The first feature-length adaptation, directed by and starring Rupert Julian as Scrooge. /// Scrooge was a "grouch," the greatest the world of literature has ever known. His former partner, Jacob Marley, had been dead more than seven years when the eventful Christmas Eve closed in on London. So imbued had Scrooge become with greed for money that his world, his sun, moon and stars were represented in bank notes and the securities he dealt in. He had not given Marley a thought since the day he buried him, and Scrooge celebrated that day by driving the best of business bargains. On this Christmas Eve Bob Cratchit, his faithful clerk, had been sent home with a gruff word instead of a "Merry Christmas" and had been told because he was to have the day off he must come to work extra early on the following morning. Scrooge's nephew had made his accustomed call to ask the old "grouch" to dine with him; and Scrooge had been his usual surly self in refusing. Kind-hearted collectors for charity h
This MGM short, part of John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series, tells the story of Dr. Ephraim McDowell. In Danville, Kentucky in 1809 McDowell wanted to perform surgery on a woman, Jane Crawford, with a large tumor. He was threatened with being thrown out of the medical profession if he operated, something that did not exist at the time. The townspeople felt opening up a living human being was against the will of God and were quite prepared to stop him by force if need be. The operation however was a success and surgery became acceptable. // The famous surgery took place on December 25, 1809 without benefit of antisepsis or anesthesia - both unknown to medicine at the time. The ovarian tumor weighed 22.5 pounds (10.2 kg) and the whole procedure took 25 minutes. Mrs. Crawford, the patient, would live another 32 years.
