|  | Actors: Alastair Sim, Jack Warner, Kathleen Harrison, Mervyn Johns, Hermione Baddeley
Studio: VCI Entertainment
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $9.75
as of 11/24/2009 11:40 CST details
You Save: $10.24 (51%)
New (29) Used (5) Collectible (1) from $9.75
Seller: digitaleyes_dvdplanet
Rating:  169 reviews
Sales Rank: 125
Format: Black & White, Color, Digital Sound, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 2
Running Time: 86 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 5
Dimensions (in): 5 x 4 x 1
MPN: 8500
UPC: 089859850028
EAN: 0089859850028
ASIN: B000SR0DDE
Theatrical Release Date: 1951
Release Date: October 23, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Five Star Seller!!! New, factory sealed US Region 1 DVD. Item is 100% guaranteed not to be a bootleg or import. Item is shipped directly from our warehouse. Easy exchange if item defective or damaged in shipped.
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Showing reviews 151-155 of 169
 Undoubtedly the most consistent adaptation... September 28, 2007
Liolania (Hippyville USA)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
"A Christmas Carol" is one of those stories that everyone knows, even if they have never read the book. It is doubtful they have not seen some version of this story; whether on Tv or a movie. I have seen just about every film version ranging from "A Muppets Christmas Carol" to the newer televised musical version with Kelsey Grammar. Some version are too sentimental, and some take a great deal of liberties, but after having read the book the 1951 version with Alastair Sim as Scrooge, keeps to the spirit and feel of the book most closely.
On this DVD is THREE different version of the 1951 film. One is the normal full screen, the other is meant for wide screen, and the third is color (which I was disappointed that it was not as beautifully restored as the B&W version). Either way you watch the movie it is a feast to the eyes, and all the performances are so wonderful, even if you hate old movies, you should love this! On top of these versions of the 1951 version, included is also the 1935 film "Scrooge". This is an enjoyable film, but there is no restoration on it so it is very dark.
The extras are so plentiful compared to older DVD versions of this film I do not think that you would be wrong to buy a new one, if the newly restored film doesn't attract you. These include a nice comparison between the restored and non-restored film, "Spirit of Christmas Past" which looks back on Alastair Sim's career and life, beautifully done cast bios, subtitles in spanish and english, and even a biography of Charles Dickens! It is near impossible to become bored with this DVD collection.
This is my new favorite version of "A Christmas Carol" because of its beauty, great acting, and faithfulness to the book. So, I hope that you enjoy this movie, and it moves you into the Christmas spirit!
God Bless & *Enjoy* ~Amy
More than Four Ways to Enjoy A Christmas Carol September 27, 2007
Professor Donald Mitchell (Boston)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Gene Shalit said, "There have been at least eight movie versions [of A Christmas Carol] . . . but the single enduring version is the 1951 film starring Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge . . . an incomparable Christmas present." If this is your favorite version of A Christmas Carol, you should definitely buy this collector's edition.
If you haven't seen this version, let me characterize it for you. The film story closely follows the Dickens original with its emphasis on how Ebenezer Scrooge went from being a caring person who wanted to do good for others to someone who only cared about money, until four spirits (his dead partner, Jacob Marley; Christmas past; Christmas current; and Christmas future) visit him and scare Scrooge into reforming which he does on Christmas day. The acting is often overdone, featuring overreactions of the sort that were popular in vaudeville and silent pictures. Many of the actors seem miscast because they are quite plump and prosperous looking, even though they are supposed to be quite poor (this is especially true of Mervyn Johns who plays bob Cratchit, Scrooge's browbeaten, underpaid clerk.). Naturally spirits require special effects and those are pretty primitive due to the year of the film.
So why do people like it? For me, the acting by Alastair Sim as old Scrooge, Patrick MacNee as young Jacob Marley, and Glyn Dearman as Tiny Tim were not only first-rate, they moved me in many ways. Dickens's concept for the story is also pure genius. There is also some wonderful signing of Christmas carols to get you in the mood. It was nice to see such a good performance . . . especially if I didn't look too closely at the actors who didn't please me.
