Champagne Charlie (film)
Encyclopedia
Champagne Charlie is a 1944 British musical film
made by Ealing Studios
. It is based on an 1860s play
that depicted the real life rivalry between George Leybourne
, who first performed the song
of that name, and Alfred Vance
.
The film centres around Leybourne and Vance who were popular Music hall
performers of the Victorian era
described as lion comiques, who were 'top of the bill' at their respective music halls; one a fictional Mogador (based on the Théâtre Mogador
in Paris) and the other, the real Oxford Music Hall
. Leybourne (Mogador) was played by Tommy Trinder
and Vance (Oxford) by Stanley Holloway
; the female leads were Betty Warren
and Jean Kent
. It was directed by Alberto Cavalcanti
.
The film opens with a sing-song in a public house
in Elephant and Castle
, and follows the rise of Leybourne in the music hall. The highlight of the film is a competition between the two protagonists. Trinder sings "Ale Old Ale", Holloway replies with "Gin, Gin, Gin". Continuing, with the scene finally ending with the song of the title. The film is notable for its verity approach to showing details of the audiences, venues and staff; with copious quantities of food and drink forming a vicarious delight for wartime audiences.
with his brother, and they go to the Elephant and Castle pub, the haunt of Tom Sayers, a leading boxer. While his brother, an aspiring boxer, is having a trial bout with Sayers - George Saunders is persuaded to sing a song to entertain the bar's customers. Initially reluctant, he soon gathers his confidence, and his performance is extremely well received by the audience. The impressed landlord offers him a pound a week and two free beers a night if he will perform on a regular basis. Saunders’s brother, meanwhile, is too ill from his past career as a miner
to make a serious boxer and he returns home to Leybourne.
A month later, Saunders is now a major hit at the bar and draws a large crowd. He received an invitation from the local music hall
, the Mogador, to perform a song there. Unfortunately rather than attempting one of his more popular songs, he chooses to sing a slower, more melancholic song. When he performs this at the Magador, it is met with a mixture of indifference and hostility by the crowd. Bessie Bellwood, the owner of the Mogador, informs him he was "horrible" and that she only employs the best. A disappointed Leybourne walks away and begins to sing "Half and Half and Half" to himself, which leads Bellwood to instantly change her opinion of him. She decides to hire him - but after his poor first performance, she tells him he needs to re-brand himself, and he is now to call himself George Leybourne after his home town.
Within a short period of time, Leybourne has established himself as a headline fixture at the Mogador and performs to packed houses. He is curious when a member of the audience compares him unfavourably to the "Great Vance". Bellwood tells him that Vance is the greatest music hall performer of the era, and takes him along to a performance Vance is giving. Leybourne is impressed by Vance, but announces he wants to be better than Vance. A new song is written for him "Ale, Old Ale" which fast becomes a hit. This annoys Vance because he considers singing drinking songs as his territory, and he regards Leybourne as an upstart. He responds with a fresh song about drink himself, triggering a rivalry between the men in which they both keep developing fresh songs about different alcoholic beverages to outdo the other. Leybourne eventually is extremely successful with his signature hit Champagne Charlie
.
An enraged Vance challenges him to a duel
, fully expecting him to instead apologise. Unwilling to back down Leybourne accepts the challenge, and the two men fight a farcical duel with pistols which results in neither of them being hurt. The two men continue their rivalry, under an increasing threat to the music halls from the government who are being lobbied by the theatre
owners who see the music halls as a threat to their business. Despite their continued competition, Vance and Leybourne begin to develop a grudging respect for the other - and they agree to stage a joint performance together in support of the owner of one of the other music halls. A relationship has developed, meanwhile, between Bessie Bellwood's daughter Dolly and Lord Petersfield, the young son of the Duke who is charge of the panel cracking down on the music halls.
Dolly resists Petersfield's repeated attempts to marry her, because she believes that the gulf in class can not be overcome - an impression added to by the polite but dismissive reception she receives from Petersfield's father. Unbeknown to her, however, the Duke had once come extremely close to marrying Bessie Bellwood many years before, and had only been persuaded not to do so by his father who similarly invoked the class differences involved. Bessie Bellwood pays the Duke a visit to try and persuade him to allow his son and her daughter to marry, reminding him of their own dalliance. She grows angry when she discovers that the Duke is running the committee investigating the music halls, and may choose to close them down.
