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*Beau Brummell: This Charming Man*
Beau Brummell: This Charming Man
	Acorn Media DVD Cover
Genre	Historical drama
Written by	Simon Bent
Directed by	Philippa Lowthorpe
Starring	James Purefoy; Hugh Bonneville; Phil Davis; Matthew Rhys; Ian Kelly;
Composer	Peter Salem
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
Production
Executive producer	Richard Fell
Producer	David Edgar
Cinematography	Graham Smith
Editor	Dave Thrasher
Original release
Network	BBC Four
Release	20 December 2006

Beau Brummell: This Charming Man is a 2006 BBC Television drama based on the biography of Beau Brummell by Ian Kelly. The title references a 1983 song by The Smiths.

Production

The film was commissioned by BBC Four for broadcast as part of its 2006 The Century That Made Us season.

Reception

Nancy Banks-Smith writing in The Guardian said the film "was exquisite to see and very easy to enjoy," stating that "it was one of those plays where the director of photography and the costume and set designers, who normally bring up the rear, led the whole parade." She also compliments Hugh Bonneville for his "frighteningly feasible Prince Regent." She concludes that "the Georgians had a natural beauty in their lives which makes ours seem ugly."^[1]

Jodie Pfarr writing in The Sydney Morning Herald describes the film as "an engaging costume drama romp" which provides "a fascinating account of the relationship between Brummell and the prince." He calls the show "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy 18th-century style," and concludes that "the moral of the story is all can be fine and dandy until you tell someone they're fat."^[2]

Synopsis

Brummell shares an intimate moment with Prince George while advising him on his wedding outfit (which is incorrectly shown in the film as a ceremonial dress) and, invites him to dinner along with his friends. He is appointed as royal sartorial advisor by the newly dandified Prince and all debts of his are dropped as word of his new position is spread. He and the Prince become close friends drinking and gambling in the clubs of London straining his finances and relations with others.

Brummell's relationship with the Prince is strained as his fame begins to spread. He becomes enamoured with the dangerous Lord Byron against the warnings of the Prince further straining their relationship. He ignores a summons from the Prince to enjoy the favours of Miss Julia along with Byron. His manservant Robinson is forced to intervene when the Prince and Byron go head-to-head.

Brummell's loss of royal favour leaves him outcast and indebted as the bailiffs begin to turn violent. He takes out a large loan with some close associates and even steals from Robinson but quickly gambles it all away. A disgraced and equally destitute Byron returns to London but the two fall out. Unable to pay back the loan he is expelled from his club, abandoned by Robinson, and forced to flee to France.

Cast

James Purefoy as Beau Brummell
Hugh Bonneville as Prince Regent
Phil Davis as Robinson
Elliot Levey as Tailor
John Telfer as Fop
Tim Hudson as Fop
Zoe Telford as Julia
Justin Salinger as Richard Meyler
Nicholas Rowe as Lord Charles Manners
Ian Kelly as Lord Robert Manners
Jonathan Aris as Marquis of Worcester
Daniel Fine as Cloth Merchant
Nick Richards as Snuff Merchant
Anthony Calf as Duke of York
Matthew Rhys as Lord Byron
Rebecca Johnson as Duchess of York
Max Gell as Palace Footman
Howard Coggins as Edward

Sources

The film is based on the 2005 biography Beau Brummell: The Ultimate Dandy by Ian Kelly who also appeared in the film.

Selected editions

Kelly, Ian (10 October 2005). Beau Brummell: The Ultimate Dandy. Hodder & Stoughton (hardcover). ISBN 978-0-340-83698-9.
Kelly, Ian (29 June 2006). Beau Brummell: The Ultimate Dandy. Hodder Paperbacks (paperback). ISBN 978-0-340-83699-6.

References

^ Banks-Smith, Nancy (20 June 2006). "Last night's TV". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 September 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
^ Pfarr, Jodie (17 December 2007). "Beau Brummell: This Charming Man". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2008.