Charley's Aunt (1930 film)

Charley's Aunt
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Al Christie
Written by	F. McGrew Willis
Based on	Charley's Aunt by Brandon Thomas
Produced by	Al Christie Charles Christie
Starring	Charles Ruggles June Collyer
Cinematography	Gus Peterson Harry Zech Leslie Rowson
Edited by	Sidney J. Walsh
Music by	Claude Lapham
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	December 25, 1930 (1930-12-25)
Running time	88 minutes, 9 reels (7,890 feet)
Country	United States
Language	English

Charley's Aunt is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Al Christie and starring Charles Ruggles, June Collyer, and Hugh Williams. ^[1] It was an adaptation of the 1892 play Charley's Aunt by Brandon Thomas. It marked the film debut of Williams, who then returned to Britain and became a major star. ^{[2] [3]}

Plot

Charley Wyckham and Jack Chesney pressure fellow student Fancourt Babberly (Babbs) to pose as Charley's Brazilian Aunt Donna Lucia. Their purpose is to have a chaperone for their amorous visits with Amy and Kitty, niece and ward of crusty Stephen Spettigue. Complications begin when Babbs, in drag, becomes the love object of old Spettigue and Sir Francis Chesney.

Cast

• Charles Ruggles as Lord Fancourt Babberley
• June Collyer as Amy Spettigue
• Hugh Williams as Charlie Wykeham
• Doris Lloyd as Donna Lucia D' Alvadorez
• Halliwell Hobbes as Stephen Spettigue
• Flora le Breton as Ela Delahay
• Rodney McLennan as Jack Chesney
• Phillips Smalley as Sir Francis Chesney
• Flora Sheffield as Kitty Verdun
• Wilson Benge as Brassett
• Robert Bolder as Scotty
• Edgar Norton as Spettigue's Lawyer

References

1. BFI.org
2. Sweet, p. 90
3. The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: Charley's Aunt

External links

• Charley's Aunt at IMDb
• allmovie/synopsis; Charley's Aunt

Bibliography

• Sweet, Matthew. Shepperton Babylon: The Lost Worlds of British Cinema. Faber and Faber, 2005.