"A Christmas Carol" (1951) Trivia Quiz

Answer: True

The title was "Scrooge" in the U.K., "A Christmas Carol" in the U.S.

Answer: Richard Addinsell

Richard Addinsell was a British film composer whose most famous composition, "Warsaw Concerto", came from the 1941 film, "Dangerous Moonlight". His first score was written for the 1936 film "The Amateur Gentleman", followed by other classics like "Goodbye Mr. Chips" (1939), "Blithe Spirit" (1945), Hitchcock's "Under Capricorn" (1949), and "Tom Brown's Schooldays" (1951).

He died in 1977.

Answer: False

Mrs. Dilber was in the novel as a laundress in the scene in Old Joe's rag-and-bottle shop where a few women bring to pawn the items they lifted from Scrooge's home after his implied death. In this film, the character is expanded to be Scrooge's housekeeper, although she still is in the original scene in the rag-and-bottle shop, and an unnamed woman is now a laundress.

The wonderful thing is, I feel that Dickens would approve of this expansion of Mrs. Dilber as Scrooge's housekeeper. Mrs. Dilber's comic and touching reactions to Scrooge's transformation on Christmas morning were a real highlight of the film. Mrs. Dilber was perfectly played by Kathleen Harrison who was born in 1892.

Her first film was "Our Boys" (1915), and she appeared in other notable films that include "Major Barbara" (1941), "Kipps" (1941), "Oliver Twist" (1948), and her last film, "The London Connection" (1979).

She died in 1995, at the ripe age of 103.

Answer: Noel Langley

Born on Christmas Day in 1911, in Durban, South Africa, Noel Langley had a hand in writing a variety of films, but surely the most famous is "The Wizard of Oz" (1939). He also directed and wrote another Dickens classic, "The Pickwick Papers" in 1952. He died in 1980.

Incidentally, the other writers listed as choices have all written, or contributed to, other film adaptations of "A Christmas Carol".

Answer: Maude

Born in 1906, Hermione Badderley (Mrs. Cratchit) started her career in films in 1927. She played the surly housekeeper, Mrs. Nell Naugatuck, on "Maude" on CBS from 1974 to 1977. Hermione Badderley also appeared in "Mary Poppins" (1964). She died in 1986. It was her sister, Angela Badderley, who played the cook, Mrs. Bridges, on "Upstairs Downstairs".

Answer: Ernest Thesiger

Ernest Thesiger, born in 1879, started in silent pictures in 1916. His most famous role most certainly is the mad Dr. Pretorius in the classic 1935 horror film "Bride of Frankenstein". Some of his other movies include: "The Old Dark House" (1932), "Caesar and Cleopatra" (1945), "The Magic Box" and "The Man in the White Suit" both (1951), "The Robe" (1953), and his last movie, "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" (1961).

Answer: First Businessman

The narrator and the first businessman in the opening scenes is Peter Bull whose first film was Hitchcock's "Sabotage" in 1936. He died in 1984 after a long acting career in films such as "Oliver Twist", "Dr. Strangelove", "Tom Jones", and "Doctor Doolittle" (1967).

Answer: Marley's death scene

Marley dies in the same house that Scrooge later acquires. The scene is not in the novel. It is, in my view, a perceptively written scene that expands understanding the cold depths of Scrooge's soul.

Answer: Mrs. Dilber

Mrs. Dilber said it to Bob Cratchit, and the situation she was refering to is the impending death of Mr. Marley. She later repeats the same thing to Scrooge after he gives her money for Christmas. She then says, "Merry Christmas, Mr. Scrooge, in keeping with the situation!"

Answer: Michael Hordern

Michael Hordern was born in 1911 and first appeared in films in a small, uncredited role in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" in 1938. Some of the other films he has appeared in include "Tom Brown's Schooldays" (1951), "The Magic Box" (1951), "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" (1966), "Barry Lyndon" (1975), in which he was the narrator, the animated film "Watership Down" (1978), in which he was the voice of Frith, and "Ghandi" (1982).

He also appeared in two entirely different and now rarely seen television productions of "A Christmas Carol", first an animated version in 1971, in which he reprised his role of Marley's ghost, and a British version in 1977, in which he played Scrooge in the flesh.

