One of the handful of best Christmas movies ever made.
Comment
12/25/09
A Christmas Carol (1951)
83
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:23
Fresh:19
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7.7/10
Consensus: It hasn't aged particularly well, but the 1951 adaptation of Charles Dickens' timeless classic is perhaps the most faithful film version -- and Alastair Sim's performance as Scrooge is not to be missed.
Runtime: 86 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Ebeneezer Scrooge (Alastair Sim) contentedly meanders through his life as a cruel miser until one fateful Christmas Eve when he is visited by three ghosts. The spirits show him how his behavior has... [More]
Starring: Alastair Sim, Kathleen Harrison, Jack Warner, Hermione Baddeley
Director: Brian Desmond Hurst
Get This Movie
Reviews for A Christmas Carol
For many decades, this 1951 production was considered to be the best adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," and it is easy to see why: it features excellent production values and a wonderful performance by Alastair Sim as Scrooge.
12/23/09
If I dare to say it, a more dramatically successful work than Dickens's novella.
11/29/09
Of the many film versions...this one from 1951 is the most faithful to the spirit of the book.
11/11/09
Though Dickens' frank sentimentality calls for broad treatment, Brian Desmond Hurst's direction is too often heavy as well.
12/05/08
Top CriticMoves through a brisk 86 minutes with just enough time to linger on poignant moments.
12/20/07
A bland, stodgy movie.
11/27/07
Top CriticAlastair Sim's performance in Dickens' hoary holiday classic provided one of the defining moments of his career; the result is the definitive filming of the story, breathing life into the familiar plot while earnestly hewing to the author's vision.
12/04/06
Top CriticYou have what Scrooge himself might call 'Ho-hum-bug.'
06/24/06
What we have in this rendition of Dickens' sometimes misunderstood Carol is an accurate comprehension of the agony of a shabby soul.
03/25/06
Top CriticSadly this 1951 rendition has aged terribly.
12/11/05
No review available.
08/29/05
Most agree that Alastair Sim's 1951 spin as Scrooge is the best, and truest to the novel.
10/24/04
No review available.
09/10/04
No review available.
09/30/03
The story is a timeless classic and this is the best direction translation the cinema has provided thus far.
07/29/03
Dickens' most often filmed work benefits from the always engaging Alastair Sim.
02/20/03
The definitive version! Accept no substitutes! Sim is positively brilliant.
02/02/03
Still the best version of Dickens' Christmas classic.
01/27/03
No review available.
11/14/02
RT On Current TV
What’s Hot On RT
Fresh Links
Featured
Best Dozen of the Decade 
Last week, MSN gave us their top 09 films. Now see what their favorites of the decade are!
Top 50 of 2009
Here's a list of the 50 best movies of 2009, according to the good people over at Moviefone.
Santa's Naughty List
Hollywood.com takes a stab at determining who in movies will be on Santa's naughty list in 2009.
Top 10 Movies of 2009
TIME chimes in with their own list of the best films released this year.
Top 20 of the Decade
Click through to see which movies BuzzSugar placed in their Best-of-Decade list!
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!
RSS Feeds