"A CHRISTMAS CAROL"

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22894, 15 December 1939, Page 16

"A CHRISTMAS CAROL"

A Famous Story for Avon

A New Zealander, Ronald Sinclair, of Dunedin, has a part in the film from Charles Dickens’s famous story, “A Christmas Carol,” the next attraction for the Avon. The main character in the story. Ebenezer Scrooge, is played by Reginald Owen, who was urged to take the part when Lionel Barrymore was unable to play it because of illness. Ronald Sinclair plays the part of young Scrooge. Gene Lockhart is Bob Cratchit, and Kathleen Lockhart is Mrs Cratchit. Terry Kilburn, a young English actor, is Tin Tim. The story is known to the whole world; how the miser Ebenezer Scrooge sneers at the joy of Christmas, declaring it all “humbug”; how he discharges his clerk. Bob Cratchit, in a fit of rage; forbids his nephew, Fred to wed; refuses all charity. He is visited by the ghost of his former partner, Marley. bound in the chains of his own inhumanity on earth, and conducted by three spirits first to his youth and his happy Christmases of that time, then to Christmas Present, the misery among London’s teeming population contrasted with the' Christmas joy and love in the home of Bob Cratchit with his family and crippled Son Tiny Tim. He learns that without his job Cratchit will not be able to provide tr'eatment that will save the boy from death. He is shown the forgotten, untended grave bearing his name that will be his last resting place unless he Changes. Regenerated, .the miser Spreads Christmas cheer, makes his

nephew his partner that he may marry, re-employs Cratchit, and arranges for Tiny Tim’s care as the drama closes with the child’s speech, "God bless us, every one.” Authentic reproductions of old London. costumes, and Christmas celebrations of the time help to make the famous Dickens story as lively on the screen as it has always been in print. The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film is directed by Edwin Marin. George Raft and Lloyd Nolan both walked out of Paramount contracts because they thought they were being typed as gangsters and tough-rguys and wanted to do other roles. Raft has done nothing but gangster roles since he left Paramount, and he has been very successful. Nolan’s first job after leaving his old studio was the killer in a remake of “The Valiant,” retitled “The Man Who Wouldn’t Talk,” which was Paul Muni’s first movie. Now both Raft and Nolan have been signed to appear together in “House Across the Bay,” in which both play gangsters. * * * Edward Small’s production of “The Life of Valentino,” has been postponed as Small is unable to find an unknown, actor who resembles Valentino sufficiently. It is his theory that the use of any known name player in the part would detract definitely from the Valentino part, and make audiences more conscious of the impersonation than of the character itself.