A Christmas Carol (1951) - DVD Versions?

[AwallaceUNC]

I received a copy of the 1951 <i>A Christmas Carol</i> (aka <i>Scrooge</i>) starring Alastair Sim on DVD. The copy I was given has both the color and b&w version, which is fine. However, I see that there are least 5 other editions of this on DVD, most recently including a "50th Anniversary Edition" released in 2001. I can't find a good comparison of these editions online or on the UD forums, but I'm sure someone here knows the deal with these. Is there any significant difference between the editions? Is there one that is clearly the best?

This is the one I have. Can anybody help? Please forgive me if this has been answered here before and I missed it. Thanks.

-Aaron

[Escapay]

There are a few versions of the DVD currently out on the market, though none really can be considered better or worse than the other.

In 1998, VCI first released the film as a flipper disc with the black and white version on one side and color on the other. It contained a Patrick Macnee intro and the Fleischer cartoon for "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". A year later or so, they re-released it again, this time as separate black and white or color releases. And a review at DVDVerdict dates the most recent release by VCI in 2004, where they remastered the picture (though it's still quite flawed with scratches and dirt) and have both versions on the same side of the disc (with the same extras). Oddly, Amazon's listing for the 2001 50th Anniversary version (from VCI), says it's not available, not even from the Marketplace, and there's no list of bonus material at all. I have never seen a 50th Anniversary version of the film in stores, so I'm guessing one was planned but never released.

In addition to the VCI releases, according to Amazon, there have been barebones releases from United Home in 1999 and Morningstar Ent. in 2005. According to a Canadian Amazon review, the Morningstar Ent. version (titled "Emerald Edition") has a sharper but much more inferior and scratch-filled picture than the VCI release, though it contains the theatrical trailer, which has yet to be seen on a US DVD release for the film.

Escapay

[AwallaceUNC]

I had a feeling Escapay would be the one to answer my question. Odds were either that or DK.

Thanks, Albert!

Sounds like the movie hasn't been done justice yet but that I should be fine keeping the edition I was given. Wheee!

Happy New Year!

-Aaron

[Escapay]

Figured this was worth a bumo, VCI is releasing a new Ultimate Collector's Edition of the movie on October 23. Here's the UD-supportive link to purchase it on Amazon (for a nice $13.99!), along with specs taken from Amazon and runtimes from DVDTalk.

A Christma Carol: Ultimate Collector's Edition (1951)

Disc One: The 1951 Movie in Black & White (86 minutes)
-B&W 1.33:1 Academy Ratio - Digitally Restored
-B&W 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen - Digitally Restored (yes, they provided a matted version, I guess for those who want a 1.33:1 film to fill their widescreen TV's. )
-5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Surround tracks
-English Narration Track for Visually Impaired
-English & Spanish Subtitles (Feature Film only)
-Audio Commentary: Marcus Hearn (film historian) & George Cole (young Scrooge)
-Cast/Crew Biographies

Disc Two: The 1951 Movie Colorized (86 minutes)
-Colorized 1.33:1 Academy Ratio - Not Digitally Restored, same as previous releases
-5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Surround tracks
-English Narration Track
-English & Spanish Subtitles (Feature Film only)
-Bonus Film: Scrooge (1935 Seymour Hicks Version, 59:41 runtime)
-Spirit of Christmas Past: George Cole Remembers Alastair Sim (14:59 runtime)
-Richard Gordon Remembers George Minter & Renown Pictures (19:49 runtime)
-Charles Dickens: His Life & Times (6:46 runtime)
-Original American Theatrical Trailer (1:44 runtime)
-Original British Theatrical Trailer (1:41 runtime)
-Restoration Comparison (2:10 runtime)
-Photo & Press Book Gallery (5:25 runtime)

Scaps

[MadonnasManOne]

Figured this was worth a bumo, VCI is releasing a new Ultimate Collector's Edition of the movie on October 23. Here's the UD-supportive link to purchase it on Amazon (for a nice $13.99!), along with specs taken from Amazon and runtimes from DVDTalk.

A Christma Carol: Ultimate Collector's Edition (1951)


Scaps

Scaps, were you drunk when you typed this?

First, what's a bumo? Second, I've never heard of A Christma Carol. That's one I'll have to check out.

[littlefuzzy]

-B&W 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen - Digitally Restored (yes, they provided a matted version, I guess for those who want a 1.33:1 film to fill their widescreen TV's. )

[Escapay]

Figured this was worth a bumo
<snip>
A Christma Carol: Ultimate Collector's Edition (1951)

Scaps, were you drunk when you typed this?

First, what's a bumo? Second, I've never heard of A Christma Carol. That's one I'll have to check out.

Haha! I wish I were drunk. But no, it's really just an inside joke (JiminyCrick91 once spelled "bump" a "bumo", and I've been using it ever since) and my stupid "S" key on my laptop being difficult and not working half the time (and the other half, I don't notice it, which is why that "Christma" escaped me). I'll leave it though, as it'll be sure to get people's attention!

And littlefuzzy, I feel the same way.

Scaps