![A Christmas Carol [on Radio] with Orson Welles as Scrooge - December 23, 1938 @ChildrensMediaArchive16](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ri61qdYe2_8/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded December 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
There are so many Scrooges to choose from on the 180th anniversary of "A Christmas Carol" but 23 year Orson Welles is very memorable. Lionel Barrymore was supposed to play the part as he had annually (he would resume in 1939 and until 1951) but Welles filled in the part on radio for this broadcast.
After scaring millions (?) into believe there was a Martian Invasion on October 30, 1938, "The Mercury Theater of the Air" secured Campbell's Soups as a sponsor and became "The Campbell Playhouse".
There are so many Scrooges to choose from on the 180th anniversary of "A Christmas Carol" but 23 year Orson Welles is very memorable. Lionel Barrymore was supposed to play the part as he had annually (he would resume in 1939 and until 1951) but Welles filled in the part on radio for this broadcast.
After scaring millions (?) into believe there was a Martian Invasion on October 30, 1938, "The Mercury Theater of the Air" secured Campbell's Soups as a sponsor and became "The Campbell Playhouse".
![A Christmas Carol [on Radio] with Orson Welles as Scrooge - December 23, 1938](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ri61qdYe2_8/mqdefault.jpg "A Christmas Carol [on Radio] with Orson Welles as Scrooge - December 23, 1938
There are so many Scrooges to choose from on the 180th anniversary of A Christmas Carol but 23 year Orson Welles is very memorable. Lionel Barrymore was supposed to play the part as he had annually (he would resume in 1939 and until 1951) but Welles filled in the part on radio for this broadcast.
After scaring millions (?) into believe there was a Martian Invasion on October 30, 1938, The Mercury Theater of the Air secured Campbells Soups as a sponsor and became The Campbell Playhouse.")
![Mel-O-Toons : Miguel the Mighty Matador (1960) [Black & White Version]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WmEJ1xHjs6s/mqdefault.jpg "Mel-O-Toons : Miguel the Mighty Matador (1960) [Black & White Version]
Some of the Mel-O-Toons survive today in original color and black and white prints. Some children in the 1960s may have seen these cartoons on a Black and White set years before seeing them in color.")
![Blondie [on Radio] Scrooge December 25, 1939, with Penny Singleton & Arthur Lake](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YfAQV1cHC98/mqdefault.jpg "Blondie [on Radio] Scrooge December 25, 1939, with Penny Singleton & Arthur Lake
While this was not a childrens radio program, these comic characters were very familiar to 1930s children, as they have been for nearly a century. Also I want to highlight more unique A Christmas Carol adaptations. In this episode Dagwood falls asleep and dreams that his boss Mr. Dithers is Ebenezer Scrooge.
The first few Blondie movies from Columbia Pictures in 1938 and 1939 were so successful that a radio series was launched with its stars Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake. This radio series and the film series ended in 1950.
Penny Singleton - Blondie Bumstead
Arthur Lake - Dagwood Bumstead
Leone Ledoux - Baby Dumpling [this character was later renamed Alexander with age]
Hanley Staffors - Mr. Dithers
NOTE: Blondies long time sponsor was Camels Cigarettes. A tobacco sponsor was common for prime time radio shows, even in the family hour. For the Christmas episode, it is only heard at the end.")
