Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol - Part 1

Original radio recording of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, with Lionel Barrymore, in three parts.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Radio
• Christmas
• Carol
• Lionel
• Barrymore
• Charles
• Dickens

[norichesney]

This is amazing! My family listened to this exact recording every Christmas when I was young. I have been looking for this for years! Thank you so much for posting it - is there any way I can purchase the CD?

[imothra]

@norichesney You could check Amazon for a CD, but meanwhile, this and other great classic media are available free on internet archive dot org.

[fromthesidelines]

Lionel Barrymore appeared yearly on radio as "Ebernezer Scrooge" from 1934 until the early '50s; in the '30s, he appeared on Campbell Soup Company's annual productions of "A Christmas Carol" (some versions on their "HOLLYWOOD HOTEL" program)- the one you mentioned, 'mrs', is the famous 1939 edition presented on Orson Welles' "CAMPBELL PLAYHOUSE" [probably THE finest of all of the productions]. During the '40s, Lionel reprised the role in the Christmas editions of his "MAYOR OF THE TOWN" series..

[mrsmagloo]

I have a cassette of Barrymore playing Scrooge, with Orson Welles introducing. Is this also Welles, because it doesn't sound like it. The one I have says it is the fifth anniversary of him reading it, so this must be an earlier version.

[dahsuerk]

Another listen, but still prefer Ronald Colman. Wish he had done a movie version.  Love his voice.

[MGSRaiden1232]

you probably grew up listening to the RONALD COLEMAN recording "In 1941, Ronald Colman portrayed Scrooge in a famous American Decca four-record 78-RPM album of "A Christmas Carol" with a full supporting cast of radio actors and a score by Victor Young. companion piece on LP, Mr. Pickwick's Christmas, narrated by Charles Laughton. 

[MGSRaiden1232]

this is a different recording than the one I grew up with..........

[Jacks9nn]

is the 3 parts of this equal to the charles dickens book? Lovely recording by the way great to listen to in bed

[al1936ful]

@fromthesidelines I don't think he ever appeared on "Hallmark Hall of Fame". That's a television program.

[JCole1369]

This was recorded in 1947 and released as a set of 78 records with the catalog number MGM-16. The part of of Scrooge is played by Lionel Barrymore while the narrator is Richard Hale. It was reissued in 1950 as E-520 as a set of 45 rpm records, and then reissued again in 1956 as an LP LION L70124. The LION LP was eventually reissued as MGM PM-20 in the 1960's, which is the version I had as a kid. The B-side contains Christmas Music performed by the Canterbury Choir conducted by Macklin Marrow.