Milford chronicle., 1925-10-02
CHARLEY'S aunt"
IS AGELESS FARCE
az Has Interesting History And
Has Been Given In All Parts
Of The Globe.
AS COMEDY POSSIBILITIES
|cturizatiOn Is Made With sgd
Chaplin In Title Role.

Plays may come and plays may go
ut tbs said in the theatre thai
Charley's Aunt" will go on forever
D play has had a more interesting
extensive career" than this fam
IS old farce by Brandon Thomas
fter thirty-three years in every
brner of the globe, it is still going
rOng and now that it has been
anslated into the universal lang
hge of the screen it is said "the old
.dy" has taken a new lease of life
hd will be delighting our great
randchildren as it delighted our
randparents.
"Charley's Aunt" made "her de-
1t" at Bury, st. Edmunds in Suffolk
1892 with w. S. Penley starring.
he play was then brought to Lon
Dn, being given first at the Royalty
heatre and then at the Globe where
ran continuously for four years
466 performances.) The fame of
Jharley's Aunt" spread far and
ide and seven touring companies
arted out through the provinces.
sveraI companies are still touring
ith it in England, and each year 1t
nut on in London where it is one
the draws" of the holiday sea-
pn.
AL Christie, one of the producers
the screen version, saw a pertor-
ance of it in the London suburbs
st Spring and the house rocked
ith laughter. The particular tour
2 company which played it was
hen back from Dublin, Ireland,
here the play had just broken all
Ouse records.
WORLD FAMOUS
Years ago the play was taken up
broad and was even played in Chi
! with a Chinese "Charley's Aunt"
was played in Germany twenty
We years ago and is nearly as well
nown in German theatrical tradl-
ons as it is in England.
"Charley's Aunt" was the ex-
aiser's favorite play. He himselt
ace admitted it. During the war,
any hOt-headed Germans protested |
gainst that admission, but the Kais-
held that as Brandon Thomas, the
nglish author, had died before the
ar broke out, his offense was purg-
The play was shown in Athens,
reece, and owing to the fact that
ere was no Greek word for "Aunt," J."
e excellent lady was referred to
a double-barrelled appellation in
eating that she was the sister of
larley's father.
When it was produced in Italy the
nous little town of Oxford was
own with snow capped mountains
the rear. Norway determined to
very correct and sent special
preventative over to study English
stoms. This fellow told the Nor
gian producers that in England it
S the proper thing to wear Elton
kets and straw hats.
FAMOUS STARS WERE IN IT
some of the great stage stars who
We played in "Charley's Aunt"
re the original W. S. Penley, who
said to have made a million and ]
lalf out of it; Lynn Harding, ]
andon Thomas, Miss Nina Bouci- s
lit, Julian Royce, Reeves Smith {
l A. E. Matthews. It was first s
yed in America by Girardot. t
ames E. Page has played in the {
ge version 400 times. He was {
ught over to Hollywood from i
1don to play Spettigue, the role f
lch he has played on the stage i
twelve years.
LUGHED THE CURTAIN DOWN \
IN one accession when "Charley's !
1T" was being played, the fireman Z
he theatre laughed so much that =
fell against the bell which rang L
curtain down in the middle of
first act.