A CHRISTMAS CAROL - Orson Welles/Lionel Barrymore [1939 B'cast] (VINYL LP 1980)

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A CHRISTMAS CAROL - Orson Welles/Lionel Barrymore [1939 Radio Broadcast] (VINYL LP 1980)
John W. Nordstrom Presents Orson Welles & Lionel Barrymore – *A Christmas Carol* (SEALED 1980 LP – George Garabedian / Mark 56 – Classic 1939 Campbell Playhouse Broadcast) 
Step back into the Golden Age of Radio with this factory‑sealed Nordstrom promotional LP, presenting Orson Welles and Lionel Barrymore in Charles Dickens’ *A Christmas Carol* – the legendary December 24, 1939 CBS Campbell Playhouse broadcast, lovingly transferred and produced by George Garabedian for Mark 56 Records around 1980. Still in its original shrinkwrap, this album preserves one of the most celebrated holiday radio dramas ever aired, capturing all the voices, music, and live sound effects that millions of listeners first heard on Christmas Eve, 1939.
## Historical and production details - This LP features the famed Campbell Playhouse adaptation of *A Christmas Carol*, produced, directed, and hosted by **Orson Welles**, then at the height of his Mercury Theatre radio career.  **Lionel Barrymore** stars as Ebenezer Scrooge, in the role that made him radio’s definitive Scrooge after repeated Christmas performances throughout the 1930s.  The program was originally broadcast on **December 24, 1939**, over the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) from New York, as part of *The Campbell Playhouse*, the sponsored successor to Welles’ *Mercury Theatre on the Air*.  This Nordstrom edition was produced four decades later by **George Garabedian**, known for rescuing, restoring, and reissuing classic radio and film soundtracks on vinyl, here presenting the complete one‑hour broadcast for department‑store customers. 
## Cast and Mercury Theatre ensemble  Beyond the marquee pairing of Welles and Barrymore, this recording showcases the elite Mercury / Campbell Playhouse repertory company – the same voices heard in *War of the Worlds* and other landmark broadcasts. Roles commonly credited for this 1939 production include: 
**Orson Welles** – producer, director, host, and narrator, providing scene‑setting introductions and transitions between the visits of the three spirits.  **Lionel Barrymore** – Ebenezer Scrooge, delivering the full arc from miserly curmudgeon to redeemed benefactor.  **Everett Sloane** – Jacob Marley’s Ghost, with the chilling warning that sets the entire story in motion.  **Frank Readick** – Bob Cratchit, embodying Dickens’ patient, long‑suffering clerk. **George Coulouris** – Ghost of Christmas Present and other roles, a key Mercury player also known from *Citizen Kane*. **Erskine Sanford** – Mr. Fezziwig, the jovial employer from Scrooge’s youth.  **Georgia Backus** – Mrs. Cratchit, bringing warmth and emotional weight to the family scenes. **Bea Benaderet** – Martha Cratchit, later a familiar voice and actress in radio and television. **Ray Collins, Edgar Barrier, and other Mercury regulars** fill out the cast as charity collectors, party guests, townspeople, and additional spirits. 
The result is a rich, ensemble performance that stands as one of the most fully realized radio versions of Dickens’ classic. 
## Content and listening experience - This is a **complete radio drama**, not a shortened excerpt: listeners hear the entire Campbell Playhouse presentation with dialogue, orchestral scoring, carol fragments, and live sound effects as originally aired. The script retains all the essential episodes: Marley’s visit; the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come; the Cratchit home; Tiny Tim’s fate; and Scrooge’s joyful transformation on Christmas morning.  Welles’ narration provides vivid scene‑setting and smooth transitions between time periods, a hallmark of his Mercury and Campbell productions.  - Period‑correct music and sound design give the show an unmistakable 1930s network atmosphere, from tolling bells and street sounds to festive party scenes and spectral effects. 
## Why this pressing is collectible - It preserves the **definitive late‑1930s Welles–Barrymore production** of *A Christmas Carol*, one of the most frequently re‑broadcast and archived holiday shows from American radio’s golden age.  - The LP was issued as a **special Nordstrom promotional edition** around 1980, with John W. Nordstrom named as presenter and George Garabedian credited for bringing the historic CBS broadcast to modern vinyl listeners.  - Garabedian’s projects have a following among collectors of vintage radio, department‑store promos, and seasonal records, especially when found **still factory sealed**, as this copy is. - For fans of Orson Welles, Lionel Barrymore, classic radio drama, or Dickens adaptations, this is both an attractive display piece and an excellent way to hear the original 1939 performance in one curated package. 
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