The Gay Lady

Designed as a vehicle for Rank's then top star Jean Kent, TROTTIE TRUE is a delightful comedy set in the late Victorian period about the rise and rise of a music-hall star, the eponymous Trottie. From humble beginnings in the provincial theater, she becomes a star of George Alexander's Gaiety Theater, and ends up marrying a Duke (James Donald). The course of true love never does run smooth; and Trottie ends up having marital disagreements over the Duke's perceived lack of interest. However things are resolved amicably in the end, as Trottie discovers that her titled husband is not quite the bounder she first assumed. Brian Desmond Hurst's film offers some delightful vignettes of a world long past, such as the interior of the old Bedford Music Hall where Trottie first becomes a star. The theater was demolished in the mid- Sixties. There are also some wonderful exterior shots of familiar London landmarks such as the Albert Memorial. Kent gives a performance that can best be described as feisty; she will not tolerate misbehavior from anyone, least of all her male beaux. The film also includes some stand-out supporting performances from Bill Owen as Trottie's fellow- performer, and Hattie Jacques in dominant form as a singer with social aspirations.