The narrative draws on a familiar Christmas tale, so there wasn't really a need for originality. It seems that the film’s success might be partly due to its 1935 production date and the fact that Sir Seymour Hicks was already quite advanced in years when he took on the role of "Scrooge." The movie possesses both a gentle appeal and a touching quality, employing filmmaking methods common to the 1930s – particularly the use of light and dark contrasts – to communicate the suffering, threat, and eventual happiness found within this Dickens story. It's definitely something worth watching at Christmas time, or any other time of year, really.

Source on TMDB