7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Ebenezer Scrooge confronts his past, present and future on Christmas Eve, with the assistance of three spirits.
Starring: Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart, Kathleen Lockhart (I), Terry Kilburn, Barry MacKayHoliday | 100% |
Family | 59% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
English SDH, French, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The 1951 filmed version of A Christmas Carol starring Alistair Sim is probably the most famous today, but for many years the best known release was the family-friendly adaptation originally released by MGM in 1938. Lionel Barrymore, who had played the part on radio for many years, was originally scheduled to star but had to drop out for health reasons. He was replaced by Reginald Owen, a character actor of many faces, including the cannon-firing neighbor of the Banks family in Mary Poppins.
Warner's 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray provides a solid presentation of this black-and-white classic, featuring solid blacks and well-delineated shades of gray. Although the presentation may not provide the almost three-dimensional clarity of some of the best B&W transfers, it nevertheless shows impressive detail in the idealized recreation of Victorian England and the crowded scenes of happy Christmas gatherings. The average bitrate of 24.93 Mbps is generous by Warner standards and is sufficient for a classic 1.37:1 film with pillarbox bars.
The film's original mono track is presented in lossless DTS-HD MA 1.0. The dialogue is clearly rendered, as are such essential sound effects as Marley's chains, ghostly moans and lively celebrations. The score by Franz Waxman (Sunset Boulevard ) has surprisingly broad dynamic range for a film of this vintage.
A fine presentation of a holiday perennial. Recommended.
1951
1935
1984
1970
1979
25th Anniversary Edition
1985
2005
1994
1989
1946
Warner Archive Collection
2016
2008
1985
70th Anniversary Edition
1947
2018
2019
1993
2013
1952
Babes in Toyland
1934