Good Time Charley

Not to be confused with Goodtime Charley.

Good Time Charley
Lobby card
Directed by	Michael Curtiz
Written by	Illona Fülöp (scenario) Anthony Coldeway (adaptation) Owen Francis (adaptation) Jack Jarmuth (titles)
Story by	Daryl Zanuck
Starring	Helene Costello Warner Oland
Cinematography	Barney McGill
Production company	Warner Bros.
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	November 5, 1927 (1927-11-05) (U.S.)
Running time	70 minutes
Country	United States
Languages	Sound (Synchronized) (English Intertitles)

Good Time Charley is a 1927 American synchronized sound drama film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. and directed by Michael Curtiz. While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects using the Vitaphone sound-on-disc process. It was considered to be a lost film. However, as of January 2021, the film is listed as extant at the Library of Congress.

Plot

Charles Edwin Keene, fondly known as “Good Time Charley” (Warner Oland), is a beloved song-and-dance man of the old stock company circuit. Though his stage life is dotted with misadventures and indiscretions, his heart is firmly rooted in home: his lovely wife Elaine (Julanne Johnston) and their darling daughter Rosita (played as an adult by Helene Costello).

Tragedy strikes when Elaine is killed during a theater accident—or so the company is told. Behind the scenes, it’s a more sinister tale. John Hartwell (Montagu Love), the oily company manager, had made unwanted advances. In her attempt to escape, Elaine fell headlong down a flight of stairs, her skull meeting the wall. Bill Collins (Clyde Cook), the loyal props man, suspects foul play but says nothing, fearing Charley’s grief would turn deadly.

Years pass. Rosita, now a radiant young woman, performs with her aging father in a Greenwich Village cabaret act. Faithful Bill still props the act. One night, Rosita catches the eye of Jack Hartwell (Hugh Allan), a handsome young admirer—and son of the now-powerful theatrical impresario, John Hartwell. Jack urges his father to attend the show.

At the club, Hartwell sneers at Charley as a relic of vaudeville’s past, but he grants Rosita a part in his latest revue. Overnight, she becomes New York’s newest stage sensation. On her behalf, Rosita pleads for a small role for her father. Hartwell agrees—but cruelly insists she pay her father’s salary, never telling Charley the truth.

Romance blossoms between Rosita and Jack. When they elope, Hartwell’s fury boils over. He evicts Charley from the theater and callously reveals that Rosita has been supporting him. Broken-hearted and jobless, Charley’s health declines—his eyesight rapidly failing. A doctor tells him that only an expensive operation can save his vision.

Without hesitation, faithful Bill mortgages everything to raise the $1,000 needed.

But fate deals a cruel blow. Rosita, about to sail for Europe to expand her success, confides in her father. Charley, still pretending to be thriving, gives her the $1,000 for the journey—hiding his own medical crisis. Jack, sensing Rosita’s growing independence, plans to abandon her. He puts her on the ship, makes an excuse to leave, and runs off with most of her funds.

When Bill learns that Charley gave away the life-saving money, he finally reveals the truth: that Jack is the son of the man responsible for Elaine’s death. Charley, inflamed by grief and long-suppressed rage, storms into Hartwell’s office, revolver in hand. But in his near-blindness, he fires at a mirror. Hartwell escapes unharmed.

Charley, believing himself a murderer, turns himself in—but Hartwell lies to authorities, calling him a “harmless lunatic,” eager to avoid scandal. Disgraced and penniless, Charley and Bill take refuge at The Actors’ Haven, a shelter for old stage troupers.

Rosita, now a European sensation, writes often, but Charley—too proud—refuses to answer her letters. Desperate, she returns to America, hoping to find him.

On Christmas Eve, Rosita joins a troupe of celebrated performers visiting the Haven. Among the audience of forgotten stars, she sees a familiar face—her father, smiling through tears.

The reunion is tender and triumphant. Bill is there, too, and the trio vow never to part again. Rosita’s stardom has been built on love and sacrifice. “Good Time Charley” and his old friend take a final bow—as clowns, fathers, and heroes—knowing the best curtain has yet to fall.

Cast

• Helene Costello as Rosita Keene
• Warner Oland as Good Time Charley
• Clyde Cook as Bill Collins
• Montagu Love as John Hartwell
• Hugh Allan as John Hartwell Jr.
• Julanne Johnston as Elaine Keene
• Robert Dudley as Optometrist (uncredited)
• Gus Leonard as Card Player (uncredited)
• Johnnie Walker as Charles Garrick (uncredited)

See also

• List of early sound feature films (1926–1929)

External links

• Good Time Charley at IMDb
• Good Time Charley at the TCM Movie Database