He died in 1995, and his last role was that of Peter Featherstone in the 1994 television miniseries "Middlemarch." By the way, the other choices listed for this question, Alec Guinness, Frank Finley, and Leo G. Carroll, all have played Marley's Ghost in other film and television versions of "A Christmas Carol". Carroll played Marley's Ghost in 1938, Guinness in the 1970 musical "Scrooge", and Finlay on television in 1984, when George C. Scott played Scrooge.

Answer: Glyn Dearman

Glyn Dearman only appeared in four films, the most well-known "Tom Brown's Schooldays" and "A Christmas Carol", both in 1951. He was born on December 30, 1939, and died in November 1997 from a fall down stairs. (All information from imdb.com)

Answer: Mervyn Johns

Mervyn Johns portrayed Bob Cratchit. Mervyn Johns was born in 1899 in Wales. He first appeared in "Lady in Danger" (1935) as a reporter. Other notable films include the 1939 Hitchcock film "Jamaica Inn", "Dead of Night" (1945), "The Magic Box" (1951), "Moby Dick" (1956), "1984" (1956), "The Day of the Triffids" (1962), and he last appeared in the television miniseries "QBVII" (1975), and "The Confessional" (1975).

He died in 1992. He also appeared with his daughter, actress Glynis Johns, in "The Sundowners" (1960).

By the way, Michael Dolan was the Spirit of Christmas Past, Francis de Wolff was the Spirit of Christmas Present, and C. Kornarski's face was not seen as the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come, although his hand gets to be seen quite a bit.

Answer: Patrick Macnee

Born in 1922, Patrick Macnee starred as John Steed in "The Avengers", a long-running 1960s British series. He now can be seen giving introductions as a host to the colorized 1989 syndicated television runnings (and DVD) of the 1951 "A Christmas Carol".

Answer: "Barbara Allen"

"Barbara Allen" is a traditional English ballad that is hundreds of years old. Its use in this film is extremely effective. During the scene where Fan dies, the tune is played in a mournful minor key, so much so that is almost unrecognizable. "Barbara Allen" is used again, during the scene where Scrooge makes a surprise appearence at his nephew Fred's party.

As he enters, the assembled guests are singing it, as though the loving spirit of Fan were rekindled.

Answer: "save yourself"

This scene was not in the original novel, so there was no forewarning from Marley before he died. Alastair Sim plays this scene excellently, showing barely a hint of remorse or grief.

Answer: The door flies open, Marley materializes standing still, then walks into the room

In this film the door suddenly flies open to an empty space, then the ghost materializes and enters. This famous entrance has been dealt with in various ways by other adaptations, but originally, in the novel, the ghost "without a pause, came on through the heavy door, and passed into the room before his (Scrooge's) eyes."

Answer: Mr. Jorkin

Mr. Jorkin was part of a whole backstory that was created for this adaptation. It revealed the way Fezziwig was bought out of the business, and how Scrooge began to work with Jorkin. It also revealed how he and Marley met, and how Scrooge and Marley's company became majority owners of Jorkin's business after they bail the company out.

It is so well handled, it seems as though it were written by Dickens himself. Mr. Jorkin is played by Jack Warner (1896-1981), whose first film was "The Dummy Talks" in 1943.

He also appeared in "The Ladykillers" (1955) and "The Quatermass Xperiment" also known as "The Creeping Unknown" (1955) in the U.S.

Answer: "Can you forgive a pig-headed old fool for having no eyes to see with, no ears to hear with, all these years?"

A very well played scene. I especially like the young housemaid that answers the door, and gives a sweetly silent nod for Scrooge to enter.

Answer: False

Alastair Sim returned to the role in an Oscar winning, 1971, half-hour animated television film made for ABC in the U.S., in which his voice is heard as Scrooge. Michael Hordern also reprised his role as Marley's Ghost. Alastair Sim was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on October 9, 1900, and began his film career in 1935.

A few of his films include "Green for Danger" (1946), "Stage Fright", "The Happiest Days of Your Life" (both 1950), "An Inspector Calls" (1954), "The Belles of St. Trinian's" (1954), "Blue Murder at St. Trinian's" (1957), "The Ruling Class" (1972), and many others.

His last film was "The Littlest Horse Thieves", also known as "Escape From the Dark" in the U.K., released in 1977. He died on August 19, 1976, in London, England.

Answer: "Silent Night"

"Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!" was written in 1818 in Oberndorf, Austria, by Joseph Mohr (words), and Franz Xaver Gruber (music).