Charles Coburn (1936)

Probably filmed in the Pathe Studio, London.
Famous music hall singer Charles Coburn sings 'He's Alright When You Know Him'.
First shots have Coburn dressed as a toff in a top hat. He sings the song dressed as a working man in a cap. He says a few words between the verses. He seems to suggest that beating your wife is a good idea.
Music may be "He's Alright When You Know Him" by Coburn F.D. & Hunter.
FILM ID:1226.23
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[@janinebone9790]

This is a legendary piece of tongue in cheek. "That's what I blames Bill for rounding on them coppers". It's very good satire. Love it. Thank you.

[@thedialectarchive5379]

This is one of the only recordings in existence of "V" being pronounced as "W", a Victorian Cockney feature only attested in writing. Coburn wasn't actually a Cockney, but he was a Londoner so we can assume he is accurately copying what he heard earlier in his life. "vexed" (0:26), "very" (1:38). You can also hear the now extinct (or nearly extinct) pronunciation of words like "across" (0:22), "dog" (1:46), "off", "gone" (1:53) etc as rhyming with "horse" or "morning", rather than "pot" and "rob". Pronouncing "first" (0:35) like "fussed" also stands out. Today it remains in some northern dialects. The way he says "you know Bill" (2:28) sounds more like some kind of Yorkshire accent but I can't figure out why. I think it's partially the L sound.

[@krashsite2125]

Very interesting

[@MilesBellas]

On the card for :The end of Music Hall's oldest joke": it states Vigan Pier !!

[@MilesBellas]

"Germans can pronounce the English 'v' just fine, they happen to write it as 'w'. So the freshman English learner from Germany will pronounce (using English orthography/pronunciation) 'water' as 'vawter'. They'll then start to associate the 'v' sound with a mistake. So the sophomore reasoning, which results in fixing some problems, for a German speaking English will be to change anything that sounds as 'v' to a 'w'. Even though 'vector' is written with a 'v' (and pronounced that way in English, a German might over correct and 'fix' the 'v' and use the 'w' sound instead. "

[@robmcrob2091]

I read the yellowplush papers by William makepeace thackeray. Yellowplush's dialogue is written in phonetic cockney of the 1830s. The spellings give a sense that cockney back then would've been recognisable to modern ears tbh, even if different. Words like 'suddenly' are spelled 'suttinly' etc. Obviously W and V are transposed. First is spelled 'fust' though. Interesting.

[@gisborne1847]

I am 70 years old and my father was a cockney. No end of trouble with his english.

[@ew4206]

He's all right when you know him, though he's hasty when he's vexed He'll black your eye one minute, and he'll stand a pint the next He wouldn't hurt a baby, he's a pal as you can trust He's all right when you know him, but you've got to know him fust.

[@gisborne1847]

Does anyone have the lyrics to this song? It is definitely tongue in cheek and very funny.