A Christmas Carol - Claude Rains (1954) - Part 2

If you got the chance to listen to the 1954 recording of "A Christmas Carol" by Claude Rains, I'm sure you will agree that it's an unusual treatment!

If you haven't, then beware of SPOILERS!

This was originally two sides of a standard 10-inch 78 rpm record. You could get three minutes and change on one side, so it's a tall order to get the whole story on there.

Instead of a dramatization, it's a solo performance by Claude Rains as Scrooge. He relates the story as if it has already happened. What makes it wacky is that his conscience (also voiced by Rains through a filtered microphone) is egging him on!

Scrooge narrating the story makes me think of Ronald Colman again, as his Scrooge is also relating events that have already taken place.

But as this version here is not a dramatization, we have a reformed Scrooge throughout. Claude Rains could play evil characters quite well, but we only hear his nice Scrooge, as he does not illustrate his evil ways.

On Side 1, Scrooge sets the scene by mentioning that his clerk, Bob Cratchit, had left the counting house. Then when Scrooge went home he had a dream.

There's no mention of Jacob Marley here at all.

The Ghost of Christmas Past appears and shows Scrooge a point in the past where he was at a Christmas party, smiling and happy, as he hasn't been since. Hard to say when this was. He says he was a young man, but with a group of youngsters.

Whatever the case, the side ends after just under two and a half minutes. The ghost's "time grows short," indeed!

Flip the record over and Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Present. This is the only spirit he describes. He says he's a giant with a torch in his hand. No surprise that the spirit takes Scrooge to Bob Cratchit's house.

This is the longest sequence. Scrooge mentions that Bob has three children and describes Tiny Tim and quotes his famous line. Scrooge is ashamed that he pays Bob such a meager salary and is not surprised that "a pall fell over the festivities" when Mrs. Cratchit mentioned his name.

The Ghost of Christmas Present appears next and he shows Scrooge his tombstone, with no one to mourn for him. Scrooge begs for a chance to change his ways.

The ghost vanishes and Scrooge is back in his room on Christmas morning. He gives a sack of gold to a passing boy to buy the biggest goose (not turkey) he can find and send it to Bob Cratchit.

Scrooge wishes us a Merry Christmas and reminds us what Tiny Tim remarked.

A little over three minutes for the flipside, so the whole thing clocks in at about five and a half minutes.

So, a snappy little trip through the story and well done, I say!

A Christmas Carol - Claude Rains (1954) - Part 1

A Christmas Carol (1954)
Adaptation: Hugo Peretti & Luigi Creatore
Scrooge: Claude Rains

In keeping with the theme of famous British actors making recordings of "A Christmas Carol," we check out this deep cut from Claude Rains on Mercury Records in 1954.

A sensationalized reissue poster!

Claude Rains, of course, was a brilliant actor with a long line of memorable roles starting with "The Invisible Man" in 1933. Who else could command the screen so well when you couldn't even see him?

As I mentioned when discussing the 1935 mover "Scrooge" starring Sir Seymour Hicks, I often see Claude Rains credited as playing (or at least voicing) Marley's Ghost, whom you don't see, in that film. I don't think that's correct. It doesn't even sound like him, and why would he be using a different voice in a low-budget British film when he was already a star in Hollywood?

Is the root of this simply that Marley's Ghost is invisible and Claude Rains had played, well you-know-who!

In any event, he definitely did portray Scrooge on this interesting record from 1954. As evidenced by the label, it was for the kiddie market.

It's an unusual treatment of the story. I won't say anything more right now, in case you haven't heard it and would like to.

Give it a listen:

Next: Let's discuss!

Favorite Story - "A Christmas Carol" (1949) - Part 2

As mentioned last time, the 1949 broadcast of "A Christmas Carol" from Ronald Colman's syndicated radio series "Favorite Story" uses nearly the same script as his 1941 recording of the story for Decca Records.

It's extremely similar, but there are a few differences here and there. I look at it as my job to point out those differences!

One difference is noticeable right off the bat. Because this is a radio show rather than a recording for home use, this show has an introduction. The announcer is Joseph Kearns, who did a ton of radio work with no fanfare, then finally became known to audiences for his role as "Mr. Wilson" on the "Dennis the Menace" series starting in 1959.

Ronald Colman also gives an introduction, saying how this is everyone's favorite story. The idea of the show was that each week, the story being presented would be someone's favorite story. Who could argue that this one is everyone's favorite?

