Explore Seymour Hicks’ 1935 A Christmas Carol, a theatrical and historically rich film adaptation that captures a lifetime of Scrooge performances and early British sound cinema.
At That’s Christmas 365, we love revisiting the many screen versions of A Christmas Carol, especially those that sit slightly outside the usual festive spotlight.
One such adaptation is the 1935 British film starring Seymour Hicks, a version that beautifully bridges the gap between Victorian stage tradition and modern cinema.
While later adaptations — particularly those from the 1950s onwards — are more widely known today, Seymour Hicks’ 1935 A Christmas Carol deserves recognition as the culmination of a lifetime spent portraying Ebenezer Scrooge.
Seymour Hicks: A Scrooge for the Ages
By 1935, Seymour Hicks was already legendary. Actor, playwright, producer, and theatre manager, Hicks had been performing A Christmas Carol on stage since the late 19th century, playing Scrooge hundreds — possibly thousands — of times.
This was not a role he stepped into for a single film; it was one he had lived with for decades. By the time cameras rolled on the 1935 adaptation, Hicks’ Scrooge was fully formed, deeply considered, and instinctive.
The 1935 Film: Sound, Cinema, and Stage Combined
Unlike his earlier silent-film version, the 1935 A Christmas Carol fully embraces the possibilities of sound cinema, allowing Hicks to combine his expressive physical performance with vocal delivery.
This Scrooge is:
Sharp-tongued and intimidating in the opening scenes
Commanding and theatrical, rooted firmly in stage tradition
Gradually softened through fear, reflection, and moral reckoning
Hicks’ performance is unmistakably theatrical, but that is very much part of its charm. Rather than aiming for realism, the film leans into Dickensian storytelling, heightened, moral, and emotionally clear.
A Film Steeped in Tradition
What makes the 1935 version especially interesting is how faithful it feels to Victorian and Edwardian interpretations of Dickens. This is not yet the restrained, psychologically complex Scrooge popularised later; instead, it reflects how audiences had understood the character for generations.
The ghosts are overtly symbolic, the moral lessons clearly stated, and Christmas itself is presented as a transformative force, not merely a seasonal backdrop.
For viewers interested in Christmas history, this makes the film an invaluable cultural artefact.
Overshadowed, But Not Forgotten
The 1935 A Christmas Carol is often overshadowed by the hugely influential A Christmas Carol, released just over a decade later. That later version redefined Scrooge for post-war audiences and remains a festive staple.
However, Seymour Hicks’ film represents the end of an era, the last great screen Scrooge rooted in Victorian stage performance and 19th-century moral storytelling.
Without it, the evolution of A Christmas Carol on screen would be incomplete.
Why It Still Matters at Christmas
At That’s Christmas 365, we believe Christmas is as much about remembering as it is about celebrating. The 1935 Seymour Hicks version reminds us that:
A Christmas Carol has always evolved with its audience
Christmas storytelling reflects its time and culture
Every familiar tradition once had a beginning
Watching this version today offers a rare chance to see how earlier generations experienced Dickens’ most famous Christmas tale.
That’s Christmas 365 Final Thoughts
Seymour Hicks’ 1935 A Christmas Carol is not just another adaptation, it is the final screen statement of a man who dedicated much of his life to bringing Scrooge to the public.
It may not be the most famous, nor the most frequently broadcast, but it holds a special place in Christmas film history. For those willing to step back into an earlier style of storytelling, it remains a richly rewarding and deeply festive watch.
Sometimes, the heart of Christmas is best found in the versions that time almost forgot.
