While watching A Christmas Carol with Reginald Owen today, I was going nuts for about half of the movie trying to figure out who Tiny Tim was. At one point I got up to refill my coffee cup and as I poured, I suddenly yelled out "The Colleys'". I'm glad I was alone, because if anyone had been here, they would have been calling the guys in the white suits. Of course I had to look it up on imdB to find out his name - Terry Kilburn - he played all the different generations of the family named Colley in Goodbye Mr. Chips - the original. I've always thought that was so wise of the casting director, to use the same boy because they were supposed to all look alike, so why not use the same kid.
Anyway, that was my mystery solved for today. I'm now killing time because much as I hate it, I'm going to watch Christmas Carol at 8:45 with George C. Scott on AMC. I know if I try to watch the silent Iron Horse, I'll fall asleep because I've been decorating all day, and I'm tired, and I'll never make it if I try to just sit and watch.
Anne
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
Anne
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A Christmas Carol - George C. Scott as Scrooge
It was quite an interesting version. It's a part that needs a strong actor because the whole story is carried by him and George does a top notch job of it. I really like the guy who played Cratchit and this was the best Tiny Tim I ever saw. He really looked like a sickly little boy, all the others look healthy as little horses. Watching one version immediately followed by another is kind of fun and makes comparison easy as both are so fresh in your mind. Like so many remakes, there are parts I like from each and actors I'd like to take from one and put in the other.
As for the commercials, I was surprised there were very few, and far between. I've been watching so many Christmas movies on Lifetime, Hallmark and Disney that I'm getting real quick on the mute control button, or I get up and do dishes or something. I have it timed pretty well down to each channel, and how long I have.
Following the Christmas Carol, AMC showed a 1947 movie called Christmas Eve which I had never seen or heard of before, so I hung around for it. Ann Harding (more about her later), had three adopted sons, and one nephew. The nephew was trying to get control of her loads of money while the 3 sons were gone. It seems when they were all old enough, they left home to make their mark without her money. George Brent ended up as a second string romeo, George Raft was a gangster, and Randolph Scott was a second rate rodeo rider. The sons back stories were never really examined so you didn't know why they never made it to first base, but you did learn the gangster wasn't as bad as it seemed. Joan Blondell was along for the ride as George Brent's ex-wife. The whole movie is pretty loose and expects a lot of overlooking, but it is kind of cute, but there is one part involving three babies that is quite outlandish.
As for Ann Harding, I couldn't and still can't figure why they used her as the mother. There were quite a few ladies around at the time who could have played mom, but instead they chose Ms. Harding and made her up to look about 70 (when they do that, it's usually so they can age a person like they did with Greer Garson in Mrs. Parkington). I thought it would involve flashbacks, but nope, so someone like Fay Bainter could have done it as well, maybe better, because she had the age. In any case, it's a nice little seasonal movie and it's from 20th Century, so it may show up on TCM - uncut and commercial free.
Anne
It was quite an interesting version. It's a part that needs a strong actor because the whole story is carried by him and George does a top notch job of it. I really like the guy who played Cratchit and this was the best Tiny Tim I ever saw. He really looked like a sickly little boy, all the others look healthy as little horses. Watching one version immediately followed by another is kind of fun and makes comparison easy as both are so fresh in your mind. Like so many remakes, there are parts I like from each and actors I'd like to take from one and put in the other.
As for the commercials, I was surprised there were very few, and far between. I've been watching so many Christmas movies on Lifetime, Hallmark and Disney that I'm getting real quick on the mute control button, or I get up and do dishes or something. I have it timed pretty well down to each channel, and how long I have.
Following the Christmas Carol, AMC showed a 1947 movie called Christmas Eve which I had never seen or heard of before, so I hung around for it. Ann Harding (more about her later), had three adopted sons, and one nephew. The nephew was trying to get control of her loads of money while the 3 sons were gone. It seems when they were all old enough, they left home to make their mark without her money. George Brent ended up as a second string romeo, George Raft was a gangster, and Randolph Scott was a second rate rodeo rider. The sons back stories were never really examined so you didn't know why they never made it to first base, but you did learn the gangster wasn't as bad as it seemed. Joan Blondell was along for the ride as George Brent's ex-wife. The whole movie is pretty loose and expects a lot of overlooking, but it is kind of cute, but there is one part involving three babies that is quite outlandish.
As for Ann Harding, I couldn't and still can't figure why they used her as the mother. There were quite a few ladies around at the time who could have played mom, but instead they chose Ms. Harding and made her up to look about 70 (when they do that, it's usually so they can age a person like they did with Greer Garson in Mrs. Parkington). I thought it would involve flashbacks, but nope, so someone like Fay Bainter could have done it as well, maybe better, because she had the age. In any case, it's a nice little seasonal movie and it's from 20th Century, so it may show up on TCM - uncut and commercial free.
Anne
Anne
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sandykaypax
- Posts: 490
- Joined: April 14th, 2007, 3:15 pm
- Location: Beautiful Ohio
I watched the Reginald Owen version of A Christmas Carol last night, too. I, too, was trying to figure out where I had seen Tiny Tim before. This version is pleasant, but I still prefer the 1951 version with Alastair Sim. The 1938 version makes changes and additions to the original story which are so unnecessary. The book is perfect as it is--why change things? Why have Cratchit get fired by Scrooge? Not needed.
I did catch a little bit of the George C. Scott version while flipping channels. I liked what I saw--I am going to look for it on dvd.
Sandy K
I did catch a little bit of the George C. Scott version while flipping channels. I liked what I saw--I am going to look for it on dvd.
Sandy K
