Man from U.N.CL.E." TV series and he always seems about the same to me, including here. The idea of your former partner's ghost visiting you is pretty scary, but he doesn't add much more. He kind of groans more than moans, I guess.

The Ghost of Christmas Past might have the most interesting casting in the whole movie. While many versions tend to feature an old man, here the ghost is a beautiful young woman, as played by Ann Rutherford. She's the one actor who seems like she was cast because she was hanging around the MGM lot. This was around the time she started playing "Polly Benedict" in the "Andy Hardy" movies. The Christmas past sequence seems very short, but she does just fine.

Interesting casting for young Scrooge too. As mentioned before, we only get one young (and he is young) Scrooge. The actor, Ronald Sinclair, is a young teenager and it's interesting to see someone so young as Fezziwig's apprentice. Dick Wilkins is young here too. Is that actually more period authentic than the twenty-somethingish apprentices we're used to seeing?

Ronald Sinclair appears in a few movies as a teen actor (including playing young Ronald Colman in "The Light That Failed" (1939) - fun!), but switched to the other side of the camera as an adult. He eventually worked as a sound editor on "Die Hard" (1988)! So, does that also give him two Christmas classics on his resume?

To me, the cast is not peppered with familiar character actors the way a lot of MGM movies of the period are, for whatever reason, but the other parts are adequately played. Except for "Fran!" She's as annoying as her name change!

All in all, I think the cast does a good job with the material they're given, with Scrooge and Marley's ghost particularly watered down, but a superior Bob and Fred in the bargain!

Still worth a watch, and it's a snappy 69 minutes!