Information
- BFI identifier25938
- Date1928 (Release)
- Production countryUnited Kingdom
- Production company
- SynopsisA millionaire disagrees with his daughter over a love affair and decides to teach her a lesson by pretending to lose all his money. Later he is forced to admit the hoax and agree to his daughter's romance. (Synopsis)
- Genre
- Subject
- CreditsDirected by: Alfred Hitchcock
Presents: British International Pictures
Distributed by: Wardour Films
view all - Cast
Title
Champagne (Original)
EIDR identifier
10.5240/6D19-D3F5-506E-4CA4-AFEE-TCategory
FictionThis work is included in the BFI Filmography.
This work is available to view in the Mediatheque at BFI Southbank.
- Collections
- Film / Video
35mm BW Positive - Safety - Silent - Viewing
35mm BW Positive - Silent - Viewing
VHS cassette - Video - Viewing
view all - Scripts / DocumentsEphemera: publicity - PBS-25938
Champagne - Romantic comedy drama directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Betty Balfour, Jean Bradin and Ferdinand von Alten. Michael Powell was stills photographer on the film. [A spoiled heiress defies her father by running off to marry her lover] In 'A Life In Movies' Powell entertainingly recalls his work on the film Hitchcock was thought to be unhappy with the choice of film and his leading lady and was being difficult by refusing to let photographers take stills on set. Powell saw an opportunity 'I had realised there were only freelance photographers working at Elstree, and the best of them, Fred Daniels, a photographer and publicist was working exclusively for E. A. Dupont' . Powell persuaded the chief accountant to pay him £320 a week as studio stills photographer providing he could get stills from Hitchcock's CHAMPAGNE 'I hefted the tripod on my shoulder, picked up the case and made a rather noisy entrance onto the Champagne set. It was a scene in a manger's office. Betty Balfour was applying for a job. Everyone looked at me, including Hitch...' Powell turned down several offers of stills and waited for his moment. 'About teatime some interesting action occurred and I said "I'd like a still please". Jack [Cox, lighting cameraman] looked at Hitch, who nodded. "Mr Hitchcock do you mind if I kill some of the lights?" I asked. Jack stared. Everyone stared. The gaffer looked at Jack. Jack looked at Hitch. Hitch said "Mr Cox, do you mind if the stills man kills some of your lights?" I said "It's OK for the movie but a still doesn't need all that light. Kill number 18, Number 22, Number 29, and both the sun-arcs...16 on Miss Balfour. Spread it. Softer filter for Miss Balfour. Betty Looked grateful... I explained to the actors "The stills are to sell the story outside the cinema. You need to overact in a still. Action!" They got the idea and this time I was happy. "Thank you, Mr Hitchcock. Thank YOU Mr Powell" ' FOR CUTTINGS SEE MLP-1-4-1-1 Miscellaneous scrapbook 'A' - page cut from 'The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News' showing a shot looking down on the crowded dance floor 'On with the dance : a study in modernity - one of the new British films to be shown by the Wardour Company', 23 June 1928 - MLP-1-1-7
Unfilmed small pressbook held.
view all - StillsPhotograph: print - Landscape - Black and White - bfi-00o-cka
Photograph: print - Landscape - Black and White - bfi-00o-cvy
Photograph: print - Landscape - Black and White - bfi-00o-ck8
Photograph: print - Landscape - Black and White - bfi-00o-ck7
Photograph: print - Portrait - Black and White - bfi-00o-ck6
view all - ArticlesSight and Sound v17 n4 April 2007 - DVD ReviewEmpire n214 April 2007 - DVD ReviewSight and Sound Supplement n18 May 1949 - Credits, SynopsisThe Bioscope v76 n1140 8 Aug 1928 - Reviewview all
- Books
- Digital documentsBFI Southbank programme notes August/September 1999
BFI Southbank programme notes August 2013
available to view in BFI Reuben Library