On a bleak Christmas Eve, Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old man, is visited by three spirits who take him on a journey through his past, present, and future. He witnesses the joy and love of others, and the bleakness of a life without compassion. Scrooge is transformed, filled with a newfound spirit of generosity and love. 

The Mercury Theatre's second performance of A Christmas Carol aired on December 24, 1939 with Welles as the narrator. Lionel Barrymore starred as Scrooge with Everett Sloane (Marley’s ghost), Frank Readick (Bob Cratchit), Erskine Sanford (Fezziwig) and George Coulouris (Ghost of Christmas Present).