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Champagne (film)
Encyclopedia
Champagne is a silent
comedy film
directed
by Alfred Hitchcock
, based on an original story by English
writer and critic Walter C. Mycroft
. The film is about a young woman forced to get a job after her father tells her he has lost all his money.
) draws the ire of her father after using his airplane to fly to her boyfriend (Jean Braden) on an ocean liner headed to France. She has dinner alone when her boyfriend becomes seasick and is joined at her table by a mysterious man. Betty receives a telegram from her father who disapprovingly warns her the boyfriend is a golddigger. To prove her father wrong she asks the boyfriend to marry her. A quarrel ensues and the two part company when the ship docks.
The boyfriend regrets the fight and goes to Betty to apologize. He finds her entertaining guests, including the mysterious man. Another quarrel between the two is interrupted by the arrival of Betty's father (Gordon Harker). He tells Betty the family fortune, earned in the "champagne" business, has been wiped out in the stock market
. The boyfriend leaves after hearing the news of their fortune. The father sees this as proof the boyfriend is only after money.
Betty decides to sell her jewelry but is robbed en route to the jewelers. Now penniless Betty and her father move into a small shabby apartment. Unbeknownst to Betty her father sneaks out to eat at an expensive restaurant after her cooking proves to be terrible. Once again her boyfriend tries for a reconciliation but is rebuked by Betty, who now thinks her father is right about the boyfriend, vows to get a job.
Betty finds work at a swank restaurant. Soon the mysterious man shows up and invites Betty to his table. She becomes uncomfortable with the stranger and is relieved when her boyfriend once again arrives. The mysterious man leaves after handing her a note that advises her to call him if she ever needs any help. The boyfriend openly disapproves of Betty's job. He leaves after a still angry Betty dances wildly to provoke him.
The boyfriend soon returns with Betty's father. He is outraged at Betty's "unseemly" job and confesses he lied about the loss of their fortune to teach her a lesson. Rather than being pleased, Betty is further angered by both the father and the boyfriend. She turns to the mysterious man who offers to take Betty back to America. Betty gladly accepts but is later horrified to find she has been locked in her cabin. She imagines the worst about the mysterious man's intentions and is both relieved and delighted when her boyfriend arrives yet again and releases her from the cabin. They soon reconcile.
The boyfriend hides in the bathroom when they hear the mysterious man approaching. He enters with her father who confesses he hired the man to follow and protect her. The boyfriend is furious and comes forth to attack the man. Betty's father pacifies the boyfriend's anger by telling him he no longer disapproves of their wedding. The reunited couple start discussing the wedding when once again another argument starts.
Variety, although impressed with the technical aspects, was dismissive of the film. The reviewer felt "The story is of the weakest, an excuse for covering 7,000 feet of harmless celluloid with legs and close-ups".
Hitchcock would later voice his unhappiness with the film in François Truffaut
's book-length interview Hitchcock/Truffaut. Hitchcock told Truffaut "The film had no story to tell".
After being thought in the public domain
for decades, the film's rights were obtained by French
media company Canal+
in 2005.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
, based on an original story by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
writer and critic Walter C. Mycroft
Walter C. Mycroft
Walter C. Mycroft was a British novelist, screenwriter, film producer and director.-Selected filmography:Director* My Wife's Family * Spring Meeting * Banana Ridge * Comin' Thro the Rye...
. The film is about a young woman forced to get a job after her father tells her he has lost all his money.
Plot
Heiress Betty (Betty BalfourBetty Balfour
Betty Balfour was an English screen actress, popular during the silent era, and known as the "British Mary Pickford" and "Britain's Queen of Happiness"...
) draws the ire of her father after using his airplane to fly to her boyfriend (Jean Braden) on an ocean liner headed to France. She has dinner alone when her boyfriend becomes seasick and is joined at her table by a mysterious man. Betty receives a telegram from her father who disapprovingly warns her the boyfriend is a golddigger. To prove her father wrong she asks the boyfriend to marry her. A quarrel ensues and the two part company when the ship docks.
The boyfriend regrets the fight and goes to Betty to apologize. He finds her entertaining guests, including the mysterious man. Another quarrel between the two is interrupted by the arrival of Betty's father (Gordon Harker). He tells Betty the family fortune, earned in the "champagne" business, has been wiped out in the stock market
Stock market
A stock market or equity market is a public entity for the trading of company stock and derivatives at an agreed price; these are securities listed on a stock exchange as well as those only traded privately.The size of the world stock market was estimated at about $36.6 trillion...
. The boyfriend leaves after hearing the news of their fortune. The father sees this as proof the boyfriend is only after money.
