A Christmas Carol (1908 film): Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 17:49, 6 February 2016
| A Christmas Carol | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Charles Dickens (story) |
| Starring | Thomas Ricketts |
| Distributed by | Essanay Studios |
Release date |
|
Running time | 15 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | Silent film English intertitles |
A Christmas Carol is a 1908 silent film produced by Essanay Studios in Chicago, and one of the earliest film adaptations of Charles Dickens' famous 1843 novella of the same name. Tom Ricketts stars as Ebenezer Scrooge.
Plot
No prints of the first American film adaptation of A Christmas Carol are known to exist,[1] but The Moving Picture World provided a scene-by-scene description before the film's release.[2] Scrooge goes into his office and begins working. His nephew, along with three women who wish for Scrooge to donate enter. However, Scrooge dismisses them. On the night of Christmas Eve, his long-dead partner Jacob Marley comes as a ghost, warning him of a horrible fate if he does not change his ways. Scrooge meets three spirits that show Scrooge the real meaning of Christmas, along with his grave, the result of his parsimonious ways. The next morning, he wakes and realizes the error of his ways. Scrooge was then euphoric and generous for the rest of his life.
Cast
- Thomas Ricketts as Scrooge (uncredited)
Production
A Christmas Carol was produced by the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company and released December 9, 1908.[3]
Reception
"It is impossible to praise this film too highly", wrote The Moving Picture World magazine. "It reproduces the story as closely as it is possible to do in a film and the technical excellence of the work cannot be questioned. The photography, the staging and the acting are all of the best, and the story told is always impressive. … Such films cannot be too highly commended. They are a welcome relief from the riot of bloodshed which has marred the moving picture shows of New York and other cities far too long. Even though it costs a fortune almost to prepare such a film, it is quite likely that the public will patronize it sufficiently to make good the extraordinary outlay."[4]
See also
References
- ^ Guida, Fred (2000). A Christmas Carol and Its Adaptations: A Critical Examination of Dickens's Story and Its Productions on Screen and Television. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 70. ISBN 9780786407385.
- ^ "Stories of the Films". The Moving Picture World. December 5, 1908. pp. 458–459. Retrieved 2016-02-06.
- ^ "A Christmas Carol". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-02-06.
- ^ "Comments on Film Subjects". The Moving Picture World. January 2, 1909. Retrieved 2016-02-06.
External links
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