As I watched the original version, I found myself thinking about the choices made by the producer, director, and scriptwriters for about the first 20 minutes. But midway through the appearance of Jacob Marley in Scrooge's house, I found myself forgetting that I was watching a movie and just enjoyed the story from there.
The experience reminded me of watching old black-and-white films on the tiny screen of the Brattle Theater near Harvard Square. It was a good feeling.
Next, I looked at the expanded black-and-white version that includes the ability to fill a wide screen. This looked better, but I didn't like it as well. It didn't take me back into the world of how movies were made in 1951 as successfully.
Finally, I watched the colorized version . . . and hated it as I do almost all colorized black-and-white movies. But what can you do? Some people only want to watch color movies.
After that, I watched the 1935 version of the movie and found the quality to be so poor that it annoyed me. I gave up after about 15 minutes, thinking that I'll pick up there some other time. The 1935 version has several good qualities: the casting seems generally better, the contrasts between rich and poor are better developed, the sense of being in Dickens' London is stronger.
Watching the 1935 version made me quite appreciative of the good work done by VCI Entertainment. The images are clear, the lighting is consistent, the sound is understandable, and you don't feel like you are watching celluloid that's about to break.
For those who love all the details, you'll enjoy the various special features which include:
Before and after restoration comparison
Photo and press book gallery
Cast bios
Original trailers
Commentaries by Marcus Hearn and George Cole about "Spirit of Christmas Past," Alastair Sim, and George Minter (executive producer)
Toss away your "Bah, humbugs" and get in the Christmas Spirit!
"I'm as giddy as a drunken man!" September 26, 2007
iansomniak (USA, Planet Earth)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
VCI Entertainment presents the ULTIMATE 2-disc Collector's Edition of the definitive motion picture adaptation of Charles Dickens' yuletide classic, A Christmas Carol (known in England as "Scrooge"). The set comes wrapped in a lovely cardboard slipcover, lavishly decorated with screenshots from the film, and adorned with sparkly, three dimensional snowflakes. Inside is a clear, double keepcase that opens to reveal a festive winter scene behind the discs.
Disc 1 includes two versions of the film: the standard 4x3 version, and a 16x9 version for widescreen TVs. Both have been painstakingly restored by Point 360, so they look and sound spectacular...for a movie that was made in 1951. There's also a full-length commentary with Marcus Hearn and George Cole (who played the young Ebenezer Scrooge); as well as brief, written biographies of Alastair Sim; Kathleen Harrison; Jack Warner; Brian Desmond Hurst; Mervyn Johns; and Hermione Baddeley.
Disc 2 contains the very undesirable (and ugly) computer colorized version, with an introduction by Patrick MacNee (the young Jacob Marley), which includes the option of a descriptive audio track for the blind. But wait! There's MORE! VCI has also thrown in, at no extra charge, the 1935 adaptation of Scrooge, directed by Henry Edwards and starring Sir Seymour Hicks. Plus, you get a veritable cornucopia of special features, such as: two movie trailers; a photo gallery with a TON of Christmas Carol pictures; a before and after restoration comparison; an interview with George Cole (which is mostly redundant if you've listened to the commentary on disc 1); a six-minute biography of Charles Dickens; and an interview with Richard Gordon (who helped get A Christmas Carol distributed in the United States), where you'll learn all about producer George Minter and his Renown Pictures.
I think what really makes the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol stand out as the best is the powerful and moving way in which Alastair Sim portrays Scrooge's joyous transformation from a coldhearted miser to a cheerful giver. It should serve as a reminder to all of us to be kind and generous to one another, not just at Christmastime, but all the time. It should also serve as a reminder to always brush your teeth after consuming those holiday goodies, or else you might wind up with teeth like Mr. Scrooge's. Also, please do not allow your children to hold and caress a raw, unfrozen turkey carcass, as the Cratchit children do in this film, or else they might wind up contracting salmonella...or worse, campylobacter!
Now nip along smartly and place your order while the pudding is still singing in the copper, `cause this merry DVD set is as good as gold and better! Bob's your uncle!
