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A Christmas Carol

Play trailer Poster for A Christmas Carol 1951 1h 26m Holiday Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
86% Tomatometer 37 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Crotchety Victorian businessman Ebenezer Scrooge (Alastair Sim) has no use for festivity, even at Christmas. After resentfully allowing timid clerk Bob Cratchit (Mervyn Johns) to have the holiday to spend with his loving wife (Hermione Baddeley) and family, Scrooge is swept into a nightmare. The ghost of his late partner, Jacob Marley (Michael Hordern), appears, warning that Ebenezer will be visited by three more spirits who will show the coldhearted man the error of his parsimonious behavior.

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A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

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Critics Consensus

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.

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Critics Reviews

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Peter Travers The Travers Take Dec 19, 2025
4/4
When I’m asked to name a great performance that never won an Oscar, my go-to is always Alastair Sim, the Scottish acting titan whose dazzling, definitive performance as Scrooge belongs in the cinema time capsule. Go to Full Review Kevin Maher The Times (UK) Dec 16, 2022
5/5
[Alastair Sim's] Dickens antihero is definitive, a cynical brute who nonetheless seems to be hiding tiny glimmers of kindness behind those huge, sad and soulful eyes. Go to Full Review Donald Clarke Irish Times Jan 10, 2017
4/5
Watching most versions, the viewer is tempted to punch happy Scrooge. Here we yearn to share a sherry with the newly jolly rogue. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Nov 30, 2024
3.5/4
Many great actors have tackled the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, including George C. Scott, Michael Caine, and, of course, Scrooge McDuck. Yet the definitive Ebenezer Scrooge would be the great Alastair Sim’s interpretation. Go to Full Review Rachel Wagner rachelsreviews.net May 3, 2019
A+
The cinematography is uniformly strong with gorgeous shadows, lighting and atmosphere. Go to Full Review PJ Nabarro Patrick Nabarro Nov 10, 2018
4/5
Inarguably the definitive and best adaptation of Charles Dickens' seminal Christmas fable. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jaime H @RT26893458 Sep 10, 2026 Good movie all time See more bruce F @bruce999 Aug 15, 2026 a great overall movie, or a man shaken, when he has to be with 3 spirits.... emotion throughout. See more Jason R @JasonLovesMoviesForever Aug 6, 2026 One of the greatest story telling's of Scrooge ever made! The acting was superb and the suspense was real. See more Jesse A @SheriffJustice Feb 16, 2026 The script is the best of all the recorded video versions made of Dickens book. The depth of characters and Alastair Sim’s interpretation key that, "Scrooge didn’t dislike or hate anyone. He only wanted to do business." It is a lovely and sad story of how Scrooge got to be so pitiful of a person. It seems so missing in all other versions of this great human story. The loss of Alice in particular. The loss of Fan. Other great scenes include the care and acknowledgement of Mrs. Dilber his maid, and supremely, the apology to his nephew’s wife. This is storytelling at it’s finest. See more Carlos I @carlosFibarra Jan 5, 2026 While there is an uncountable amount of Scrooge movies out there, and this version undoubtedly sits on the "Mount Rushmore" of those adaptations, the 1951 A Christmas Carol can occasionally feel a bit over the top in the corniest of ways. Some of the secondary performances and heightened dramatic flourishes lean into a theatrical melodrama that feels dated by modern standards. However, even when the production feels sappy, there is no denying how magnetic Alastair Sim is in the title role; his transition from a terrifyingly cold miser to a man possessed by manic, giddy joy is a masterclass in screen acting that grounds the entire film. See more Kyle M @RT77296778 Dec 29, 2025 An essential Christmas story one’s bound to watch across fanaticizing adaptations on imaginative stretches, then perhaps later to discover this being the most definitive by nature and presentation elegantly scripted, which was brilliantly executed in expressive depth towards the characters, led by Alastair Sim’s spiritedly humane performance in exemplar embrace. (B+) See more Read all reviews
A Christmas Carol

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Cast & Crew

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Brian Desmond Hurst

Director

Alastair Sim

Ebenezer Scrooge

Kathleen Harrison

Mrs. Dilber

Mervyn Johns

Bob Cratchit

Hermione Baddeley

Mrs. Cratchit

Clifford Mollison

Samuel Wilkins

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A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol (1951) A Christmas Carol (1951) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Crotchety Victorian businessman Ebenezer Scrooge (Alastair Sim) has no use for festivity, even at Christmas. After resentfully allowing timid clerk Bob Cratchit (Mervyn Johns) to have the holiday to spend with his loving wife (Hermione Baddeley) and family, Scrooge is swept into a nightmare. The ghost of his late partner, Jacob Marley (Michael Hordern), appears, warning that Ebenezer will be visited by three more spirits who will show the coldhearted man the error of his parsimonious behavior.
Director
Brian Desmond Hurst
Producer
Brian Desmond Hurst
Screenwriter
Noel Langley
Production Co
George Minter Productions
Genre
Holiday, Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 28, 1951, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 20, 2016
Runtime
1h 26m
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