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Happidrome (film)

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Happidrome
Opening titles
Directed byPhil Brandon
Screenplay by
Based onHappidrome (radio)
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyGeoffrey Faithfull
Edited byAlan Jaggs
Music byBretton Byrd
Production
company
Aldwych Films
Distributed byMGM
Release date
  • 7 June 1943 (1943-06-07)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Happidrome is a 1943 British comedy film directed by Philip Brandon and starring Harry Korris, Robbie Vincent and Cecil Fredericks.[1] It was a spin-off from the Happidrome BBC radio series which was popular at the time.[2] The film was made at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, and produced by the musical star Jack Buchanan. The sets were designed by the art director William Hemsley.

Synopsis

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Mr Lovejoy, a struggling actor-manager returns to a small provincial town with plans to put on a show. Despite having debts there during the previous visit, he is cunningly able to keep his show on the road and gains free advertising in a newspaper by announcing that local talent will be cast. In the meantime he acquires two incompetent assistants, Enoch and Ramsbottom, and Bunty Meadows, an eager would-be star also wangles her way into the company. A statuesque but domineering Russian prima donna also joins the cast.

Bunty's determination to become a leading lady has a disastrous effect on the opening night which is supposed to be a serious play about Ancient Rome, but quickly descends into a total farce. With the audience extremely amused, the show is quickly rebilled as a comedy.

Cast

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  • Harry Korris as Mr Lovejoy
  • Robbie Vincent as Enoch
  • Cecil Fredericks as Ramsbottom
  • Bunty Meadows as Bunty Mossup
  • Lisa Lee as Tanya / Josephine
  • Jennie Gregson as Mrs Bane
  • Muriel Zillah as Muriel
  • Connie Creighton as Connie
  • Marie Lawson as Marie
  • Olga Stevenson as Miss D'Orsay
  • Joss Ambler as Mr Mossup
  • Valentine Dunn as Mrs Mossup
  • Bryan Herbert as Newspaper editor
  • Arthur Hambling as Jones Jnr.
  • Leslie 'Hutch' Hutchinson as himself
  • Cairoli Brothers as Themselves
  • Billy Wells as Ivan

References

[edit]
  1. ^ BFI.org
  2. ^ Richards p.275

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Richards, Jeffrey. Films and British National Identity: from Dickens to Dad's Army. Manchester University Press, 1997.
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