During the first performance of Leybourne's latest song, a major riot
is started by men paid for by the theatre owners - who send for the police. The likely result of this will be the closure of the Mogador and other music halls. The performers and staff try to battle the rioters, and send out for help to the neighbouring music hall where Vance is performing. Vance leads his own staff to the rescue of Bellwood, to "throw the scum out in to the gutter". They manage to overcome the rioters and restore the order, just before the arrival of the police, who arrive to find an orderly music hall listening to Leybourne's song. Summoned to give evidence before the committee, the performers give their evidence, but expect the worse. At the Mogador they stage a joint performance between Vance, Bellwood and Leybourne. The Duke arrives and announces the committee decides in favour of the music halls, meaning their future is secured. The film ends with the entire music hall drinking champagne to celebrate while signing Champagne Charlie.
and Lord Berners worked on the music for the film. Some of the songs featured include:
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
made by Ealing Studios
Ealing Studios
Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on the site ever since...
. It is based on an 1860s play
Champagne Charlie (play)
Champagne Charlie is a play in which George Lemon, a popular actor, and The Great Vance, his rival, attempt to out-do the other with drinking songs , and this turns into a feud....
that depicted the real life rivalry between George Leybourne
George Leybourne
Joe Sanders , better known as George Leybourne, was an English music hall performer. Often nicknamed "Champagne Charlie", Leybourne is best-remembered as the lyricist for The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze....
, who first performed the song
Champagne Charlie (song)
Champagne Charlie is a music hall song from the 19th century composed by Alfred Lee with lyrics by George Leybourne. It was popularised by performer George Leybourne. The song was first performed at the Sun Music Hall, Knightsbridge in 1867...
of that name, and Alfred Vance
Alfred Vance
Alfred Peek Stevens , best known by his stage name Alfred Vance, was an English singer in the 19th Century music halls.-Early life and family:Vance was born in London in 1839...
.
The film centres around Leybourne and Vance who were popular Music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
performers of the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
described as lion comiques, who were 'top of the bill' at their respective music halls; one a fictional Mogador (based on the Théâtre Mogador
Théâtre Mogador
Théâtre Mogador founded in 1913 and designed by Bertie Crewe, is a Parisian music hall theatre located at 25, rue de Mogador in the 9th district. It seats 1,800 people on three tiers.In 1913 financier Sir Alfred Butt rented an area in Paris...
in Paris) and the other, the real Oxford Music Hall
Oxford Music Hall
Oxford Music Hall was a music hall located in Westminster, London at the corner of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road. It was established on the site of a former public house, the Boar and Castle, by Charles Morton, in 1861. The hall was converted into a legitimate theatre in 1917, but the...
. Leybourne (Mogador) was played by Tommy Trinder
Tommy Trinder
Thomas Edward Trinder CBE known as Tommy Trinder, was an English stage, screen and radio comedian of the pre and post war years whose catchphrase was 'You lucky people'.-Life:...
and Vance (Oxford) by Stanley Holloway
Stanley Holloway
Stanley Augustus Holloway, OBE was an English stage and film actor, comedian, singer, poet and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles on stage and screen, especially that of Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady...
; the female leads were Betty Warren
Betty Warren
Betty Warren was a portrait artist, born in New York City.Betty Warren, known for her bright colorist portraits was one of the top paid female portraitists of the 20th century. Her last formal portrait was of Governor Hugh Carey for the State of New York in 1991. Warren was the daughter of...
and Jean Kent
Jean Kent
Jean Kent is a British film actress who appeared in a number of the Gainsborough melodramas of the 1940s.-Biography:Jean Kent was born in Brixton, London as Joan Mildred Summerfield. She started her theatrical career as a dancer in 1931. Initially, she used the stage name of Jean Carr when she...
. It was directed by Alberto Cavalcanti
Alberto Cavalcanti
Alberto de Almeida Cavalcanti was a Brazilian-born film director and producer.-Early life:Cavalcanti was born in Rio de Janeiro, the son of a prominent mathematician. He was a precociously intelligent child, and by the age of 15 was studying law at university. Following an argument with a...
.
The film opens with a sing-song in a public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in Elephant and Castle
Elephant and Castle
The Elephant and Castle is a major road intersection in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is also used as a name for the surrounding area....
, and follows the rise of Leybourne in the music hall. The highlight of the film is a competition between the two protagonists. Trinder sings "Ale Old Ale", Holloway replies with "Gin, Gin, Gin". Continuing, with the scene finally ending with the song of the title. The film is notable for its verity approach to showing details of the audiences, venues and staff; with copious quantities of food and drink forming a vicarious delight for wartime audiences.
