A Christmas Carol is the 1938 MGM adaptation of the familiar, often-filmed Charles Dickens story of the three Christmas ghosts who visit Ebenezer Scrooge (Reginald Owen) on Christmas Eve and show him the errors of his stingy ways. This version proved very popular on US television and in theatrical revivals over the decades since its debut. MGM's interest in making the film family-friendly and streamlining Dickens's story (its running time is 69 minutes) led to small but significant changes from the original text; these include the omission of the subplot involving the young Scrooge's fianc''e (who leaves the young Scrooge on account of his budding miserliness) and an expansion of the roles for Scrooge's nephew Fred (Barry MacKay) and his bride-to-be Bess (Lynne Carver). The film was produced by legendary Hollywood figure Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who would later produce, write and direct such classics as The Philadelphia Story, Woman of the Year and All About Eve.moreless