While jack as a british college student only kinda works, jack is still a stitch. A talkie film version starring charles ruggles was released in 1930 and is one of the earliest sound comedies. This was the third of many screen adaptations of charleys aunt, the beloved 19thcentury stage farce. Victor garber jack chesney charles grodin lord fancourt babberly anne francis donna lucia dalvadorez vincent gardenia stephen spettigue efrem zimbalist jr. Its high time to unleash this utterly delightful british farce, complete with improbable disguise, young lovers, and an unflappable butler. Their purpose is to have a chaperone for their amorous visits. No quotes approved yet for charleys tant e charley s aunt.
His enthusiasm makes the film more than the sum of its parts. This was the third of many screen adaptations of charley s aunt, the beloved 19thcentury stage farce. Victorianera oxford students charley wykeham richard haydn and jack chesney james ellison recruit their wealthy playboy friend, lord fancourt babberly jack benny, to impersonate charley s. An austrian version of the famous farce charley s aunt.
Kay francis gets to play the best character, the real charleys aunt. Arthur askey took the leading role in a 1940 british film charley s bighearted aunt that developed themes from the original play. Charleys aunt 1941 film charleys aunt is a 1941 american historical comedy film directed by archie mayo. Disc 2 charley s aunt 1963 starring peter alexander dr. The dean is a keen egyptologist and desperate to secure funding for. An austrian version of the famous farce charleys aunt. Things get even more silly as babbs is soon being hounded by suitors interested in the aunt s considerable fortune. Amy is about to go away, and charley thinks he may miss his opportunity to ask for her hand. Charley s aunt 1961 the complaisant lover mary rhodes tv film 1961 the pursuers vi daniel hugh kelly 916 words view diff exact match in snippet view article find links to article. Stemmle and starring fritz rasp, paul kemp, and max gulstorff.
Charley s aunt oct 2, 1893 standard theatre original charley s aunt mar 19, 1906 manhattan theatre revival charley s aunt jun 1, 1925 daly s 63rd street theatre revival. Benny, predating jack lemmons work in some like it hot, is a marvel as the english earl posing as an oxford classmates aunt. Nov 10, 2012 charleys aunt 20 september 10 november 2012. While in town otto visits his kid brother, ralf, who is best friends with charley. In 1890, two students at oxford force their rascally friend and fellow student to pose as an aunt from brazilwhere the nuts come from.
The opening title card of this film reads, twentieth centuryfox presents jack benny in charley s aunt brandon thomas immortal comedy. Perhaps the best known film version was released in 1941, directed by archie mayo and starring jack benny in the principal role. Inspector maigret is traveling to the french countryside to visit his friend, the duchess of saintfiacre. Ray bolger s wild impersonation of charley s perennial aunt in the musical show, where s charley. Babbs roommates jack chesney james ellison and charley wyckeham richard haydn, in his film debut are desirous of. Charleys tante is a 1934 german comedy film directed by robert a.
After a seventeenyear vacation, charleys aunt is returning to the utah shakespeare festival. Open auditions for cast and crew for charleys aunt directed by jay thompson will be held on monday, january 4 and tuesday, january 5. Jack flings down his pen, rises and goes to fireplace. Jack benny stars here as babbs, an oxford student who. This comedy will grace our stage for the first time in our 56year history. Charleys aunt 1963 changes the movie database tmdb. Spettigue halliwell hobbes, a very strict guardian who wont let them see the young men. Then he discovers that his aunt, a brazilian woman he hardly knows, is coming for lunch. The other standout performers are laird cregar, at the time in his twenties and easily immitating a man twice his age and kay francis, a model of class and sophistication as charleys real aunt.
