Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Allure of the lost media lies in the mystery of the unknown, along with the hunt hunt. This curiosity intensifies when something is lost in part only, giving us an insight into what might have been. A famous example of this is “The Mountain Eagle,” Alfred Hitchcock considered one of the most popular missing movies (Only six interesting stills have been able to survive). While some experts believe that lost media as “The Mountain Eagle” is still being discovered and rescued, there are other works of art that appear to have been lost to time forever. Charles Dickens’ first American adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” is one such example, as it is unknown that any prints of this 1908 silent film exist today.
Before we dig deeper into the history of this lost film, let’s take a quick look at Dickens’ most famous novel. You may already be familiar with the core of the story, where the irritable Miser Ebenezer Scrooge has a heart change after encountering ghosts that naked it towards redemption. Apart from the obvious themes of kindness and forgiveness incorporated into the novel, Dickens’ use of “Merry Christmas” popularized the phrase among Victorian readers (who found a way to last through a century, and more). He also nurtured the idea of Christmas as an event that brought neighbors together in an increasingly industrial (and alienated) cityscape, re -framming more as a social concentration marked with banqueting and exchange.
Given these assembly, it would have been interesting to watch the first American adaptation of the story, if only to measure how he translated these ideas into the quiet medium at the time. Unfortunately, its lost status can be attributed to the fact that 90% of films made before 1929 are impossible to find, even with the film organization’s dedicated efforts to protect and recover as much as possible.
The now lost Christmas Carol adaptation was highly praised in its release
While we have no surviving prints to go away, a review in The Moving Picture World Magazine (thankfully) provides a written description of a scene-by-scene before releasing the 1908 film. These descriptions indicate that the plot remains the same as a Dickens novel, but combines the Christmas spirits in the past, and yet to enter one entity. This could have been done for creative or budgetary reasons, but we know that Scrooge played by Thomas RickettsBest known for his acting character and for directing one of the first motion photos in Hollywood. While it is difficult to measure the quality of Ricketts, the text description frames the character as someone disappointed by the local neighborhood because of its cantankerous behavior.
The rest clings to what we know, ending with Scrooge holding a huge feast for everyone, in promising to be kinder in his perception of those around him. We also have a rough idea about the running time (15 minutes!), Which coincides with the short film distribution by standards today but which may have been considered the standard at the time. Critics reviews for the film have also found a way to survive, with the mobile photo world having the following to say about it (through The lost media wiki):
“It is impossible to praise this film too high. It reproduces the story as closely as it is possible to make in a film, and the technical excellence of the work cannot be questioned. The photography, the staging, and the acting is all best, and the story told is always impressive.
Although these descriptors are controversial (which is understandable, as there were not too many titles to compare with), they give us a good enough idea of its artistic merit. The movie reels may have been destroyed/thrown away to make room for new ones; Whatever the case, no photo players or photos exist in any form at this time. This is a shame, as the existence of this quiet 1908 film is inherent The pavement of the path for every adjustment that came after. Perhaps one of these Christmas, we get someone gift revealing a long-lost copy of the film somewhere in the world.
