The film isnt a comic masterwork but its a fun way to spend an hour and a half. Luckily, charleys aunt from brazil where the nuts come from is coming for a visit. 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. It was an adaptation of the play charleys aunt by brandon thomas. Brandon thomass giddy farce demolished all box office records, clocking up. This was the third of many screen adaptations of charleys aunt, the beloved 19thcentury stage farce. It is an adaptation of the british play charleys aunt by brandon thomas. Jack chesneys father, colonel chesney is visiting his son at oxford. Charleys aunt directed byarchie mayo produced bywilliam perlberg written bygeorge seaton brandon thomas starringjack benny kay francis james ellison music byalfred newman cinematographyj. Babbs roommates jack chesney james ellison and charley wyckeham richard haydn, in his film.
Sir francourt babbs babberly gets drafted by his old school chums charley and jack to pose as charleys aunt, a rich widow, to chaperon a meeting between the boys and their sweethearts, amy and kitty. Charleys bighearted aunt 1940 public domain movies. Their purpose is to have a chaperone for their amorous visits. In its day, charleys aunt was the original west end blockbuster. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events.
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. It is based on the british writer brandon thomass 1892 play charleys aunt. Their purpose is to have a chaperone for their amorous visits with amy and kitty, niece and ward of crusty stephen spettigue. The uproarious peoplepleasing farce has been adapted to film both silent in 1915 and sound in 1930 with the most famous cinematic version.
Inspector maigret is traveling to the french countryside to visit his friend, the duchess of saintfiacre. Our family watched it until the tape this was back in vcr days disappeared. Kay francis gets to play the best character, the real charleys. An oxford undergraduate student, charley is in love with amy spettigue. Media in category charleys aunt the following 21 files are in this category, out of 21 total. The old theatrical chestnut has some surprisingly modern touches in the form of sexual innuendoes, that only add to. Trivia somewhat a landmark film for 20th centuryfox, as it was the first film they offered the exhibitors under the recentlyestablished terms of the consent decree, conditions that no longer allowed a film studio or company to force the exhibitors to book a large block of films from the same company in order to get any film from that company in a production season. Jack benny brings his own distinctive touch to brandon thomas venerable and oftfilmed stage farce charleys aunt. Charleys aunt the shakespeare theatre of new jersey. But without a chaperone, they cant meet their girls, amy and kitty. Arthur askey took the leading role in a 1940 british film charleys bighearted aunt that developed themes from the original play. A play paperback august 15, 2016 by brandon thomas author 4. Swiftly paced and nicely timed in its gags and line readings, charleys aunt features one of jack bennys best film performances. Charles grodin will always be to me the best charleys aunt.
The first starred sydney chaplin in 1925 and the second released in 1930 featured charlie. Jack chesney loves kitty verdun and charley wykeham loves amy spettigue. Open auditions for cast and crew for charleys aunt directed by jay thompson will be held on monday, january. Weve all tried to look for this version and have never been able to find it again if you can find it, please share. More unabashed hilarity with this hit from the late 19th century. In 1934 a german version charleys aunt was released. Jack and charley, undergraduates at oxford, have each fallen in love. When donna lucia dalvadorez fails to arrive to act as chaperone. An austrian version of the famous farce charleys aunt. Charleys bighearted aunt is a 1940 british comedy film directed by walter forde starring arthur askey and richard murdoch as oxford scholars. Our fall farce, charleys aunta hilarious farce written by brandon thomas and directed by ed knights. He first falls for charleys aunts money, but then makes another discovery. Jack benny playing with enthusiasm and romping merrily and crazily along the route, takes fullest advantage of laugh. Sight unseen, i eagerly awaited the release of charleys aunt on disc.