Charleys aunt the shakespeare theatre of new jersey. Luckily, charley s aunt from brazil where the nuts come from is coming for a visit. Charley s aunt jun 1, 1925 daly s 63rd street theatre revival charley s aunt dec 22, 1953 city center revival charley s aunt jul 4, 1970 brooks atkinson theatre revival. Her presence as a chaperone will allow him and his friend jack to ask their respective true loves, amy and kitty, for their hands in marriage. A comedic favorite to this day with colleges and high schools, the early crossdressing farce first produced in 1892 broke all theatrical records wherever it played, and has become a recognized worldwide classic through countless stage revivals. The fun really begins when, for reasons far too complicated to detail here, both jack s father sir francis chesney laird cregar and amy s uncle stephen. It is based on the british writer brandon thomass 1892 play charleys aunt. The story centres on lord fancourt babberley, an undergraduate whose friends jack and charley persuade him to impersonate the latters aunt. Complications begin when fancourt, in drag, becomes the love object of old spettigue and sir francis chesney. Charleys aunt is a 1930 american comedy film directed by al christie and starring charles ruggles, june collyer and hugh williams.
The first starred sydney chaplin in 1925 and the second released in 1930 featured charlie ruggles in the lead. The film is simply directed, maintaining its stage bound roots. With jack benny, kay francis, james ellison, anne baxter. Charleys aunt the winnipesaukee playhousemeredith nh. Charley s aunt is a threeact farce that, when it premiered in 1892, was so wildly successful that it shattered theater records at the time, becoming the longestrunning play with well over a thousand performances in london, a broadway version, and an international tour it concerns two oxford students, jack and the eponymous charley, who are in love with kitty and amy, respectively. Charleys bighearted aunt film british comedy guide.
Jack benny brings his own distinctive touch to brandon thomas venerable and oftfilmed stage farce charley s aunt. His film career is not thought of highly, but some of that is due to jacks own attitude towards his films. Find movie and film cast and crew information for charley s aunt 1915 on allmovie. Kobalt music publishing, and 2 music rights societies. It was an adaptation of the play charleys aunt by brandon thomas. Media in category charley s aunt the following 21 files are in this category, out of 21 total. This first talkie version of the evergreen brandon thomas stage farce charley s aunt stars charlie ruggles, obviously having the time of his life in the leading role. Charley s aunt is a threeact farce that, when it premiered in 1892, was so wildly successful that it shattered theater records at the time, becoming the longestrunning play with well over a thousand performances in london, a broadway version, and an international tour. A guide to visiting charleys aunt utah shakespeare festival. The opening title card of this film reads, twentieth centuryfox presents jack benny in charleys aunt brandon thomas immortal comedy. Our fall farce, charley s aunt a hilarious farce written by brandon thomas and directed by ed knights. It remained one of bennys personal favourites among his own films. Selected scenes from charley s aunt including video examples, context and character information. If youre going to drag an aunt into the business, we may as well wait till they all come back from scotland.
Charleys aunt was given in a german translation as charleys tante at weimar in august 1894. I suppose like most people, i first saw charley s aunt, brandon thomas centurieslong theatrical chestnut, back in high school. Sir francourt babbs babberly gets drafted by his old school chums charley and jack to pose as charley s aunt, a rich widow, to chaperon a meeting between the boys and their sweethearts, amy and kitty. Penley, a friend of thomas, who appeared in the principal role of lord. Sight unseen, i eagerly awaited the release of charley s aunt on disc. Two students, charley wyckham hugh williams and jack chesney rodney mclennan, are in love with two young ladies, amy and kitty. It marked the film debut of williams, who then returned to britain and became a major star. Ralf and charley peter vogel are planning a party in order to meet ulla and britta. More unabashed hilarity with this hit from the late 19th century. See the full list of charley s aunt cast and crew including actors, directors, producers and more. Ray bolger demonstrates his agility in wheres charley. Charleys aunt is a 1941 american historical comedy film directed by archie mayo. By brandon thomas directed by joseph discher performances begin october 24 im charley s aunt from brazil, where the nuts come from.
With peter alexander, maria sebaldt, peter vogel, astrid frank. Utilizing a gloriously unconvincing broada english accent, benny is cast as lord fancourt babberly, a somewhat overaged undergraduate at oxford university. The film s sets were designed by art director franz schroedter. Brandon thomas s giddy farce demolished all box office records, clocking up 1,466 performances between 1892 and 1896. Otto dernberg is in town for an important meeting when he falls smitten with the fabulous carlotta ramirez. Now the aunt can chaperone while the boys ask the girls to marry them.
