JamesM

In April, I shall be recording an audio commentary with Denis O'Dell (the assistant director) on his time spent on making "Scrooge". Please could you let me know of any subject relating to the film that you would like to be dealt with.

Someone previously mentioned the reflection of a crew member in one of the scenes. Could someone remind me which scene this was (I think someone put up a picture before)?

Every time I record such a commentary I will let it be known on here. Any questions you would like answered, I will put to the participants to be answered in some way during the commentary.

DAVID RAYNER

Yes, James. It was the scene where Scrooge wakes up on Christmas morning after his nocturnal travels with the three spirits. He goes to look in the mirror in his bedroom and reflected in it is one of the crew who seems to be peeping from behind a curtain. This happens a couple of times as Scrooge dances around the room and again peers into the mirror.

JamesM

thankyou David

Gibbie

Also, there was a chat about who was the servant woman at Bob Crachit's.

Any more Alistair Sim anecdotes would be welcome.

A favorite worldwide.

Well done to them!

Gibbie

noglea

Hi James,

I don't know if it is still to late to ask questions for the 'Scrooge' audio commentary but I would be interested to know what your participants made of the fact that the film was later colourised. Personally I think this is a dreadfall practice and it would be intriguing to hear from people whose work was altered, presuambly without their permission.

Noglea

JamesM

I spoke to the film's cinematographer C.M. Pennington-Richards shortly before he died but I did not get chance to ask him this question. The UK company DD Video were thinking of releasing this version but I have tried to put them off this idea.

The servant girl at Bob Cratchit's? I will have to look at this again. Curiously there is no credit for the actress who played daughter Martha Cratchit, or the other daughters for that matter, only the sons (who have both passed on).

JamesM

I should add that Clive Donner is not well enough to participate and am looking for another crew member. I am considering Freda Pearson, who assisted art director Ralph Brinton, but could have difficulty contacting her if she is still alive.

Gibbie

James, let us know how the production goes.

Will this be on radio?

Gibbie

JamesM

It shall be on the US DVD release of this film and hopefully the DD Video re-release DVD

cheers

Gibbie

Excellent, I do not have on DVD and will look for it!

Thanks, James!

Gibbie

PS - Support our club member! Everybody get this DVD!

tv horror

Is there any chance of Patrick Macnee or George Cole on the audio recording as it would be interesting asking them their views? As Mister Cole is perhaps the only person to know of Alistair Sim's feeling as regards to the filming and character development.
Good luck with the project, it is one film that is truly a classic.

Hell_driver

Do we get Britmovie discount?

John Hodson

James; is there an update on this? The BBC/Warner R1 disc was scrapped at the eleventh hour, but I note that DD is releasing a 2-disc 'Collectors Edition' in November with, it's rumoured, a George Cole commentary.

filmjournal.net/john

JamesM

As I wanted Denis O'Dell to be accompanied by at least one other cast or crew member, I began an extensive search for other surviving crew members. I could not find any information on make-up artist Eric Carter or hair stylist Betty Lee but, apart from Clive Donner, all other credited crew have passed away. there are six or so credited cast members who I found (George Cole, Rona Anderson, Carol Marsh, Olga Edwardes, Richard Pearson (Patrick Magee is also still alive)) but none were on screen for more than ten minutes apart from George Cole, who declined to particpate when I asked him (he was busy working at the time, which is always good news).

I went to the BFI and found additional information on crew members. It was there that I discovered Michael Johns worked on the film as an asistsnt editor and I have since contacted him and he has agreed to accompany myself and Denis O'Dell for the audio commentary. It has not been recorded yet but the people are in place and all that is needed is a date to be set. This is for the VCI release. As assistant director Denis O'Dell and assistant editor also worked together on Tom Brown's Schooldays (1951), I plan to record an audio commentry for this film in the same session (as it is another title VCI look to release) in the same session. John Forrest (who played the bully Flashman).

DD were considering releasing a colourized version of the film with a re-release of the film at one time. I do not know anything else about that release. As for nthe region 1 BBC Worldwide / Warners release, what a fiasco. Someone somewhere at BBC Worldwide was persuaded that "Scrooge" (1951) was a 'public domain' title in the US and thought they could release the film. VCI Entertainment (the US company who have nothing to do with the UK company, Video Collection International) have the exlusive rights to release this film on DVD in region 1. The BBC/Warners DVD had already been authored when I saw something of a press release for this title. I notified VCI who notified BBC Worldwide who had to withdraw the title. It took a while for the release to come off Amazon. I imagine that if I had not noticed so soon, the DVD would have gone into mass production and BBC Worldwide would have been in a bit of a mess. VCI were going to approach the BBC about using the digital restorations of the other film versions.

I hope to record the audio commentaries at the beginning of November. Michael Johns is still working as a film editor on a production being filmed in Oxford, which is quite impressive.

I have already recorded an audio commentary for "I Know Where I'm Going" with Margot Fitzsimons, Jim Pople and the one and only Steve Crook. I hope to complete this commentary soon.

John Hodson

Thank you James; so are you saying that, even should DD be going ahead, there will be another release of Scrooge at some point? I must admit, I was less than impressed with DD's last attempt.

filmjournal.net/john