Plot
George Saunders arrives in London from LeybourneLeybourne
Leybourne is a small village in Kent, England situated off Junction 4 of the M20 Motorway. Leybourne is adjacent to Larkfield and West Malling....
with his brother, and they go to the Elephant and Castle pub, the haunt of Tom Sayers, a leading boxer. While his brother, an aspiring boxer, is having a trial bout with Sayers - George Saunders is persuaded to sing a song to entertain the bar's customers. Initially reluctant, he soon gathers his confidence, and his performance is extremely well received by the audience. The impressed landlord offers him a pound a week and two free beers a night if he will perform on a regular basis. Saunders’s brother, meanwhile, is too ill from his past career as a miner
Miner
A miner is a person whose work or business is to extract ore or minerals from the earth. Mining is one of the most dangerous trades in the world. In some countries miners lack social guarantees and in case of injury may be left to cope without assistance....
to make a serious boxer and he returns home to Leybourne.
A month later, Saunders is now a major hit at the bar and draws a large crowd. He received an invitation from the local music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
, the Mogador, to perform a song there. Unfortunately rather than attempting one of his more popular songs, he chooses to sing a slower, more melancholic song. When he performs this at the Magador, it is met with a mixture of indifference and hostility by the crowd. Bessie Bellwood, the owner of the Mogador, informs him he was "horrible" and that she only employs the best. A disappointed Leybourne walks away and begins to sing "Half and Half and Half" to himself, which leads Bellwood to instantly change her opinion of him. She decides to hire him - but after his poor first performance, she tells him he needs to re-brand himself, and he is now to call himself George Leybourne after his home town.
Within a short period of time, Leybourne has established himself as a headline fixture at the Mogador and performs to packed houses. He is curious when a member of the audience compares him unfavourably to the "Great Vance". Bellwood tells him that Vance is the greatest music hall performer of the era, and takes him along to a performance Vance is giving. Leybourne is impressed by Vance, but announces he wants to be better than Vance. A new song is written for him "Ale, Old Ale" which fast becomes a hit. This annoys Vance because he considers singing drinking songs as his territory, and he regards Leybourne as an upstart. He responds with a fresh song about drink himself, triggering a rivalry between the men in which they both keep developing fresh songs about different alcoholic beverages to outdo the other. Leybourne eventually is extremely successful with his signature hit Champagne Charlie
Champagne Charlie (song)
Champagne Charlie is a music hall song from the 19th century composed by Alfred Lee with lyrics by George Leybourne. It was popularised by performer George Leybourne. The song was first performed at the Sun Music Hall, Knightsbridge in 1867...
.
An enraged Vance challenges him to a duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
, fully expecting him to instead apologise. Unwilling to back down Leybourne accepts the challenge, and the two men fight a farcical duel with pistols which results in neither of them being hurt. The two men continue their rivalry, under an increasing threat to the music halls from the government who are being lobbied by the theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
owners who see the music halls as a threat to their business. Despite their continued competition, Vance and Leybourne begin to develop a grudging respect for the other - and they agree to stage a joint performance together in support of the owner of one of the other music halls. A relationship has developed, meanwhile, between Bessie Bellwood's daughter Dolly and Lord Petersfield, the young son of the Duke who is charge of the panel cracking down on the music halls.
Dolly resists Petersfield's repeated attempts to marry her, because she believes that the gulf in class can not be overcome - an impression added to by the polite but dismissive reception she receives from Petersfield's father. Unbeknown to her, however, the Duke had once come extremely close to marrying Bessie Bellwood many years before, and had only been persuaded not to do so by his father who similarly invoked the class differences involved. Bessie Bellwood pays the Duke a visit to try and persuade him to allow his son and her daughter to marry, reminding him of their own dalliance. She grows angry when she discovers that the Duke is running the committee investigating the music halls, and may choose to close them down.
During the first performance of Leybourne's latest song, a major riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
is started by men paid for by the theatre owners - who send for the police. The likely result of this will be the closure of the Mogador and other music halls. The performers and staff try to battle the rioters, and send out for help to the neighbouring music hall where Vance is performing. Vance leads his own staff to the rescue of Bellwood, to "throw the scum out in to the gutter". They manage to overcome the rioters and restore the order, just before the arrival of the police, who arrive to find an orderly music hall listening to Leybourne's song. Summoned to give evidence before the committee, the performers give their evidence, but expect the worse. At the Mogador they stage a joint performance between Vance, Bellwood and Leybourne. The Duke arrives and announces the committee decides in favour of the music halls, meaning their future is secured. The film ends with the entire music hall drinking champagne to celebrate while signing Champagne Charlie.