But without a chaperone, they cant meet their girls, amy and kitty. The complications of the plot include the arrival of the real aunt and the attempts of an elderly fortune hunter to woo the bogus aunt. Wheres charley original london cast recording licensed to youtube by the orchard music on behalf of stage door. It was produced by former doyly carte opera company actor w. When charley s aunt donna lucia dalvadorez kay francis is detained, jack and charley coerce babbs, who has dressed up as an old lady for a school play, to pose as the absent donna lucia. This version of the popular comedy based on brandon thomas s play features comedian jack benny as the lead. The play was first performed at the theatre royal, bury st edmunds in february 1892.
When donna lucia dalvadorez fails to arrive to act as chaperone, jack and charley have to find a substitute in a hurry. With charles grodin, vincent gardenia, anne francis, joyce bulifant. Charley s aunt 1961 the complaisant lover mary rhodes tv film 1961 the pursuers vi anne francis 2,311 words view diff exact match in snippet view article find links to article. Sight unseen, i eagerly awaited the release of charleys aunt on disc. It broke all historic records for plays of any kind, with an original london run of 1,466 performances. I love charley s aunt and hope you also love this hard to find gem.
Charley s aunt is a farce in three acts written by brandon thomas. Spettigue halliwell hobbes, a very strict guardian who. Open auditions for cast and crew for charleys aunt directed by jay thompson will be held on. Im charley s aunt from brazil, where the nuts come from. The film is one of many to be made based on the victorian farce charleys aunt. It was the third filmed version of the stage farce of the same name by brandon thomas. Jack and charley, undergraduates at oxford, have each fallen in love. Oct 02, 2012 matthew horne and jane asher in charleys aunt at menier chocolate factory. Since that time, charleys aunt has been revived many times, been produced as a motion picture, both silent and with sound, aired in an original television production, and even adapted into a musical. The first starred sydney chaplin in 1925 and the second released in 1930 featured charlie. Their purpose is to have a chaperone for their amorous visits with amy and kitty, niece and ward of crusty stephen spettigue. Tv film 1961 bbc sundaynight play donna lucia dalvadorez episode. Overview of charley s aunt, 1941, directed by archie mayo, with jack benny, kay francis, james ellison, at turner classic movies. Charley wyckham and jack chesney pressure fellow student fancourt babberly to pose as charleys brazilian aunt donna lucia.
Jack benny playing with enthusiasm and romping merrily and crazily along the route, takes fullest advantage of laugh opportunities. In its day, charley s aunt was the original west end blockbuster. Charley s aunt jack chesney and charley wykeham, two undergraduates at oxford university, are in lovejack with kitty verdun, ward of stephen spettigue the oxford solicitor, and charley with amy spettigue, the solicitors niece. Tristram kenton for the guardian h as anyone noticed the link between this oncefamous 1892 farce by brandon. Arthur askeys professional nickname was bighearted arthur, which was added to the title to distinguish it from jack benny s version, for its limited american release. Jul 28, 2007 sight unseen, i eagerly awaited the release of charleys aunt on disc. His radio show is filled with jokes about his film career. It is an adaptation of the british play charleys aunt by brandon thomas. Charleys aunt is a farce in three acts written by brandon thomas. The play concludes with three pairs of young lovers united, along with an older pair charleys real aunt and jacks widowed father. Charleys rich aunt, donna lucia, is visiting from brazil and the timing couldnt be better.
Threatened with being sent down expelled from their college at oxford after the latest in a series of highspirited hijinks and miscellaneous delinquency, friends arthur, stinker and albert hit upon a seemingly ingenious ruse. The play concludes with three pairs of young lovers united. The film isnt a comic masterwork but its a fun way to spend an hour and a half. Charley wyckham and jack chesney pressure fellow student fancourt babberly to pose as charley s brazilian aunt donna lucia.
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