Charley Moon – 1956 | 92 mins | Musical | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Director Guy Hamilton’s Charley Moon is a pleasant, if simple-minded movie, designed as a vehicle for entertainer Max Bygraves, clearly aimed at children and the ‘family’ audience. It never shies away from milking easy sentiment. Its main interest now is that much of it is set in the lost world of 1950s provincial variety theatres (theatrical digs, with signs outside saying “Actors Taken In”, touring nude shows) and 1950′s West End revues. This aspect of the film is rather good, albeit with some rather overdone satire at the expense of theatrical agents (the Solly Silvers character) and managers, ‘false’ West End people and values, epitomised in the Mary Minton character played by real Wet End star Florence Desmond, and the extended Queens Theatre musical sequence ‘The Fabulous Golden Boy’ performed by Max and the dancers, in which he does quite a successful impersonation of Noel Coward, and sends up the new (for 1956) world of British commercial television.

The musical numbers are by Leslie Bricusse and Robin Beaumont and include ‘Out of Town’ (The big hit number, performed twice by Max. Firstly on the stage of the Queens Theatre (commencing on an underground carriage set) and then at the end, in the country, to his real true love (Patricia Driscoll), ‘Fingers Crossed’ (Max sings to the Circus Children, led by Benesta played by young Jane Asher (now more famous for her cakes and cookery!), who he meets riding the wagon of a travelling circus), ‘It Isn’t That One’ (Max, in variety), ‘The Fabulous Golden Boy’ (Max in the Queens Theatre revue sequence), ‘Three Wishes’ (Max sings to Shirley Eaton), ‘Head Over Heels in Love’ (Max, Florence Desmond) and ‘He’s Got a Heart, The Same As You’ (Max and Dennis Price in variety. The musical staging is by Vida Hope (assisted by George Erskine-Jones) and the musical arrangements are by Wally Stott.

Michael Medwin gives solid support at Max’s old army pal, who becomes a loyal fan, and gets into a fight with another theatre audience member (Eric Sykes) when the latter won’t keep quiet. Blonde Shirley Eaton is a glamorous panto star, whose song rendition is ruined. Dennis Price always retains his essential ‘actorly’ dignity, even when appearing as a panto goose and in drag as an ‘ugly sister’. There are also some nice images of rural England, complete with a hearty, extrovert vicar (Reginald Beckwith). Unfortunately the film as seen has dull muddy transfer (from 1950s Eastman Colour, often unreliable) – with decent, bright colour re-mastering, it would be very watchable. Made at Shepperton Studios by Colin Lesslie Productions and released through British Lion.

Review ©Roger Mellor.