Betty decides to sell her jewelry but is robbed en route to the jewelers. Now penniless Betty and her father move into a small shabby apartment. Unbeknownst to Betty her father sneaks out to eat at an expensive restaurant after her cooking proves to be terrible. Once again her boyfriend tries for a reconciliation but is rebuked by Betty, who now thinks her father is right about the boyfriend, vows to get a job.
Betty finds work at a swank restaurant. Soon the mysterious man shows up and invites Betty to his table. She becomes uncomfortable with the stranger and is relieved when her boyfriend once again arrives. The mysterious man leaves after handing her a note that advises her to call him if she ever needs any help. The boyfriend openly disapproves of Betty's job. He leaves after a still angry Betty dances wildly to provoke him.
The boyfriend soon returns with Betty's father. He is outraged at Betty's "unseemly" job and confesses he lied about the loss of their fortune to teach her a lesson. Rather than being pleased, Betty is further angered by both the father and the boyfriend. She turns to the mysterious man who offers to take Betty back to America. Betty gladly accepts but is later horrified to find she has been locked in her cabin. She imagines the worst about the mysterious man's intentions and is both relieved and delighted when her boyfriend arrives yet again and releases her from the cabin. They soon reconcile.
The boyfriend hides in the bathroom when they hear the mysterious man approaching. He enters with her father who confesses he hired the man to follow and protect her. The boyfriend is furious and comes forth to attack the man. Betty's father pacifies the boyfriend's anger by telling him he no longer disapproves of their wedding. The reunited couple start discussing the wedding when once again another argument starts.
Cast
- Betty BalfourBetty BalfourBetty Balfour was an English screen actress, popular during the silent era, and known as the "British Mary Pickford" and "Britain's Queen of Happiness"...
- Betty - Gordon HarkerGordon HarkerGordon Harker was an English film actor. He appeared in 68 films between 1921 and 1959, including three films directed by Alfred Hitchcock and a cameo appearance in Elstree Calling , a revue film co-directed by Hitchcock...
- Mark, Betty's Father - Jean Bradin - The Boy
- Ferdinand von Alten - The Man (as Theo von Alten)
- Fanny Wright
- Alexander D'ArcyAlexander D'ArcyAlexander D'Arcy was an Egyptian actor with an international film repertoire.Born Alexander Sarruf in Cairo, Egypt, D'Arcy, variously credited as Alexandre D'Arcy, Alex D'Arcy, Alexandre Darcy and Alex d'Arcy appeared in some 45 films, mostly as a suave gentleman or smooth rogue...
- (uncredited) - Vivian Gibson - (uncredited)
- Clifford HeatherleyClifford Heatherley-Selected filmography:* The Tavern Knight * The Autumn of Pride * Mademoiselle from Armentieres * The King's Highway * The Constant Nymph * Champagne * The W Plan...
- The Manager (uncredited) - Claude HulbertClaude HulbertClaude Noel Hulbert was a British comic actor. He was the younger brother of Jack Hulbert. Like his brother, he was Cambridge educated and was a member of the Footlights comedy club as an undergraduate....
- Club Guest (uncredited) - Hannah Jones - Club Servant (uncredited)
- Phyllis KonstamPhyllis KonstamPhyllis Konstam was an English film actress. She appeared in 11 films between 1928 and 1964, including four films directed by Alfred Hitchcock.She was born in London and died in Somerset from a heart attack....
- (uncredited) - Gwen Mannering - (uncredited)
- Balliol and Merton - (uncredited)
- Jack Trevor - The Officer (uncredited)
- Marcel Vibert - Maitre d'Hotel (uncredited)
- Sunday Wilshin - (uncredited)
Reception
Hitchcock's attempt at a change of pace with a comedy was poorly received when released. Although his expanding visual technique continued to draw recognition and praise, they were not enough to distract the audience from the film's lack of usual suspenseful plot lines. The "mysterious man" at the beginning of the film proved to be misleading, which further displeased the audience.Variety, although impressed with the technical aspects, was dismissive of the film. The reviewer felt "The story is of the weakest, an excuse for covering 7,000 feet of harmless celluloid with legs and close-ups".
Hitchcock would later voice his unhappiness with the film in François Truffaut
François Truffaut
François Roland Truffaut was an influential film critic and filmmaker and one of the founders of the French New Wave. In a film career lasting over a quarter of a century, he remains an icon of the French film industry. He was also a screenwriter, producer, and actor working on over twenty-five...
's book-length interview Hitchcock/Truffaut. Hitchcock told Truffaut "The film had no story to tell".
After being thought in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
for decades, the film's rights were obtained by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
media company Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
in 2005.