Charleys 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. Things get even more silly as babbs is soon being hounded by suitors interested in the aunts considerable fortune. It remained one of bennys personal favourites among his own films. The story centres on lord fancourt babberley, an undergraduate whose friends jack and charley persuade him to impersonate the latters aunt. Charleys aunt is a 1941 american historical comedy film directed by archie mayo. Charleys aunt article about charleys aunt by the free. Actors dmitry volodin as charley wykeham, mikhail zheleznov as babbs, and alexei lapshin as jack chesney, from left, in a scene from the charleys aunt production staged by director yuri klepikov and based on brandon thomas comedy of the same name, at the moscow drama theatre led by armen dzhigarkhanyan. Charleys aunt is a farce in three acts written by brandon thomas. When two college buddies convince a friend to crossdress as one of their aunts from brazil, you have the plot behind the comedy classic. Charleys aunt 1915 film jump to navigation jump to search. With eric sykes, jimmy edwards, barbara murray, osmund bullock. With charles ruggles, june collyer, doris lloyd, halliwell hobbes. Charley wyckham and jack chesney pressure fellow student fancourt babberly to pose as charleys brazilian aunt donna lucia.
Charleys aunt oct 2, 1893 standard theatre original charleys aunt mar 19, 1906 manhattan theatre revival charleys aunt jun 1, 1925 dalys 63rd street theatre revival. Utilizing a gloriously unconvincing broada english accent, benny is cast as lord fancourt babberly, a somewhat overaged undergraduate at oxford university. While jack as a british college student only kinda works, jack is still a stitch. By brandon thomas directed by joseph discher performances begin october 24 im charleys aunt from brazil, where the nuts come from. Benny, predating jack lemmons work in some like it hot, is a marvel as the english earl posing as an oxford classmates aunt. Coyly flirtatious matthew horne and jane asher in charleys aunt at menier chocolate factory. His film career is not thought of highly, but some of that is due to jacks own attitude towards his films.
The play concludes with three pairs of young lovers united, along with an older pair charleys real aunt and jacks widowed father. The film is based on the play charleys aunt by brandon thomas. With peter alexander, maria sebaldt, peter vogel, astrid frank. The films sets were designed by the art directors hans kuhnert and peter. Charleys rich aunt, donna lucia, is visiting from brazil and the timing couldnt be better. It is an adaptation of the british play charleys aunt by brandon thomas it was made at the spandau and tempelhof studios in berlin. Victor garber jack chesney charles grodin lord fancourt babberly anne francis donna lucia dalvadorez vincent gardenia stephen spettigue efrem zimbalist jr.
Charleys aunt approved 1h 20min comedy, romance 1 august 1941 usa in 1890, two students at oxford force their rascally friend and fellow student to pose as an aunt from brazilwhere the nuts come from. June 25 to october 31, 2015 a quiet luncheon turns into a corsetbusting masquerade when two college chums go to great lengths to woo a pair of charming young ladies, including persuading their. It was the third filmed version of the stage farce of the same name by brandon thomas. The opening title card of this film reads, twentieth centuryfox presents jack benny in charleys aunt brandon thomas immortal comedy. Charleys aunt is a 1930 american comedy film directed by al christie and starring charles ruggles, june collyer and hugh williams. Charleys tante is a 1934 german comedy film directed by robert a. This version of the popular comedy based on brandon thomass play features comedian jack benny as the lead. His enthusiasm makes the film more than the sum of its parts.
This first talkie version of the evergreen brandon thomas stage farce charleys aunt stars charlie ruggles, obviously having the time of his life in the leading role. While best known for his tv work, including drop the dead donkey, ballykissangel and wild at heart, as well as the awardwinning dci banks which is based on the series of novels by peter robinson, tompkinson also appeared in 1996 hit film brassed off and his stage roles have included spamalot, charleys aunt and, mostly recently, a tour of art which brought him to. By brandon thomas 6th15th july 2017 it is commemoration week in oxford, 1892. An austrian version of the famous farce charley s aunt. This was a practice the friday before performance week at northland baptist bible college when everyone went a little crazy. Charleys aunt like niagara falls, charleys aunt stands the test of time.
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