My Favorite Fred

Barry Mackay played Scrooge's newphew, Fred, in the 1938 film version of A Christmas Carol

Barry Mackay and Lynne Carver-A Christmas Carol 1938

I grew up watching the 1938 version of A Christmas Carol on television at Christmastime. This jolly production of the Carol captured my imagination and helped to instill a love of Charles Dickens and his merry old England in me that endures to this day. Reginald Owen was a spry and animated old Scrooge and Gene Lockhart and his wife, Kathleen Lockhart, were excellent as Mr and Mrs Cratchit (Their daughter June Lockhart, also in the film, went on to television fame). Terry Kilburn seems to have started the tradition of Tiny Tim's who were nearly as tall as their father and Lionel Braham was the quentessential Ghost of Christmas Present.

But it was Barry Mackay, as Scrooge's newphew, Fred, that stood out for me. His portrayal as the jolly lover of all things Christmas stood in perfect contrast to Uncle Scrooge's humbug. He played opposite the beautiful Lynne Carver as Fred's fiance Bess. The scene where they observe the clergyman sliding on the pavement in front of the church before having a go themselves is one of my favorites in the film.

Barry Mackay (sometimes MacKay) was born in London in 1906 and had his film debut in 1934's Evergreen and went on to have a successful film and stage career. He went to the U.S. for his role as Fred in A Christmas Carol before serving in the Canadian Navy in World War II. He was cast in another Dickens classic in 1952, playing Mr. Snubbins in The Pickwick Papers. He passed away in London in 1986 at the age of 79 (McFarlane et. al., 2013, p. 481).

Sadly, Lynne Carver died of cancer at age 38 in 1955 (Wikipedia).