Champagne (1928)

A spoiled heiress defies her father by running off to marry her lover. However, Daddy has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Alfred Hitchcock, Walter C. Mycroft (story by)

Stars:

Betty Balfour, Jean Bradin, Ferdinand von Alten

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Betty Balfour	...	The Girl
Jean Bradin	...	The Boy
Ferdinand von Alten	...	The Man (as Theo Von Alten)
Gordon Harker	...	The Father

Storyline

A spoilt rich girl leads a life of luxury on the profits from her father's champagne business. To bring her back down to earth he tells her that all the money has been lost so she goes to seek her fortune.

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Plot Keywords:

popping a cork | champagne | man wearing a tuxedo | reading a newspaper | spoiled brat | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 August 1928 (UK)

Also Known As:

Pezsgő

Filming Locations:

Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British International Pictures (BIP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min 106 min (2012) (theatrical) 105 min (2012 restoration)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie included the first freeze-frame shot.

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Goofs

When Betty first denies the job in the cabaret, she walks around the man's desk twice in subsequent shots.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Man in lifeboat: You'd better hurry, Miss, before she sinks.

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Connections

Referenced in The Trouble with Harry Isn't Over (2001)

User Reviews

Light & Bubbly

One of Alfred Hitchcock's silent-film comedies, "Champagne" is good light, bubbly entertainment, much as the title might suggest. It is very interesting to see the future Master of Suspense at work with such different material, and it's a good little film in its own right.

The story-line is very simple: a spoiled rich girl defies her powerful father to meet her boyfriend, and her father, convinced that the boyfriend is only a fortune hunter, resorts to a variety of tactics to try to break off the relationship. Meanwhile, everywhere the girl goes, the same mysterious stranger seems to pop up.

It's not much of a plot, but Hitchcock does some nice things with it. The visuals make the movie fun to watch - attractive sets, good sight gags, interesting detail. As the rich daughter, Betty Balfour is charming and is especially good in a couple of scenes where her character has to perform some unfamiliar tasks. Gordon Harker is, as always, quite funny as the father. His timing works nicely with Hitchcock's pacing.

Hitchcock's dry British wit made most of his silent comedies very pleasurable to watch. If you admire Hitchcock, or if you enjoy silent films, treat yourself to some "Champagne".