Old Mother Riley, Headmistress

Fifty years after his death behind the curtains of the Tivoli Theatre,Kingston upon Hull, whilst waiting to go on stage Arthur Lucan, born Arthur Towle in 1887 is not really remembered today. Along with wife Kitty Mcshane who was 16 when he wed her,Lucan would play Irish harridan washerwoman Old Mother Riley with Kitty as his daughter in 15 B movie comedies starting in 1937 and finishing in 1952 without wife due to separation,(her infidelity and his drinking)in the best film, Old Mother Riley Meets the Vampire, starring the great Bela Lugosi Lugosi's UK stage tour of Dracula had failed at the box office and along with Lucan who was also broke due to an ill advised venture by Kitty, teamed up with Dora Bryan replacing female interest Kitty, plus a bevy of British comic talent inc Hattie Jacques and Richard Wattis. The DVD copy of this and the lesser Headmistress 1951 is not bad. The other two releases, both again on one disc, Jungle Treasure 1952 and New Venture 1950 are poor in the sound dept. These films packed cinemas as their live act packed theatres all over the world. They topped The Royal Variety Show in 1934.The humour was very broad and perhaps has not traveled very well, but if a new audience can be found with these releases, I for one will be very happy. Bit of Trivia for movie buffs. Vampire was released as surport film to Untamed Frontier starring Joseph Cotten, Shelley Winters and Scott Brady. A really weird double bill.