A Christmas Carol is a 1910 silent drama film directed by J. Searle Dawley and produced at Edison Studios in The Bronx in New York City. After the 1901 British release Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost, this American version of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella is the second oldest surviving screen adaptation of the famous literary work. It features Marc McDermott as Ebenezer Scrooge and Charles S. Ogle as Bob Cratchit.
The film is approximately 13 minutes long and was produced as a one-reel silent film, a standard format for the era. Similar to many films of the era, it was staged similar to a play with a stationary camera and actors performing full view in frame.
Contents
Plot
The day before Christmas, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge refuses to contribute to the Charity Relief Committee, and then rudely rejects his nephew Fred when he visits Scrooge in his office. When Scrooge returns home, he sees the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley, who warns him of the punishment he will suffer in the next life if he does not change his ways. That night, Scrooge is visited by three more spirits, who show him his past, present, and future. After Scrooge is shown a vision of his own death by the final spirit, he is frightened into realizing the consequences of his life. He wakes up on Christmas morning transformed and joyful.
Cast
Marc McDermott as Ebenezer Scrooge
Charles S. Ogle as Bob Cratchit
William Bechtel, uncredited
Viola Dana, uncredited 13-year-old child
Carey Lee, uncredited
Harold M. Shaw, Fred, Scrooge's nephew, uncredited
Shirley Mason, uncredited 10-year-old child