NET Playhouse; 72; Charley's Aunt

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Series
NET Playhouse
Episode Number
72
Episode
Charley's Aunt
Producing Organization
British Broadcasting Corporation
WGBH Educational Foundation
Contributing Organization
Library of Congress (Washington, District of Columbia)
WGBH (Boston, Massachusetts)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip-15-1937qvqw
NOLA Code
NPCA
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Description
Episode Description
Brandon Thomas, English dramatist, actor and manager, who died in 1914 at the age of 57, is remembered today mainly as the author of the classic Victorian Farce "Charley's Aunt." This intricately contrived piece of sublime nonsense about an aristocratic Oxford undergraduate trying to sustain the impersonation of an elderly aunt first appeared at London's Royalty Theatre in 1892, where it played for four years, a fantastic run in those days. It has been revived constantly ever since, and a musical version called "Where's Charley?" (Book by George Abbott with music by Frank Loesser) had a successful run on Broadway in 1948. The plot concerns an Oxford student, Jack Chesney (madly in love with Kitty Verdun) and his friend, Charles Wykeham (equally enamored of Amy Spettigue). Because the girls would never consent to visit them in their rooms UN chaperoned, the young men take advantage of the impending visit of Charley's rich and widowed aunt from Brazil ("Where the nuts come from") to invite the young ladies to tea to meet her. But alas, just as the girls arrive, the aunt sends word that she will delayed. What is to be done? The dear young things must not be compromised - no, never! But neither will the youths give up the opportunity of receiving the ladies and declaring their love. The problem is solved by forcing another friend, young Lord Fancourt Babberley (Babbs) into old lace, bombazine bugle-beads, and elastic -sided boots, to become the world's most famous "mock aunt." Then all at once the plot thickens. Unexpectedly the real aunt arrives (accompanied by her beautiful ward), and Jack's father, Sir Francis Chesney, along with Mr. Spettigue, Kitty and Amy's fatuous old guardian, also come upon the scene unannounced. Both older men try to improve their fortunes by proposing to the false aunt while Charley's real aunt looks son in amusement. At the final unmasking, the real aunt turns out to be an old love of Sir Francis, her ward Is the missing love of Babbs, the long-suffering masquerader, Kitty and Amy admit they are anxious to wed their young hosts, and old Spettigue is sent packing. British television star, Richard Briers heads the cast of "Charley's Aunt" playing the role of Lord Fancourt Babberly. With him are the English actors Pauline Jameson (the 'real' aunt), Diana Beevers (Charlet's sweetheart Amy), Ann Davies (Kitty), Derrick Sherwin (as Jack Chesney), and Raymond Clarke (as "Charley"). Frank Pettingell, England's distinguished character actor, plays Mr. Spettigue. NET Playhouse -"Charley's Aunt" is a National Educational Television presentation, produced by Graeme Muir for the British Broadcasting Corporation. It was adapted for television by John Wraith. This aired as NET Playhouse episode 72 on February 16, 1968 and as NET Playhouse episode 118 on January 2, 1969. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
Episode Description
67 minute piece, produced by Graeme Muir for the BBC and initially distributed by NET in 1968. It was originally shot on videotape.
Broadcast Date
1968-02-16
Asset type
Episode
Genres
Drama
Media type
Moving Image
Duration
01:09:59
Credits
: Oxley, Roy
Actor: Beevers, Diana
Actor: Davies, Ann
Actor: Briers, Richard
Actor: Sherwin, Derrick
Actor: Jameson, Pauline
Actor: Pettingell, Frank
Actor: Clarke, Raymond
Costume Designer: Woods, Mary
Producer: Chessid, Kay
Producer: Muir, Graeme
Producing Organization: British Broadcasting Corporation
Producing Organization: WGBH Educational Foundation
Production Unit: National Productions
Writer: Wraith, John
Writer: Thomas, Brandon, 1848-1914
AAPB Contributor Holdings
Library of Congress
Identifier: cpb-aacip-fc29837e685 (Filename)
Format: 1 inch videotape: SMPTE Type C
Generation: Master
Duration: 1:07:01
Library of Congress
Identifier: cpb-aacip-8bdb08e26c2 (Filename)
Format: 2 inch videotape
Generation: Master
Duration: 1:07:01
Library of Congress
Identifier: cpb-aacip-965f2da396b (Filename)
Format: U-matic
Generation: Master
Duration: 1:07:01
WGBH
Identifier: cpb-aacip-7e9d3195f83 (Filename)
Format: U-matic
Generation: Copy: Access

Identifier: cpb-aacip-484586b787b (unknown)
Format: video/mp4
Generation: Proxy
Duration: 01:09:59
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Citations
Chicago: “NET Playhouse; 72; Charley's Aunt,” 1968-02-16, Library of Congress, WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed June 27, 2025, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-1937qvqw.
MLA: “NET Playhouse; 72; Charley's Aunt.” 1968-02-16. Library of Congress, WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. June 27, 2025. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-1937qvqw>.
APA: NET Playhouse; 72; Charley's Aunt. Boston, MA: Library of Congress, WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-1937qvqw