No 'Piece of Coal' Scene?
-
Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — A Christmas Carol
Underdog_73 — 9 years ago(December 23, 2016 07:56 PM)
Is this the only version that doesn't have the scene where Bob Cratchit is admonished for attempting to pit another piece of coal on the dying fire?
That's always been synonymous with Scrooge. Did I miss it in this version? Maybe the showing I saw was edited? I'm surprised that would be left out.
Additionally, there's no scene where he revisits the collectors and promises a sizeable donation. -
jsk32870 — 9 years ago(January 06, 2017 11:40 PM)
No you didn't miss it. It was not in this version.
The way it was written in the story was not as a present-tense scene; there is no dialogue associated with it. So the producers of the film chose to not include it apparently. But you're right, this may be the only version that does not have it.
This is the way it is told in the story: "Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. But he couldn't replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room; and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. Wherefore the clerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which effort, not being a man of a strong imagination, he failed."
Cratchit is shown trying to warm himself at the candle, when the solicitors are there waiting for Scrooge. So they managed to incorporate that.
And yes, this film also omits the 2nd scene with the collectors, strangely.