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A Christmas Carol

Play trailer Poster for A Christmas Carol 1938 1h 9m Kids & Family Holiday Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Crotchety miser Ebenezer Scrooge (Reginald Owen) hates Christmas and mistreats his long-suffering employee, devoted family man Bob Cratchit (Gene Lockhart). But a visit from the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley (Leo G. Carroll) and three Christmas spirits (Lionel Braham, Ann Rutherford, D'Arcy Corrigan) might convince him to change his ways and become more kindhearted. This adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic became a holiday staple for decades.
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A Christmas Carol

Critics Reviews

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David Parkinson Radio Times Nov 19, 2019
3/5
[A] typically polished MGM version of Charles Dickens's yuletide favourite. Go to Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Jul 18, 2011
B
Effective adaptation of Charles Dickens novel, well acted by Reginald Owen and the rest of the cast. Go to Full Review Scott G. Mignola Common Sense Media Jan 2, 2011
4/5
A gentle, less scary version of the classic. Go to Full Review Steve Biodrowski Cinefantastique Nov 11, 2009
Although slightly corn-ball, this 1938 production...should appeal to fans of old-fashioned Hollywood-style filmmaking. Go to Full Review TV Guide Nov 27, 2007
3.5/4
A great and eternally heart-warming film that can stand an appreciative viewing every year through every decade. Go to Full Review John J. Puccio Movie Metropolis Nov 23, 2005
7/10
The movie is nothing if not sincere, which goes a long way in a sentimental tale like this one. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Happy B @Happy4321 Dec 25, 2025 Ok movie but actually so surprised that in 1938 anyone could have missed the entire theme of the book. All the people in the movie were already better off than Scrooge before his conversion. The fact that most reviewers missed this is telling of the lack of discernment. As I watched the end even worse. Why change a classic. It’s like nothing was written and they added their own filler. See more Brad T @Ilovemovies506 Dec 20, 2025 I absolutely love this 😁😁😁😁😁 See more Simon T @MovieTart Dec 18, 2025 Coming in at just over an hour, this is a necessarily abbreviated version of the Dickens favourite. For the most part that's a good thing - there are a few longeurs in the original narrative and taking scissors to the more long-winded passages does improve things. Other pluses are the production design and cinematography, which must have influenced later versions. The major problem is the miscast Reginald Owen as Scrooge, who is more Fezziwig than Ebenezer and doesn't find the layers that Alastair Sim definitively did a decade later. There's also a generalised archness in several of the supporting performances which is a pity. See more Cade H. @cholton Jun 29, 2025 A classic that set the standard for every Christmas movie created afterwards. While the film is definitely dated and other adaptations are better suited for modern audience’s tastes and production expectations, this film has served as a benchmark writing wise for not only other adaptations of the story, but Christmas movies in general. See more Troy B @RT95976249 Dec 29, 2024 Definitely the best version of a Christmas carol. Watch it every December. See more Don L @RT06664893 Dec 16, 2024 The best. It captures the magic of the Dickens story with a few, minor, Hollywood twists. But they add to the movie, not detract from Dickens novella. The best of all the film adaptations. See more Read all reviews
A Christmas Carol

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Cast & Crew

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Edwin L. Marin

Director

Reginald Owen

Ebenezer Scrooge

Gene Lockhart

Bob Cratchit

Kathleen Lockhart

Mrs. Cratchit

Terry Kilburn

Tiny Tim Cratchit

Barry MacKay

Fred

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A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol (1938) A Christmas Carol (1938) A Christmas Carol (1938) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Crotchety miser Ebenezer Scrooge (Reginald Owen) hates Christmas and mistreats his long-suffering employee, devoted family man Bob Cratchit (Gene Lockhart). But a visit from the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley (Leo G. Carroll) and three Christmas spirits (Lionel Braham, Ann Rutherford, D'Arcy Corrigan) might convince him to change his ways and become more kindhearted. This adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic became a holiday staple for decades.
Director
Edwin L. Marin
Producer
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Screenwriter
Hugo Butler
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Loew's Inc.
Genre
Kids & Family, Holiday, Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 16, 1938, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 19, 2008
Runtime
1h 9m
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