Charley's Aunt (1941 film)
Charley's Aunt is a 1941 American historical comedy film directed by Archie Mayo. It stars Jack Benny and Kay Francis. It was the fourth American filmed version of the 1892 stage farce of the same name by Brandon Thomas. It remained one of Benny's personal favourites among his own films.[2][3][4]
| Charley's Aunt | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Archie Mayo |
| Written by | George Seaton Brandon Thomas (original play) |
| Produced by | William Perlberg |
| Starring | Jack Benny Kay Francis James Ellison |
| Cinematography | J. Peverell Marley |
| Edited by | Robert Bischoff |
| Music by | Alfred Newman |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation |
Release date | August 1, 1941 (US) |
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $889,300[1] |
| Box office | $2,278,200[1] |
Plot
In 1890, two students at Oxford force their rascally friend and fellow student to pose as an aunt from Brazil—where the nuts come from.
Cast
- Jack Benny as Babbs Babberly
- Kay Francis as Donna Lucia d'Alvadorez
- James Ellison as Jack Chesney
- Anne Baxter as Amy Spettigue
- Edmund Gwenn as Stephen Spettigue
- Laird Cregar as Sir Francis Chesney
- Reginald Owen as Redcliff
- Arleen Whelan as Kitty Verdun
- Richard Haydn as Charley Wyckham
- Ernest Cossart as Brasset
- Morton Lowry as Harley Stafford
- Will Stanton as Messenger
- Lionel Pape as Hilary Babberly
- C. Montague Shaw as Elderly Professor
- Maurice Cass as Octogenarian Professor
- Claud Allister as Cricket Match Spectator
- William Austin as Cricket Match Spectator
- Brandon Hurst as Coach (uncredited)
Reception
Box office
The film was the 8th most popular movie at the US box office in 1941.[5]
It earned a profit of $772,800.[1]
Critical
- In a review contemporary with the film's original release, a critic in The New York Times wrote "when the Benny physiognomy peered impishly from behind a lacy fan, the audience held its sides, and when in the final scene his wig vanished to leave his masculine coiffure stark naked, there was a roar of laughter that must have shaken the Roxy's rococo ceiling".[6]
- According to TV Guide, "Jack Benny was never better (with the possible exception of his classic To Be or Not to Be) and carries the film with a top-flight performance. This was his first role of any consequence other than his previous tailor-made parts with radio jokes flying thick and fast around his well-known persona."[3]
The film was promoted on The Jell-o Program, the name for Benny's radio show at the time. The plot of the 18 May 1941 episode sees the cast visit Jack "on-set". One gag sees Benny's contract require him to feed Darryl F. Zanuck's horse.
References
- Mank, Gregory William (2018). Laird Cregar: A Hollywood Tragedy. McFarland.
- "Charley's Aunt – Cast, Reviews, Summary, and Awards – AllRovi". Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
- "Charley's Aunt Review". Movies.tvguide.com. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
- "Charley's Aunt (1941) – Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast". AllMovie. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
- "Film Money-Makers Selected by Variety: ' Sergeant York' Top Picture, Gary Cooper Leading Star". New York Times. 31 December 1941. p. 21.
- T.S. (2 August 1941). "Movie Review – Charley s Aunt – Jack Benny, in Shawl and Crinoline, Trips Through the Revival of 'Charley's Aunt' at the Roxy". New York Times. Retrieved 8 April 2014.