Also recommended: A Christmas Carol, and Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
A Holiday Classic for the Ages September 26, 2007
J. Storm (The Abyss)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Where do you begin with such a classic in film-making? The movie speaks for itself, but what this Ultimate Collector's Edition offers in terms of extras makes this worth every penny you spend on it, regardless of how many times you've seen the film. Rarely is a "collector's edition" of a film that's 50+ years old packed with this many great bonus features. The original trailers are always nice to have, and the before and after comparison of the film's restoration is truly telling. The colorized version is wonderful, and our children were delighted with it. We also get a poignant look back in time with the lives and careers of Alastair Sim, Charles Dickens, and George Minter remembered by those who worked with them and knew them well. Not to mention the audio commentary that's a perfect bonus for those who love this film. Overall, you can't go wrong with this Ultimate Collector's Edition two disc set. My only question is why aren't there more truly enlightening stories like this told these days?
A Christmas Gift September 26, 2007
Brad Baker (Atherton, Ca United States)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
VCI Home is releasing a brand new DVD of the 1951 classic "A Christmas Carol", a remake of the 1938 film. Ebenezer Scrooge learns the true meaning of Christmas and reforms after being visited on Christmas Eve by four Ghosts. Scrooge is a cruel miser. The spirits show him how his behavior has degenerated over the years, and how his heart has grown cold. The apparitions try to melt his steely soul; they help him learn the true meaning of Christmas. Alastair Sim's performance alone makes this a great movie. Really none can compare with Sim's portrayal of Scrooge. The lusty joy he displays after his "rebirth" is a marvel to behold. The solitary character of Ebeneezer Scrooge is carefully drawn here. It's a crystal-clear portrait of his lonely, selfish life. He comes home, shelters himself from the winter cold, locks himself away in his home, and counts his money. He attends only to his pitiable self. Sims, as Scrooge, time-travels back to his own past: witnessing how he lost young Alice, his sweetheart. The gentle creature Alice decides not to marry Scrooge, for she learns money means more to him than her. Scrooge can barely watch as the event from his past is re-lived. It is heartrending. She tells him: "There's more in life than money". "A Christmas Carol"s supporting cast is superb. Hermione Baddeley plays Mrs. Cratchit. The British actress enjoyed a lengthy career in American movies and television, and at Disney Studios. She was remarkable in 1964's "Mary Poppins". Veteran Ernest Thesiger plays the undertaker. Although he made sixty films in a fifty year career, he will always be remembered for his plumb role in the 1935 "Bride of Frankenstein". Rotund Peter Bull has a small part as a businessman. He appeared in, among others, the 1964 classic "Dr. Strangelove". "A Christmas Carol" was produced by Renown Pictures, a generally low-budget studio that released the old English Mother Riley comedies. They are infamous for "Mother Riley Meets the Vampire(1952)" starring Bela Lugosi. Strange for Christmas, Dickens' book is really a ghost story. Spooking lighting and nimble camerawork provide a few shudders, even today. When Marley's ghost throws open the window to reveal a strange world of suffering specters to Scrooge's eyes, a truly haunting effect is achieved. The two-disc set has many extras, including the original black-and-white version, a colorized version, a bonus movie("Scrooge" from 1935), audio commentary by Marcus Hearn, and three featurettes: "Spirit of Christmas Past", with actor Gearge Cole, "Richard Gordon Remembers Renown Pictures", and "Charles Dickens, His Life and Times". You also get two trailers, before-and-after Restoration Comparison, cast bios, and a photo gallery. This DVD, released by VCI as a "special deluxe edition", actually replaces a few earlier versions of "A Christmas Carol". Previously, the movie was sold as a double-sided disc, color on one, black-and-white on the other. Then VCI released a new version, with each color and black-and-white version on their own discs, sold seperately. This new transfer is the result of different original 35 MM artifacts. The quality is good. Blacks are solid, but white levels seem too dark. The sound is thin, but the dialogue is OK. Not bad for a 50-year-old public domain film. The 1951 "Christmas Carol" is surely a classic for all-time. Dickens' message is clear. So true in the 19th century, and so very true today. "There's more in life than money".
Showing reviews 151-155 of 169
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