A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1984)
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1984)
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens’ beloved 1843 novella is one of the most famous Christmas stories of all time. And the 1984 British-American made-for-television version of A Christmas Carol is one of the most popular adaptations of the Dickens classic, and one I like a lot. It is a bleak, but uplifting ghost story.
Directed by Clive Donner, an editor on the 1951 film Scrooge, the film stars the legendary George C. Scott as an iconic Ebenezer Scrooge. The picture was filmed in the historic medieval county town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, England with cinematography by Tony Imi.
The film closely follows the structure of Charles Dickens’ original book, with minor changes to the story’s detail.
A Christmas Carol originally aired on CBS Dec. 17, 1984 and was released theatrically in Great Britain. The U.S. debut was sponsored by IBM, which purchased the commercial spots for the two-hour premier.
I watched the premier with my family as a kid and we loved it. The film won its time slot and went on to join the ranks of the holiday classics.
A Christmas Carol was marketed with the tagline “A new powerful presentation of the most loved ghost story of all time!”
Dickens’ tale of the cynical curmudgeon who has a transformation of heart to the joys of Christmas, is as touching as ever, especially in this, one of George C. Scott’s finest performances.
