Variety Jubilee

Variety Jubilee
Variety Jubilee
Directed by	Maclean Rogers
Written by	Kathleen Butler
Based on	a story by Mabel Constanduros
Produced by	F.W. Baker
Starring	Reginald Purdell; Ellis Irving; Lesley Brook; Betty Warren;
Cinematography	Geoffrey Faithfull
Edited by	A. Charles Knott
Music by	Percival Mackey
Production; company	Butcher's Film Service
Distributed by	Butcher's Film Service
Release date	14 June 1943;
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Variety Jubilee is a 1943 British historical musical film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Reginald Purdell, Ellis Irving and Lesley Brook.^[1] It depicts life in a London music hall from 1892 to the Second World War.^[2] It was made at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. The film was re-released in 1945, to capitalise on the popularity of Ealing's Champagne Charlie.^[3]

Plot

Variety Jubilee is a melodrama chronicling three generations of a family of music hall owners. At the start of the 20th century, two former variety artists, Joe and Kit, become partners in running a music hall. The First World War brings the death of Kit's son, and the end of the war a decline in popularity of music halls. Joe and Kit's business falls into disrepair, and finally, Kit and his wife die in poverty. Eventually, Kit's grandson successfully resurrects the family music hall, before joining the RAF to fight in the second World War.

Cast

Reginald Purdell as Joe Swan
Ellis Irving as Kit Burns
Lesley Brook as Evelyn Vincent
Betty Warren as Florrie Forde
Tom E. Finglass as Eugene Stratton
John Rorke as Gus Elen
Marie Lloyd Jr. as Marie Lloyd
George Robey as himself
Charles Coborn as himself
Ella Retford as herself
Charles Shadwell as himself
Joan Winters as herself
Nat Ayer as himself
Slim Rhyder as himself
Tessa Deane as herself
Wilson, Keppel and Betty as Themselves
Band of the Coldstream Guards as Themselves
Peter Noble as Chairman
Louis Bradfield as Chris Burns
Amy Dalby as Suffragette
Arthur Hambling as Commissionaire
Bryan Herbert as Guest at Theatre Opening
Vi Kaley as Evelyn's Dresser
David Keir as Theatre Bar Patron
Pat McGrath as Kit Burns Jr
George Merritt as Music Hall Chairman

Critical reception

Radio Times gave the film three out of five stars, noting a "simple, nostalgic tribute to the British music hall...The film consists largely of musical variety acts performed by numerous forgotten old-timers of a bygone era, with Marie Lloyd Jr impersonating her famous mother. Comedian George Robey, a team of cancan dancers and the band of the Coldstream Guards are also among the arcane and rather touching attractions."^[4]

References

^ "Variety Jubilee (1943)". BFI. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012.
^ "VARIETY JUBILEE". pathefilm.uk.
^ Harper p.102
^ Robin Karney. "Variety Jubilee". RadioTimes.

Bibliography

Harper, Sue. Picturing the Past: The Rise and Fall of the British Costume Film. British Film Institute, 1994.
Murphy, Robert. Realism and Tinsel: Cinema and Society in Britain 1939-48. Routledge, 1992.