"Champagne Charlie" is a music hall song from the 19th century composed by Alfred Lee with lyrics by George Leybourne . Leybourne popularised the song which premièred in August 1866 at the Princess' Concert Hall in Leeds. For the act, he caused some controversy when he appeared in a cut down top hat, similar to a style worn by the murderer Franz Muller . It was one of Leybourne's most famous songs and he would later be nicknamed Champagne Charlie.
24-699: The Canterbury Music Hall was established in 1852 by Charles Morton on the site of a former skittle alley adjacent to the Canterbury Tavern at 143 Westminster Bridge Road , Lambeth . It was one of the first purpose-built music halls in London , and "probably the largest and grandest concert-room ever attached to a public house" in London. Morton came to be dubbed the Father of the Halls as hundreds of imitators were built within
48-399: A harmonic meeting , held on Saturdays, in the back room of the public house. He brought in smart tables, with candlesticks, allowing audiences to sit and eat comfortably while watching concerts known as 'Sing-Songs' or 'Free and Easys' on Mondays and Saturdays. Soon, a Thursday evening programme was added to accommodate the crowds. Morton encouraged women to attend the entertainments, giving
72-619: A cinema and was extensively damaged by bombing in 1942. The remains were finally demolished in 1955. Charles Morton (impresario) Charles Morton (15 August 1819 – 18 October 1904) was a music hall and theatre manager. Born in Hackney , east London, he built the first purpose-built Tavern Music hall , the Canterbury Music Hall , and became known as the Father of the Halls . Morton and Frederick Stanley, his brother in law, purchased
96-424: A grand entrance with extensive windows and a glazed roof that could be withdrawn to let the cigar and pipe smoke out. The bar was installed on a balcony over the hall, reached by ascending a grand staircase. The fittings were luxurious, with chandeliers and painted walls. At the end of the main hall there was a simple stage with a grand piano and harmonium to provide entertainment between the acts. The 'chairman' sat on
120-521: A new theatre was built in 1856, of unprecedented size, seating 1,500. In order not to interrupt the flow of profits, the theatre was constructed around the walls of the 1852 hall, and when it was complete, the old building within was demolished in a single weekend. This new theatre was the first purpose-built tavern music hall and opened in December 1856, as the New Canterbury Hall . The building had
144-673: The Alhambra Theatre , in Leicester Square . The theatre fell into financial difficulties following the decision by the Middlesex Magistrates not to grant a Music and Dancing Licence in October 1870. It was destroyed by fire in December 1882. Morton took it over and made a success, presenting a programme of variety. The theatre reopened on 18 October 1884, with Morton in charge. Morton announced his retirement in 1891, but in 1893, at
168-733: The Alhambra in Leicester Square . The film programme included Boxers and Lady Gymnast . These early experiments in films were only a partial success. In his autobiography, former Lambeth resident Charlie Chaplin recalls seeing his father, Charles Chaplin Senior, performing at the Canterbury. Later Chaplin, himself, played there. The hall was rebuilt as the 3,000–seat Canterbury Theatre of Varieties in 1890 by Frank Matcham ; and alterations were made in 1902. By 1915, this theatre came to be used as
192-641: The Prince of Wales . In 1877, the Queen's theatre in Long Acre and the Canterbury were joined by overhead wires, and public demonstrations of the Cromwell Varley telephone were given. Several simple tunes were transmitted and emitted softly from a large drum-like apparatus suspended over the proscenium. Robert W. Paul 's Theatrograph was used at the theatre from 27 April 1896, a year after it had first been demonstrated at
216-558: The Theatres Act 1843 for the presentation of 'legitimate drama' in sketches – this still being reserved to a small number of licensed theatres. Even this setback was turned to advantage by taking advertisements in The Times – the first such for this type of behaviour. Their success at the Canterbury allowed Stanley and Morton to build The Oxford , in Holborn , as a competitor to
240-495: The 1944 film Champagne Charlie featuring Tommy Trinder and Stanley Holloway . It is also heard as a background song a few times in the Jack the Ripper (1988) television movie starring Michael Caine . It is sung by Miriam Hopkins in the 1931 version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde but with the refrain "Champagne Ivy is my name." A substantially revised version of "Champagne Charlie"
264-634: The Canterbury Arms, in Upper Marsh, Lambeth , south London, in 1849. Morton had been impressed with the entertainments at Evans Music-and-Supper Rooms in Covent Garden and decided to offer a "harmonic meeting", held on Saturdays, in the back room of the public house. Soon, a Thursday evening programme was added to accommodate the crowds and admit women, giving the venue wider appeal than the old-time song and supper rooms, which were male preserves. Entry
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#1732845457210288-433: The Canterbury and refurbished the hall at considerable cost. When informed that his purchase of a 1,000 Guinea carpet was too good for his clientele, he invited them "to come in and spit on it". Further popularity accrued to the venue when classical music was removed from the bill and George Leybourne was engaged at £ 20 a week as lion comique . Leybourne remained top of the bill for some twenty years, before succumbing to
