A Christmas Carol - by Charles Dickens

To help provide for his growing family, Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol over a period of three weeks in 1843.  Creating the characters of Ebenezer Scrooge, Jacob Marley, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim, Dickens also made famous the descriptive word "Humbug!" 

His tale of transformation is still popular during the holiday season and has often been produced for film.  This version, from 1984, features George C. Scott as Ebenezer and Frank Finlay as Jacob Marley. 

In this scene, "Old Marley" (who was "dead as a door nail"), visits Scrooge to warn him about the way he is living his life.  Marley, now a ghost, shows Ebenezer how he will end up - if he doesn't make some important life changes.

Because of his writings, which were read by Helen Keller's mother, Charles Dickens unwittingly had a profound influence on Keller's life.  His story about  Laura Bridgman (contained in American Notes) gave Helen's parents some hope that their child could also be helped. 

Credits

Clip from "A Christmas Carol," (1984) - filmed, on location, in Shrewsbury, England.

Director
Clive Donner

Producer
George F. Storke

Based on the eponymous novella by Charles Dickens

Screenplay
Roger O. Hirson

Starring
George C. Scott
Frank Finlay
David Warner
Susannah York
Edward Woodward
Roger Rees

Distributed by Entertainment Partners for CBS

Release date (U.S.)
December 17, 1984 

Running time 100 minutes