Champagne Charlie (1944)

Not Recommended

UK

Feature Film

Director: Alberto Cavalcanti

Writers: John Dighton, Angus MacPhail, Austin Melford

Cinematographer: Wilkie Cooper

Composers: Una Bart, T.E.B. Clarke, Frank Eyton, Noel Gay, Ernest Irving, Billy Mayerl, Lord Berners

Cast: Tommy Trinder, Stanley Holloway, Betty Warren, Jean Kent, Austin Trevor, Peter De Greef, Leslie Clarke, Eddie Phillips

This beautifully crafted if generally lacklustre Ealing musical-comedy provides a highly fictionalised portrait of the mid-Victorian music halls performer, George Leybourne – who is perhaps best remembered for his writing of the popular song, The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze – which, though containing a few amusing comic moments, is little more than an excuse to film several old musical numbers of varying appeal and quality. Iain.Stott