312-495: The Halls . Morton appears to have been the first to coin the term "music hall" and popularised the concept through aggressive advertising in The Times . Many aspects of the entertainment had already been tried elsewhere, especially in the northern provinces and by the 1840s, the artistes themselves had already formed a benevolent society . Morton was able to combine these ideas into a package of entertainments and make them widely popular with many imitators. He went on to anticipate
336-470: The effects of the champagne he promoted here under the guise of " Champagne Charlie ". R. E. Villiers took over the management in 1876 and spent £40,000 to enlarge the theatre. He reintroduced a popular ballet item featuring the dancers Phyllis Broughton and Florence Powell. Topical ballets, such as Plevna and Trafalgar (both by the Belgian choreographer Henri Leopold De Winne), drew in the crowds, including
360-468: The history of music hall". The hall charged a modest admission and looked like most contemporary concert rooms within public houses of the period. It specialised in programmes of light music and ballads. Professional performers could earn high fees, and this attracted performances of selections from opera, including the first performances of Jacques Offenbach 's music in England. The venture was profitable, and
384-561: The invitation of Sir Augustus Harris he took over the management of the Palace Theatre of Varieties , which he ran successfully with a programme of variety theatre , until his retirement shortly before his death, at his home in London on 18 October 1904. He is buried in a family grave on the eastern side of Highgate Cemetery . His biography, Sixty Years Stage Service , was published in 1905 by his brother and Henry Chance Newton , and did much to establish his reputation as The Father of
408-464: The move from the halls to the large variety theatres of the Edwardian era and to manage some of the most profitable and notable. Morton was a non-smoker and vegetarian . [REDACTED] Media related to Charles Morton (impresario) at Wikimedia Commons Champagne Charlie (song) Leybourne's rival Alfred Vance introduced a number called " Cliquot ", starting a fierce competition between
432-455: The nearby Weston's Music Hall , opening on 26 March 1861. The pair managed both the Canterbury & Oxford halls, with acts moving between the halls in coaches. With their interests now established in the West End, on Boxing Night 1867, Morton relinquished management of the Canterbury to William Holland. Acts included Vesta Tilley and Harry Champion . In 1877, Morton became the manager of
456-459: The next several years. The theatre was rebuilt three times, and the last theatre on the site was destroyed by bombing in 1942. Morton and Frederick Stanley, his brother in law, purchased the Canterbury Arms, in Upper Marsh, Lambeth, in 1849. Morton was experienced in presenting 'Gentlemen Only' entertainments in his other pubs, and he had been impressed with the entertainments at Evans Music-and-Supper Rooms in Covent Garden and decided to offer
480-436: The railway, entertained by an aquarium. In 1861, Blondin walked a tightrope fixed between the balconies of the hall. Their success at the Canterbury allowed Stanley and Morton to build The Oxford, in Holborn , as a competitor to the nearby Weston's Music Hall , opening on 26 March 1861. The pair managed both halls, with acts moving between the halls in coaches. On Boxing Night 1867, William Holland took over management of
504-420: The stage, introduced the acts, provided his own 'patter' and exhorted the patrons to drink. The entrance fee was 6 pence downstairs, and 9 pence upstairs. Customers sat at small tables, and waiters brought food and drink to them. The 1859 expansion of the viaducts carrying trains to Waterloo railway station separated the theatre entrance from the auditorium, and patrons entered through a long arched tunnel under
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#1732845457210528-523: The two men. Enthusiasm for the song was increased with its use in November 1866 in the new "Operatic Burlesque" called "The Latest Edition of Black-Eyed Susan ", or "The Little Bill that was Taken Up". The song was sung by the crowd at the public execution of Michael Barrett in 1868, the last public execution in Great Britain. It later featured in the play Champagne Charlie and, with changed lyrics,
552-474: The venue wider appeal than the old time song and supper rooms, which were male preserves. Entry was free, but the profits from the sale of food and drink allowed the construction of a larger hall on the site of the former skittle alley, at the back of the public house. This 700–seat hall took a year to build and opened as the Canterbury Hall on 17 May 1852, described as "the most significant date in all
576-458: Was free, but the profits from the sale of food and drink allowed the construction in 1852 of a 700-seat hall on the site of an adjacent skittle alley. This made sufficient profit to fund the building of a 1,500 seat hall, around the old hall. The old building was demolished in one weekend and the New Canterbury opened in December 1856. In 1855, and again in 1856, Morton was prosecuted under
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