Nothing says comedy like a man in a dress, and Charley's Aunt is the archetypal man-in-a-dress comedy. In desperate need of a chaperone so they can woo their sweethearts, two college lads named Jack and Charley persuade their friend Fancourt (Jack Benny, one of the all-time great radio and television comics) to masquerade as Charley's aunt from Brazil, who had failed to arrive. Of course, the aunt also shows up (and is also in disguise), but not before Benny has had ample opportunity to run amok in petticoats while being chased by fortune-hunting beaus. Though the story's social milieu is woefully dated--the need for a chaperone is just the beginning--the movie has a number of classic comic bits that remain funny. Charley's Aunt doesn't suit Benny's dry style of humor as perfectly as does his next film, To Be or Not to Be, and Benny's English accent is a bit hit and miss, but he milks his wig and bloomers for all they're worth. Also starring Kay Francis (Trouble in Paradise), Edmund Gwenn (Miracle on 34th Street), Laird Cregar (Heaven Can Wait), and a very young Anne Baxter (All About Eve). Extras include a chipper commentary from film historian Randy Skretvedt (who rattles off dozens of Jack Benny anecdotes) and a goofy promotional short in which Benny, Tyrone Power, and Randolph Scott compare their upcoming roles. --Bret FetzerMore...
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