Once the story gets going and Scrooge begins his narration, it is immediately apparent that this is basically the same script as the record. This part is word for word and the delivery is the same.

A few scenes have slightly different dialogue. These are the ones with the charity collector and Bob Cratchit at the beginning and the one with Belle in the Christmas Past sequence.

A couple of scenes that were on the record set are omitted here. Those are when Scrooge is describing the merry-making with the miners and sailors that he was shown by the Ghost of Christmas Present and the scene in the future where the other businessmen discuss Scrooge's death.

But you really have to listen to each one closely to even notice these things.

I think the pace of the record is a little quicker than the radio show as well. Not sure if that's why they had time for the extra scenes.

The music is different as well. It's don't think it's a copyright issue, as the record mostly uses "The First Noel." On the whole, I prefer the music from the record.

Also of note is that the ghosts sound echoier on the album.

The version of the show that we heard did not include the tag with Ronald Colman telling us the names of the supporting cast, so here's a quick clip of that:

Who else could seen so charming and classy while reading credits?

Anyway, the supporting cast is largely different from the 1941 album, but Eric Snowden as Bob Cratchit and Cy Kendall as the Ghost of Christmas Present are back.

"Who are you calling portly?"

Arthur Q. Bryan is recognizable as the portly gentlemen on the show, which is the same role he played not on Ronald Colman's, but Basil Rathbone's record set!

One other thing about the radio show is that it has places for commercials from the local sponsors. This gives Joe Kearns a chance to mention Ronald Colman's "recent Decca album." Fun!

So, record or radio show, it's good!

Favorite Story - "A Christmas Carol" (1949) - Part 1

Talking about Ronald Colman's 1941 recording of "A Christmas Carol" for Decca Records leads to an episode of Mr. Colman's radio anthology series "Favorite Story."

This was a half-hour syndicated series that presented versions of classic literature. One good thing about syndicated shows is that they were usually recorded on discs and sent to the individual stations. As such, a lot of them survive, whereas many live programs were not saved.

Fortunately for our purposes, on December 24, 1949, the show presented "A Christmas Carol" with host Colman also playing Scrooge.

The fascinating thing to me is that it uses virtually the same script as his earlier record album. Some of the supporting cast is different, but the script is so similar that you could be forgiven if you thought they were just broadcasting the records.

If you follow the link below, you can hear the show with very good sound:

Favorite Story - "A Christmas Carol"

Next, we look at some subtle differences...

Rathbone vs. Colman!

The 1942 recording of "A Christmas Carol" from Columbia Records starring Basil Rathbone invites comparisons to Ronald Colman's version on Decca Records from the year before.

I really like these type of records. It's fun that there are several different ones, as it's interesting to see how the adapters manage to squeeze whatever material they can into the running time available. Both of these are albums of six 12-inch 78 rpm records, so they're about the same length.

I think both are great. Each has a stellar lead and top supporting cast.

As mentioned last time, Ronald Colman's Scrooge narrates the story as if it had already happened sometime in the past, whereas Basil Rathbone is describing things as they happen.

Another difference is that Colman uses his "real" voice, which is awesome, whereas Rathbone affects something of an "old man" voice.

This seems fitting as Ronald Colman was a MOVIE STAR and Basil Rathbone was more of a star character actor.

No doubt who was the star in 1935!

Basil worked his way up a bit by 1938!

Colman never played Scrooge in movies or TV, but Rathbone played Scrooge twice on TV, in 1956 and 1959. He easily could've headlined a movie version, if something like that would've happened.

You can have a fun little mini-marathon watching and listening to Basil Rathbone's various Scrooge projects, throwing in his turn as Marley's Ghost in the 1954 "Shower of Stars" adaptation with Fredric March.

I'm not sure how Ronald Colman would have been as Scrooge in a movie. On the whole, he was too handsome and charming for such a role. I understand that he was protective of his brand and perhaps he wouldn't have wanted to have been buried under makeup not befitting a matinee idol and/or appear in a role that his fans might not like.

But Colman's great voice and acting skills easily translate to the audio world and he does a great job as Scrooge on his recording.

An awesome color photo of Hollywood's British colony. How many of these stars do you recognize?

So, two great actors with different approaches.

I say it's a tie!