Songs
Both Billy MayerlBilly Mayerl
Billy Joseph Mayerl , was an English pianist and composer who built a career in music hall and musical theatre and became an acknowledged master of light music. Best known for his syncopated novelty piano solos, he wrote over 300 piano pieces, many of which were named after flowers and trees,...
and Lord Berners worked on the music for the film. Some of the songs featured include:
- Arf of Arf and Arf
- The Girl Who Asked For More
- Don't Bring Shame on the Old Folks
- Ale, Old Ale
- Champagne CharlieChampagne Charlie (song)Champagne Charlie is a music hall song from the 19th century composed by Alfred Lee with lyrics by George Leybourne. It was popularised by performer George Leybourne. The song was first performed at the Sun Music Hall, Knightsbridge in 1867...
- Not in Front of Baby
- By and By
- Come on Algernon
Cast
- Tommy TrinderTommy TrinderThomas Edward Trinder CBE known as Tommy Trinder, was an English stage, screen and radio comedian of the pre and post war years whose catchphrase was 'You lucky people'.-Life:...
- George Leybourne - Stanley HollowayStanley HollowayStanley Augustus Holloway, OBE was an English stage and film actor, comedian, singer, poet and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles on stage and screen, especially that of Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady...
- The Great Vance - Betty WarrenBetty WarrenBetty Warren was a portrait artist, born in New York City.Betty Warren, known for her bright colorist portraits was one of the top paid female portraitists of the 20th century. Her last formal portrait was of Governor Hugh Carey for the State of New York in 1991. Warren was the daughter of...
- Bessie Bellwood - Jean KentJean KentJean Kent is a British film actress who appeared in a number of the Gainsborough melodramas of the 1940s.-Biography:Jean Kent was born in Brixton, London as Joan Mildred Summerfield. She started her theatrical career as a dancer in 1931. Initially, she used the stage name of Jean Carr when she...
- Dolly Bellwood - Austin TrevorAustin TrevorAustin Trevor was a Belfast born actor who had a long career in British films and television.He was the first actor to play Agatha Christie's detective Hercule Poirot on screen in three British films during the early 1930s: Alibi , Black Coffee and Lord Edgware Dies...
- Duke - Peter De Greef - Lord Petersfield
- Leslie Clarke - Fred Saunders
- Eddie Phillips - Tom Sayers
- Robert Wyndham - Duckworth, Mogador's Chaiman
- Billy Shine - Mogador's stage manager
- Joan Carol - Mogador's barmaid
- Guy MiddletonGuy MiddletonGuy Middleton Powell, usually credited as Guy Middleton, was an English film character actor.Middleton was born in Hove, England and originally worked in the London Stock Exchange, before turning to acting in the 1930s...
- Tipsy Swell - Drusilla WillsDrusilla Wills-Selected filmography:* Murder! * The Lodger * Little Miss Nobody * Britannia of Billingsgate * The Medicine Man * The Big Splash * High Command * A Spot of Bother...
- Bessie's dresser - Frederick PiperFrederick PiperFrederick Piper was an English actor who appeared in over 80 films and many television productions in a career spanning over 40 years. Never a leading player, Piper was usually cast in minor, sometimes uncredited, parts although he also appeared in some more substantial supporting roles...
- Learoyd - Andrea Malandrinos - Gatti
- Paul BonifasPaul BonifasPaul Bonifas was a French actor, born in Paris.In the 1920s, while working for the French customs service, Bonifas took classes in acting at the Conservatoire de Paris in his spare time...
- Targetino - Norman PierceNorman PierceNorman Pierce was a British actor, born in Southport, Lancashire.-Selected filmography:* Everything Is Thunder * This Green Hell * Saloon Bar * Uncensored * Front Line Kids...
- Landlord of Elephant & Castle - Eric BoonEric BoonEric Boon was a champion British lightweight boxer. Born in Chatteris Cambridgeshire, he was known by the nicknames Boy Boon and the Fen Tiger...
- Clinker - Harry FowlerHarry FowlerHarry James Fowler, MBE is an English actor in film and TV. He started in juvenile roles, most notably in the first recognised Ealing Comedy Hue and Cry, made in 1947...
- Horace - Aubrey MallalieuAubrey MallalieuAubrey Mallalieu was an English actor with a prolific career in supporting roles in films in the 1930s and 1940s....
as Butler