Charley’s Aunt *** (1930, Charles Ruggles, June Collyer, Doris Lloyd) – Classic Movie Review 9296

Director Al Christie’s 1930 Charley’s Aunt is the first sound version of the venerable Brandon Thomas cross dressing comedy farcical play, with an engaging, very entertaining star performance by Charles Ruggles. But it is a stiff and creaky early sound film, creating the impression of a filmed theatre performance rather than a movie, though that is not so terrible.

Ruggles plays an Oxford University undergraduate called Lord Fancourt Babberley, who impersonates his nutty aunt from Brazil, Aunt Donna Lucia, to chaperone a couple of girls he is interested in, Amy (June Collyer) and Kitty (Flora Sheffield).

Unfortunately, first of all crusty old Stephen Spettigue (Halliwell Hobbes) and Sir Francis Chesney (Phillips Smalley) fancy Fancourt in drag, and then the real Aunt Donna Lucia (Doris Lloyd) turns up.

The 1930 Charley’s Aunt remains enjoyable, despite the occasional lack of pace, directorial hesitancies and the longueurs in the script.

It was first made as a silent feature in 1925 with Sydney Chaplin and is filmed again as Charley’s (Big-Hearted) Aunt (1940) with Arthur Askey and Charley’s Aunt with Jack Benny.

Also in the cast are June Collyer, Hugh Williams, Doris Lloyd, Halliwell Hobbes, Flora LeBreton, Flora Sheffield, Rodney McLennan, Phillips Smalley, Wilson Benge, Robert Bolder and Edgar Norton.

The play opened in London on 21 December 1892 and in New York on 2 October 1893.

Charley’s Aunt is directed Al Christie, runs 88 minutes, is made by Christie Film Company, is released by Columbia, is written by F McGrew Willis, based on the play by Brandon Thomas, is shot in black and white by Gus Peterson, Harry Zech, Leslie Rowson, is produced by Al Christie and Charles Christie, is scored by Claude Lapham and is designed by Charles L Cadwallader.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9296

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