A Christmas Carol (1942) - Basil Rathbone - Part 3

The 1942 Columbia Records album of "A Christmas Carol" starring Basil Rathbone consists of six 12-inch 78 rpm records. Each side could hold about four minutes of material, so the whole thing clocks in at just under 24 minutes.

That's the typical length of a lot of audio versions of the story, whether it's a record set or a half-hour radio show. It's what each of those versions does with those twenty-odd minutes that keeps things interesting!

As I had mentioned last time, this starts off with an introduction from popular radio announcer Harlow Wilcox. Once he sets the scene and introduces us to Scrooge, Bob Cratchit (Cratchet) and Fred, we don't hear from him again.

Fred enters the office and says "Betsy" wants Scrooge to come for Christmas, but of course, Scrooge isn't one for such invitations. Scrooge does address him as "Fred" and "Nephew."

In the book, we only learn that the nephew's name is Fred when his wife calls him that in the Christmas Present sequence, but here there's no doubt right from the beginning!

Only one portly gentleman comes in to collect for charity, but he gets the same welcome as usual.

These interactions are brief, but they get the point across just fine.

Then Scrooge and Bob discuss whether Bob should have the next day off. Interestingly, Scrooge tells Bob to come in at 4:00 on Christmas Day!

Scrooge then leaves the office and basically starts narrating the story at this point. He's describing things as they're happening, not as if they had already happened, as was the case with Ronald Colman's Scrooge on his album.

He says he's going to have dinner at what sounds like the "White Harp," which must be his usual melancholy tavern.

For his melancholy dinner he had steak and kidney pie, which he didn't like. I don't blame him, as that sounds like something made from a bad "Chopped" basket!

Scrooge says it's a bedlam due to all the celebrating people. This is interesting because in the book he says he'll retire to Bedlam, which was the nickname for the Bethlehem Royal Hospital, a London psychiatric facility.

How would Boris Karloff been as Scrooge?

I know that mainly from the awesome 1946 horror film of the same name starring Boris Karloff.

Anyway, Scrooge continues his internal monologue as he goes home. He sees Marley's face in the knocker and then Marley's Ghost come through the bolted door.

Marley's Ghost warns Scrooge to change his ways and tells him the other three ghosts will come on successive nights, as in the book.

Marley's Ghost then goes out the window to join "the other lost spirits."

The Marley business is given a fair amount of time, which I guess was to have his exit coincide with the end of that particular record. It's well-done.

The Ghost of Christmas Past shows up a pulls back Scrooge's bed curtains. Scrooge describes the spirit, which largely follows the description in the book. The spirit says its face is the face of everyone Scrooge has ever known, which is sort of in the book, but that happens when the spirit leaves.

Due to time constraints, we only get one scene from the past, which is Fan coming to take lonely, young Ebenezer home. Old Scrooge calls his younger self a "poor little shaver," which is a good old-school expression!

What I find interesting is that when the spirit says that Fan died a woman and had children, Scrooge doesn't correct it to say she had only one, meaning his nephew. I don't think this was meant to imply that Fred has siblings, but it's just interesting!

Scrooge doesn't want to see anymore and winds up back snoring away in his bed. So, no Fezziwig or Belle.

Scrooge goes out to see the Ghost of Christmas Present, who describes how he's decorated Scrooge's room.

Scrooge says the spirit looks like Father Christmas himself.

Scrooge and the spirit go out and the spirit describes some of what they see. The spirit specifically talks about people going to church.

They then pop in to see the Cratchits (I'll spell it correctly!) where two children, presumably Peter and Belinda, are waiting with Mrs. Cratchit for Martha, Bob and Tiny Tim.

Martha comes in and hides when Bob comes in, then the younger two kids go to fetch the goose.

Bob toasts Mr. Scrooge, Mrs C objects, then Tiny Tim says his line. Of note is that Scrooge does not ask the spirit what will become of Tiny Tim.

Come to think of it, Scrooge did not make the "surplus population" remark to the portly gentleman, so it wouldn't have been thrown back at him anyway.

Unusual for this sort of thing, the ghost does show Ignorance and Want to Scrooge. The ghost quotes, "Are there no workhouses..." back to Scrooge.

Scrooge next finds himself in a mist where he meets the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, who does not speak in this adaptation. Scrooge continues to react verbally to what happens.

This spirit shows him the other businessman talking about someone who had died and then the charwoman and undertaker's man discussing having purloined some items, including bed curtains.

