Thomas Edison's A Christmas Carol
A World Premiere Film Score from Ricardo Romaneiro
The Kennedy Center and Metropolis Ensemble (with Argus Quartet) present the world premiere of their co-commissioned live film score to Thomas Edison’s digitally remastered 1910 silent film, A Christmas Carol, by electro-acoustic composer Ricardo Romaneiro.
The reimagined film was broadcast on December 25, 2020 as part of The Kennedy Center’s “Arts Across America: Winter Traditions” series, sharing stories and performances from artists across the country to celebrate traditions held dear.
Thomas Edison’s A Christmas Carol is co-commissioned by The Kennedy Center and Metropolis Ensemble. Presented with special thanks to National Sawdust, Nicole Merritt, AIHS, Argus Quartet, and BesenArts.
About the Project
Digitally remastered from the original 35mm elements, this rare version of “A Christmas Carol” was groundbreaking and ambitious at its debut in 1910. The film demonstrates one of the earliest uses of visual effects and trick photography, including double exposure to superimpose the ghosts into the same frame as Ebenezer Scrooge.
Directed by J. Searle Dawley and produced at Thomas Edison Studios in The Bronx in New York City, this film was the second oldest surviving screen adaptation of Charles Dicken’s beloved 1843 novella (preceded by the British film “Scrooge or Marley’s Ghost” from 1901). It features Marc McDermott as Ebenezer Scrooge and Charles Ogle as Bob Cratchit.
Performances by Metropolis Ensemble and Argus Quartet were filmed during the 2020 pandemic in a five-story Beaux Arts mansion on the Upper East Side of New York City.
The new original score from composer Ricardo Romaneiro is designed to enhance and animate the delicate shading and imagery of Thomas Edison’s early camera experiments. This unique presentation of “A Christmas Carol” is a cinematic and nostalgic holiday card, introducing the silent era of filmmaking to a new generation.
Contributing Artists
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