Everybody has their own expectations about what they feel makes the ideal portrayal of this classic story. For some people, this 1938 rendition is just right. But personally, I just can't get into it. The acting is over the top, awful liberties are taken with the original story, and Scrooge is kind of a stooge (with a bad make-up job). There are a number of other versions that are much more real-life-feeling, better acted, and more faithful in their storyline. Alastair Sim, George C. Scott, and Patrick Stewart are all more believable as the lead character than "Admiral Boom."
Review of A Christmas Carol