They next go to the Cratchit house, where Scrooge looks in vain for Tiny Tim.

Next they go a weed ridden churchyard where Scrooge has to feel the letters on the tombstone to make out his name.

Scrooge pleads with the spirit to let him change his ways and winds up back in his bed.

He gets the boy to buy the prize turkey and pays him two crowns, rather than the usual half a crown!

He starts off for Fred's and meets the portly gentleman, where he makes the familiar back payments.

He has dinner with Fred (and Betsy) then beats Bob back to the office later that afternoon.

He and Bob have a very nice scene as Scrooge raises Bob's salary. It's so nice that they both end up crying!

Next: some final(?) thoughts on this production...

A Christmas Carol (1942) - Basil Rathbone - Part 2

The labels on the records in Columbia Records' 1942 presentation of "A Christmas Carol" tout a "Supporting Cast of Prominent Actors" along with Basil Rathbone as Scrooge.

That's a bit of hype, but they're not far off!

Fortunately, the album includes a cast list and as an Old-Time Radio (OTR) buff, I recognize many of the names. I'm not sure if 1942 listeners knew the names, but they sure knew the voices!

Basil Rathbone is, of course, a famous movie actor, but like a lot of stars of the 1940s, he appeared on radio frequently. Most famously, of course, as Sherlock Holmes.

I really enjoy hearing Harlow Wilcox on here. He was the announcer on "Fibber McGee and Molly," where he always steered the conversation over to Johnson's Wax (the show's sponsor). Among other shows, he also was the announcer for "Suspense!" - another great show.

He's listed as narrator here, but his role is more like that of announcer, as he introduces the story, but then we don't hear him again. Scrooge is really the de facto narrator.

Harlow's castmate from "Fibber," Arthur Q. Bryan, has a couple of parts here, the portly charity collector and one of the businessmen talking about Scrooge's death. He uses mostly his regular voice for the first and adds a bit of a British accent for the second.

Audiences in the 1940s were familiar with his roles as Doc Gamble on "Fibber McGee and Molly" and Floyd the barber on its spinoff "The Great Gildersleeve." Everybody still knows his voice if not his name, as he was the voice of Elmer Fudd!

One of Arthur Q. Bryan's castmates from "Gildersleeve" was Walter Tetley, who plays the boy who buys the turkey. He did a fantastic kid voice well into his forties due to a medical condition. He was terrific as Leroy on "The Great Gildersleeve" and Julius on the Phil Harris and Alice Faye show. Modern audiences will still recognize his voice as that of Sherman from "Mr. Peabody's Improbable History." It's fun to hear his stab at a British accent!

To show how connected these radio actors all were, Walter's castmate from the Harris/Faye show, Elliot Lewis, plays Fred here. He was a really versatile actor, playing a wide variety of roles and also a writer, director and producer. At one point, he was the director of "Suspense!" while Harlow Wilcox was the announcer!

Another versatile talent in the cast is Jay Novello, who plays Bob Cratchet(?) here. He continued to play character roles on TV and in movies through the 1970s.

Mrs. Cratchet is played by Paula Winslowe, another busy actress. She was probably most recognizable as Peg Riley on the radio version of "The Life of Riley" opposite William Bendix.

An interesting early credit for her was dubbing the voice for Jean Harlow's character in the 1937 movie "Saratoga" after the actress's sudden death.

Tiny Tim is played by Tommy Cook, who was a busy child actor on radio and screen. Rather intriguingly, a few years after this record, he played Junior on "The Life of Riley" radio show, so Paula Winslowe was his mother once again! He's still around, by the way, at age 89!

It's funny that two of William Bendix's future co-stars would be involved with a Dickens project. Bendix himself would never fit in with his Brooklyn accent!

Perhaps the most unusual bit of casting is Francis X. Bushman as the Ghost of Christmas Past. He was a huge star during the silent movie era, billed as "the handsomest man in the world."

It was always humorous when he'd be namedropped on "The Beverly Hillbillies" TV show, as the Clampetts were so backward, they thought silent movies were new releases and he was still a matinee idol! I wonder if he got a kick out of that.

Mr. Bushman was doing radio work at the time of this recording and he continued his acting career into the mid-60s, when he was in his 80s. His last role was on the "Batman" TV series which is pretty cool!

So, there is indeed a supporting cast of prominent actors at work here!

Next, we look at the adaptation itself...