Product Details

• Actors: Alastair Sim, Jack Warner, Kathleen Harrison, Mervyn Johns, Hermione Baddeley
• Directors: Brian Desmond Hurst
• Writers: Charles Dickens, Noel Langley
• Producers: Brian Desmond Hurst, Stanley Haynes
• Format: Black & White, Color, Dolby, DVD, Special Edition, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 1.0)
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Vci Video
• DVD Release Date: October 28, 1998
• Run Time: 86 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00000F168
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,580 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "A Christmas Carol (Colorized + Black & White Edition)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

85 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A haunting ghost story, December 6, 2001

By 

Zack Davisson "japanreviewed" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: A Christmas Carol (Colorized + Black & White Edition) (DVD)

Somehow, across the years, the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his three ghosts has been transformed from it's spooky roots to light-hearted family fare. Scrooge is not so much evil, as grumpy. The ghost's tend to amuse rather than frighten.

This black-and-white version of "A Christmas Carol" maintains the horror roots of the story. Jacob Marley is one of the most frightening ghosts to haunt the silver screen. He grows intolerant of the idea that Scrooge is not frightened, and howls his rage and frustration. The Ghost of Christmas Past is an impersonal specter, cold and distant. Present is jolly and yet quick to anger. Future is the grim shade that he is supposed to be.

The back story of Scrooge is told in greater detail here than in any other version. He resents Fred, not because of his Christmas cheer but because his birth caused the death of Scrooge's beloved sister. He not only remembers the good times at Fezzywig's, he remembers putting Fezzywig out of business later in life. Alastair Sim brings this character to fullness more than any other actor. The Christmas morning scene is a delight, and worth the wait.

As a bonus, the Fleischer "Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer" is included on this disk. This is clearly Santa Claus by the people who gave us the first animated Superman. The animation is fluid and dynamic. One of the best extras on any DVD.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars B&W & Color in this DVD, a must for the family film library, September 29, 2003

By 

FrontPage (Baltimore, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Christmas Carol (Colorized + Black & White Edition) (DVD)

At the bottom of this review, there is a tiny bit of trivia, and I hope you'll like what I discovered. It's just some trivial tidbit stuff, that's all... So now, the review:

If you are changing to the DVD format from VHS, throw away your OLDER VHS tape and purchase this! The much older VHS tapes hadn't been remastered from the original print, which was discovered in England. The picture quality is so much better than those older 3rd- and fourth- generation tapes and broadcasts we've seen where everything seems like "Scrooge" was filmed in a fog. The contrast in the DVD is sharp and brilliant. The darks are deep yet the whites aren't at all washed out. Trust me, purchase the remastered version (I'm sure they also have released a remastered version in VHS, but I have converted to DVD).

The DVD has something for everyone, God bless us all. I watched the colorized version, but it seems... colorized. It simply doesn't have that warm, saturated, natural tone of movies filmed with color stock. Some may feel that younger people might in some way enjoy the colorized movie better, but try showing it to them in B&W first. Give them the chance to see the original which has stood the test of time, and for good reason. I still admire any DVD producer that takes advantage of the versatility of the options that can be pressed into the DVD format, and VCI Entertainment gave the consumer the choice. The black & white version is on one side, and just flip the double- sided disc over for the color version.

There are added features including a Max Fleischer cartoon of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Although it was filmed in Technicolor, there was a very noticable color shift that occured in the original print. The audio wasn't that great, either. And honestly, it's not nearly as enjoyable as the animated puppet version that we used to see on CBS television with the Charlie Brown cartoon.

Also included is an introduction by Patrick Macnee, who you remember as John Steed in the TV series "The Avengers." I didn't understand at first why he was introducing the movie until I found that he played a bit part in "Scrooge (Macnee failed during his introduction to say whom he played)." So, I'll tell you: Look for him as the young Jacob Marley, early in the film, when Scrooge (Alastair Sim) is guided by the Spirit of Christmas Past (Michael Dolan). There is a 4- page color pamphlet included. One page shows a repro of an cute, yet quirky little original movie poster. Another has chapter stop and movie info. The inside pages are devoted to other DVD movie titles.

Okay, now the tidbit! What people liked about "Scrooge" is that the characters produced some more spontaneously funny moments that break the otherwise dark and gloomy tone of the story. Those of you who have watched "Bride of Frankenstein" have probably noted the similarities that I will describe! There are two characters in the "Scrooge" movie that I could have sworn mimicked two other characters in a different flick. The maid, Mrs. Dilber (Kathleen Harrison) in "Scrooge" seemed so much like the maid, Minnie (Una O'Connor) in "Bride of Frankenstein." Watch the similarities in how the characters play off each other in the different movies (Mrs. Dilber with Mr. Stretch, the undertaker [Ernest Thesiger] in "Scrooge;" Minnie with Dr. Pretorius [also played by Thesiger!]) I actually just discovered that Thesiger played in both movies! Maybe the producer and/or director of "Scrooge" tapped some ideas from the light moments between Mrs. Dilber and Mr. Stretch from the Frankenstein flick, but it worked. (I love that name, "Stretch!") Enjoy.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Which one do I buy?, December 27, 2002

By 

dbphoenix (Phoenix, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Christmas Carol (Colorized + Black & White Edition) (DVD)

As usual with films that are in the public domain, trying to figure out which one to buy can sometimes be a trial.

There are two companies putting this one out: United Home and VCI. VCI put out the 50th anniversary edition as well as the colorized version (which - now don't get confused - includes the black and white version). United Home puts out the black and white version. However, the packaging for the United Home and VCI versions are identical. And the 50th anniversary edition is no longer available.

So. Given that the quality of whatever is shown on TV every year gets worse and worse, I took a shot at the VCI colorized/B&W edition since they had also put together the 50th anniversary edition (shows a certain fondness for the film). And since I had the opportunity to watch this film on TV on Christmas Eve, I'm in a position to make an almost side by side comparison.

The result is that I am impressed with what VCI was able to do with this material. I have no idea what their source material was. And it doesn't look or sound as though they went through the whole restoration process. However, the improvement in sound and picture is remarkable, maybe not 5s, but at least 3.5 to 4 on the sound, and at least 4 on the picture. And given the price, this is far more than one might expect.

They don't show these old films so much these days at Christmas time: Miracle on 34th Street, Pocketful of Miracles, White Christmas, Holiday Inn, and so on. And when they do show them, they often use ratty old tapes or film stock.

Therefore, buy these DVDs now in preparation for next year, if available, and see them when and as often as you like. DVDs do get withdrawn from circulation, and you'll be sorry if you let the opportunity to pick up this version of A Christmas Carol go by.