Old Mother Riley's New Venture
| Old Mother Riley's New Venture | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | John Harlow |
| Written by | Jackie Marks Con West John Harlow (additional scenes) |
| Produced by | Harry Reynolds |
| Starring | Arthur Lucan Kitty McShane Chili Bouchier |
| Cinematography | James Wilson |
| Edited by | Adam Alexander Dawson |
| Music by | George Melachrino |
Production company | Harry Reynolds Productions |
| Distributed by | Renown Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 69 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Old Mother Riley's New Venture is a low-budget black-and-white 1949 British comedy film, starring Arthur Lucan and Kitty McShane.[1] It is the twelfth in the long-running Old Mother Riley films, and was the first of the series to play in London's West End; and the first to be released in the U.S., where it opened in 1952, as Old Mother Riley, (and was re-released there as A Wild Irish Night).[2]
Plot summary
The owner of a five star London hotel leaves for a holiday, and to everyone's surprise promotes Old Mother Riley from kitchen dishwasher to manageress. Chaos ensues, and Mother Riley and Kitty are suddenly suspects in the theft of the Royal Hula Diamond, but somehow along the way, also manage a trip to a beauty parlour. a banquet with Arab royalty, some Saint Patrick's Day celebrations, and a climactic custard pie fight.[3]
Cast
- Old Mother Riley - Arthur Lucan
- Kitty - Kitty McShane
- Cora Gayne - Chili Bouchier
- David Thompson - Willer Neal
- Potentate - Sebastian Cabot
- Major Gayne - Wilfred Babbage
- Mabel - Maureen Riscoe
- John Grigsby - Fred Groves
- Matthew Hillick - C. Denier Warren
- Saunders - Paul Sheridan
- Chef - Arthur Gomez
- Karl - John Le Mesurier
- Jules - Amando Guinle
- Prison Governor - Grace Arnold
- Dr Collins - Howard Douglas
- Drunk - Hugh Dempster
- 1st Aide - Gordon Littman
- Allan - Robert Moore
- Walters - George Street
- Police Superintendent - James Knight
- Mrs Ginochie - Blanche Fothergill
- Commissionaire - Brian Royceton
- Beauty Parlour Attendant - Pamela Skiff
- Beauty Parlour Attendant - Joy Frankau
Critical reception
- The Digital Fix wrote, "New Venture is essentially unwatchable...Old routines, a bare minimum of laughs and a comic pairing who are, quite frankly, way beyond their best."[4]
- At the time of the film's release, Monthly Film Bulletin called the film, "a vivacious slapsick comedy."[2]
- On its U.S. release, Variety wrote of the film, "offers little appeal for most situations...Film's best market appears to lie in "Irish Night" shows or in neighbourhoods where there's a sizable Irish population. Cast is unknown to American audiences...Arthur Lucan has a thespian field day in the title role."[2]
References
- ^ "Old Mother Riley's New Venture | BFI | BFI". Explore.bfi.org.uk. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
- ^ a b c https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0810835347
- ^ "OLD MOTHER RILEY'S NEW VENTURE 1949 DVD". Armand Movies. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
- ^ Nield, Anthony (4 January 2006). "Old Mother Riley's New Venture / Old Mother Riley's Jungle Treasure | DVD Video Review | Film @ The Digital Fix". Film.thedigitalfix.com. Retrieved 7 March 2014.