Shrewsbury Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Its Role in A Christmas Carol Film

Shrewsbury is commemorating its significant contribution to the film A Christmas Carol, four decades after its initial release. To highlight the Shropshire town’s involvement, the movie, featuring George C Scott in the role of Scrooge, is currently being shown at the Old Market Hall. The Square, encompassing the Old Market Hall and forming the town’s central area, served as the backdrop for the film’s initial sequence. According to town guide Nigel Hinton, the scene, shot from the current art gallery location, depicts a hearse transporting Jacob Marley’s body as it goes past Ebenezer Scrooge’s office, accompanied by the sound of a tolling bell. Clive Donner directed the movie, with Robert E Fuisz serving as its executive producer. Mr Hinton stated, “They chose Shrewsbury because it was very similar to London in the 1840s.” He further explained, “He (Donner) wanted to come and film in the town and then did all the external shots here and there were a couple of studios, one in Shrewsbury, one in Telford, where they made the internal scenery and acted it there.” He mentioned that carpenters and set designers “dressed” or modified all filming locations. For instance, Pockets menswear store was transformed into a poultry shop, and both the Hole in the Wall pub and Gullet passage were utilized as notable sites along Scrooge’s path home. Mr Hinton detailed the methods employed by the film producers to create the ghost story’s unsettling atmosphere, specifically mentioning Gullet Passage. He elaborated, “A lot of these scenes were shot in the dark or in dusk or half-light to add atmosphere, and this was certainly one of those places where the atmosphere was quite dark and sinister.” The showings at the Old Market Hall are scheduled to continue until December 24. For further updates, follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.