Customer Reviews:
Good, clean, 'silly' fun..........2006-01-24
The character was simple and the plots were basic but Arthur Lucan gave some magical performances on film; born in Lincolnshire, he later became an adopted son of Kingston-upon-Hull and made film history in 1937 by being the first male actor to dress as a woman throughout an entire film.
Old Mother Riley is a ‘washerwoman’ who lives in a slum dwelling in a society that seems light years away from our world today; nevertheless I’m sure Lucan’s penchant for parody and his talent to recreate traditional theatre farce on film, which caused uproar amongst cinema-going children and adults when these two films were released in 1938, will continue to appeal today.
Anarchy reigned wherever Old Mother Riley roamed; be it Paris or the Houses of Parliament, there was scant regard for authority figures - wild bleatings like “We’re all from the same mould but some of us are mouldier than others!” and wonderful slapstick ensured there was no escape for those who dared to cross the savage washerwoman's path!
In Old Mother Riley in Paris, the washerwoman and her daughter Kitty head to France in an attempt to track down Kitty’s boyfriend – flush with cash following an insurance claim, the pair are immediately in trouble; Old Mother Riley is mistaken for a spy!
In Old Mother Riley M.P., the washerwoman decides to run for Parliament after falling foul of the local council; the voting public seem quite perplexed by her canvassing style but it eventually wins the day!
It’s fantastic to see Arthur Lucan’s films given a rare release - top marks go to DD Home Entertainment who has chosen to issue two films on a single DVD disc. Old Mother Riley M.P has fabulous print and sound quality although Old Mother Riley in Paris has variable sound and a slightly jumpy print for approximately the first ten minutes viewing – but don’t let that put you off – if you like watching vintage films or studying film and social history then these are for you!
I'd personally suggest you watch "M.P." first, and "Paris", second.
Arthur Lucan passed away on stage in Hull in 1954 – the theatre where he collapsed is now a coffee house and displays a specially commissioned bronze bust of Old Mother Riley, marking the spot where he died. Arthur's grave is located the City’s Eastern Cemetery, fittingly, within direct view of the floodlights of Hull Kingston Rovers Craven Park Stadium; a cul-de-sac which has been named Arthur Lucan Close can also be found on the main road approaching the ground.
Let's hope these releases generate renewed interest in Arthur Lucan's work.
Customer Reviews:
A very poor effort.......2006-08-25
These were two of the best of the series but these DVDs really do suffer from appalling sound quality - full of noise and clipping. Presumably the endineer had to make the best of a poor soundtrack - butthere are much better 16mm copies around and the producer would have done well to track one down if only to extract the soundtrack. Scarcely recommendable
excellent.......2006-03-09
If you want a good old fashioned comedy this is the dvd for you. Hilarious.
Old Mother Riley at her best, a pity the sound quality isn't.......2006-03-07
Old Mother Riley - New Venture - visually, Old mother Riley at her very best, all those old memories came flooding back about what made me laugh as a child back in the 1950's. The disappointment was the appalling sound quality. Most of the dialogue from the whole film was totally masked by the hiss and crackle, leaving us to guess at the one liners and jokes. In this technological age with all the software and equipment available to make these films seem new, this standard is just not acceptable.
Old Mother Riley - Jungle Treasure - This was perfect, sound and picture quality exceptional . Old Mother Riley in full flow, with Kitty and the rest of the cast being swept along at an amazing pace, both in Britain and the jungle.
UK DVD:
- One Foot In The Grave: Complete BBC Series 1-6 & The Christmas Specials
- Only Fools And Horses - A Royal Flush [1986]
- Orange County [2002]
- Party Animals: Complete BBC Series 1
- Relative Values [2000]
- Return of the Living Dead 4: Necropolis [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Roseanne - Series 1
- Roxanne [1987]
- Ruddy Hell - It's Harry And Paul : Complete BBC Series 1
- Scotch And Wry
UK DVD List
UK DVD
All Comedy
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Comedy
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Categories
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DVD
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Video
The Arthur Askey Collection - Back Room Boy/Band Waggon/Bees In Paradise/King Arthur Was A Gentleman/Miss London Ltd/I Thank You
Not On Your Nellie - Series 1 - Complete
George Formby - Comic Icons
The Army Game - Volume 2
Nearest And Dearest - Series 7
![Ghost Train [1941]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000BSQR0S.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Holidays With Pay [1948]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000NJWAHY.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
