Champagne Charlie

Joe Saunders and his brother Fred arrive in London from Leybourne in Kent. They head to the Elephant and Castle pub where Joe is asked to sing to entertain the customers. His performance is a hit, drawing a growing crowd and the attention of the landlord.

Impressed by Joe's singing, the pub landlord offers him a regular engagement at £1 a week with two free beers each night. Joe accepts, marking the start of his local fame. The deal stabilizes his growing popularity.

A month after his local success, Joe is invited to perform at the Mogador, a local music hall. He selects a slower, melancholic song for the new venue, surprising the crowd and the manager.

The Mogador audience responds with indifference to the melancholic song, and the manager, Bessie Bellwood, calls the performance horrible. After he leaves, he hums another tune, and Bellwood's opinion shifts. She offers him a job on the condition that he adopts a new stage name.

To take the Mogador job, Saunders agrees to use a new stage name. He adopts George Leybourne, named after his home town, and begins performing under the new persona.

Leybourne quickly becomes a headlining fixture at the Mogador, drawing packed houses night after night. His rise cements his status as a rising star in the music hall scene.

An audience member compares Leybourne to the great Vance. Bellwood takes Leybourne to see Vance perform, and Vance declares that he can be better. Leybourne writes a drinking song that becomes a hit, fueling the rivalry.

Vance counters with a drinking song of his own, deepening the rivalry as both writers craft songs about beverages to outdo each other. The competition spreads through the music halls and feeds public interest. Leybourne and Vance push each other toward bolder numbers.

Leybourne's champagne-themed hit becomes his signature, propelling him to superstardom. The public attention sharpens as the feud with Vance continues to simmer.

An enraged Vance challenges Leybourne to a pistol duel, expecting an apology. Leybourne accepts, but the duel turns into a farce with no injuries.

Music halls face growing government pressure as authorities crack down and theatre owners lobby to protect their venues. The artists search for a way to survive in a shifting landscape.

Dolly Bellwood begins a romance with Lord Petersfield, the Duke's son, while Petersfield's father treats the match with polite but dismissive skepticism. Dolly resists his repeated proposals, convinced that class differences are too large a barrier.

Many years earlier, the Duke had nearly married Bessie Bellwood. She visits him to urge that his committee allow the music halls to flourish and to prevent ruin for her world. She grows angry when realizing the committee could endanger the music halls.

During the first performance of Leybourne's latest song, men paid by theatre owners ignite a riot. Police are called, and staff fight to restore order while seeking help from the neighboring hall where Vance is performing. Vance leads his team to help restore order just before police arrive.

Leybourne, Bellwood and Vance testify before the government committee, hoping for leniency. The Duke arrives and announces that the committee has ruled in favor of the music halls. The audience erupts in champagne as they celebrate the secure future and sing Champagne Charlie.