The Golden Year is a musical play by Jack Hulbert and Barry Baker written for BBC Television, starring Hulbert with Sally Ann Howes and Peter Graves, with original music by Harry S. Pepper. It was first broadcast on 23 June and 2 July 1951. The musical is set at Hyde Park, London during the Great Exhibition of 1851.

A contribution to the Festival of Britain, the claim was made that the play was the first musical comedy ever produced for television. The BBC Year Book commented that "Jack Hulbert was featured in Festival style". Filmed in black and white, the musical has a length of 104 minutes.

The Golden Year (TV play)

Jack Hulbert, Walton Anderson, Eric Robinson, Eunice Crowther, and the George Mitchell Choir had previously worked together for BBC Television on a production of Cinderella first broadcast on 27 December 1947, and most of them came together for a new Cinderella in 1950 which like The Golden Year starred Sally Ann Howes.

The Golden Year (TV play)

Crew

Producer: Walton Anderson

Writer and producer: Jack Hulbert

Writer: Barry Baker

Lyrics: Jimmy Dyrenforth

Original music composed by: Harry S. Pepper

Special orchestrations: Arthur Wilkinson

Dance arrangers: Irving Davies, Eunice Crowther

Orchestra direction: Eric Robinson

Settings: Richard Greenough

Cast

Jack Hulbert: John Radlett

Sally Ann Howes: Susan Halliday

Peter Graves: David Grenleigh

Willoughby Gray: Sir Norman Grenleigh

Daisy Burrell: Lady Grenleigh

Paddy Stone: Jem Heath

Vi Stevens: Mrs Robinson

Eunice Crowther: Jane Radlett

Irving Davies: Tony Martin

Victor Platt: Charlie Perkins

Janice Edgard: Betty Willis

Patricia Clare: Charm Sister

Eleanor Fazan: Charm Sister

The George Mitchell Choir

References

External links

1951 musicals

BBC television musicals

Musicals set in London

The Golden Year (TV play)