From 1934 to 1953, Lionel Barrymore played the part of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol on radio a total of 18 different times. Sadly, only 5 of those performances still exist today and only 3 are widely available. The most memorable was in 1939 when Barrymore worked with Orson Welles on the Campbell Playhouse adaptation. It’s my personal favorite and has been an annual listen for me since I first discovered playing it on a local radio station in Paris, Texas on Christmas Eve 1989.
This year, I’d like to introduce you to his 1944 version. It aired originally as part of Barrymore’s own program, Mayor of the Town, and was later rebroadcast as part of The Globe Theater for Armed Forces Radio. It aired on December 23 and sadly has been rarely heard since that presentation. While it may not be as entertaining as the 1939 version, it’s still a wonderful showcase for the very best radio Scrooge.
As a special treat, take a listen to the original 1947 MGM records version featuring Barrymore. It’s a fun adaptation and a great time capsule for how Barrymore was playing Scrooge about midway through his long tenure.
Don’t forget to check out all of the Christmas programs on my YouTube channel for more great old time radio! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Monster Movie Kid!