Critic Reviews

Christmas Carol, A (1938) Rank 5 Reviews

Expert Review Summary

Movie critics combined give Christmas Carol, A (1938) a score of 3.0577 out of 4

based on (13) reviews

Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating

Excellent

(1)

Very Good

(12)

Good

(0)

Fair

(0)

Poor

(0)

Reviews by Score:

Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)

Lionel Barrymore was originally set to play Scrooge, but couldn't take the part he played on radio because he was crippled by arthritis. Upon Barrymore's suggestion the coveted Scrooge role went to 51-year-old character actor Reginald Owen, who had the ...read the complete Christmas Carol movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)

filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

For a film made in 1938, this A Christmas Carol has a lot going for it. In fact, it's probably the most underrated version of the classic Dickens story ever filmed. Reginald Owen is a spot-on Scrooge, making like miserable for his devoted ...read the complete Christmas Carol movie review at filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review

Among the numerous film and tv adaptations of Dickens's much loved, much revived fable A Christmas Carol (1843), this is one version that has real charm in its telling of a nowadays overly-familiar tale. Most people prefer the British ...read the complete Christmas Carol movie review at SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review

DVD Town (John J. Puccio)

It's pretty hard to make a bad movie out of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," the story has such wonderful characters, settings, themes, and sentiment. How perennial a favorite is it? The Internet Movie Database lists forty-eight different ...read the complete Christmas Carol movie review at DVD Town (John J. Puccio)

Movie Mirror

In London on Christmas Eve Fred (Barry MacKay) sees that Tiny Tim Cratchit (Terry Kilburn) is lame and learns that he and his brother don't want to see his uncle Scrooge. Fred shares wine with Bob Cratchit (Gene Lockhart). Ebenezer Scrooge (Reginald ...read the complete Christmas Carol movie review at Movie Mirror

Foster on Film - Christmas

This MGM, high-gloss version of the Dickens classic is a long way from its weak, 1935 predecessor. What a difference three years (and a lot of money) can make. Constructed with a sharp understanding of the difference between film and literature, this ...read the complete Christmas Carol movie review at Foster on Film - Christmas

FilmHead.com - Video Pick

It's pretty much unavoidable now. The holiday season is upon us, and the spectre of Y2K looms over our heads. So, before we have to revert to the dark ages, fire up your VCR and check out these holiday classics. ...read the complete Christmas Carol movie review at FilmHead.com - Video Pick

filmcritic.com

For a film made in 1938, this A Christmas Carol has a lot going for it. In fact, it's probably the most underrated version of the classic Dickens story ever filmed. ...read the complete Christmas Carol movie review at filmcritic.com

DVD Savant (Glenn Erickson)

It is almost impossible to ruin Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and even though producer Joe Mankiewicz imposed major story changes the resulting picture is a satisfying experience. Just the same, connoisseurs of this tale greatly prefer the 1951 ...read the complete Christmas Carol movie review at DVD Savant (Glenn Erickson)

DVD Verdict (Paul Corupe)

Out of the dozens of film adaptations of A Christmas Carol made over the years, only a few have become truly worth annual repeat viewings: Reginald Owen's portrayal of Scrooge in the 1938 version, Alastair Sim's 1951 turn as the miser, and George C. ...read the complete Christmas Carol movie review at DVD Verdict (Paul Corupe)

digitallyOBSESSED.com (David Krauss)

Over the years, dozens of actors have embodied Charles Dickens' dour, greedy, holiday-hating miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, but most movie lovers agree Alastair Sim's 1951 portrait leads the pack. Yet before Sim became the Scrooge standard-bearer, Reginald ...read the complete Christmas Carol movie review at digitallyOBSESSED.com (David Krauss)

Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings

I don't know how many versions of this Dickens Christmas perennial are out there, but I suspect that if I covered them all in a row, it might well take two to three weeks to finish them all. As far as the ones with which I'm familiar, this one isn't ...read the complete Christmas Carol movie review at Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings

DVD MovieGuide

Has any literary work been adapted for various media as much as Charles Dickensâ�� A Christmas Carol? I seriously doubt it. In addition to about 40 movie versions, itâ��s received countless variations on TV shows as well as numerous stage productions. ...read the complete Christmas Carol movie review at DVD MovieGuide

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