[fingers]

Teeny Boppers won't find this funny, remember it was filmed in 1936 on stage in an empty theatre. Arthur Lucan is Old Mother Riley and Kitty McShane (his wife) plays the daughter.

Youtube video

This is an excerpt from the 1936 film 'Stars on Parade'. The sketch 'Bridget's Night Out' was made famous in the music hall by 'Lucan & McShane'. After performing it on stage the sketch was also the basis for the first cinema screen outing for the 'Irish Washerwoman' now named 'Old Mother Riley'. Music Hall artistes Arthur Lucan (real name Arthur Towle) and Kitty McShane married when she was 15 and he was 26. After their marriage they developed together the act of 'Old Mother Riley and daughter Kitty'. He appeared in 'drag' as the Irish washerwoman 'Riley' with Kitty as her daughter. In 1934 an appearance on the Royal Command Performance established their admiration with the public. In 1936 their popular stage sketch 'Bridget's Night Out' was captured on film as part of a compilation of British music hall acts. After this (and a minor role in 'Kathleen Mavoureen') they were signed up to appear in the feature film 'Old Mother Riley' (1937). The success of this at the British box office set the seal for a successive series totalling 15 films. By 1951, Lucan and McShane had separated, and Kitty did not appear in Arthur's last film, though he continued to support her financially. Towards the end of his life he was also struggling with a large tax debt. In 1954, he unexpectedly collapsed and died just before going on stage at the Tivoli Theatre, Hull. The OMR Films were often classed as being released or made by the Mancunia Film Corporation - this mistake perhaps coming about by both the OMR and Mancunian Films being distributed by Butchers Films. The complete story of of the Mancunian Film Corporation and th life of producer?Director John E Blakley is told in the book 'Hooray for Jollywood' still available from htttp://www.hoydpublishing.co.uk

[Alf]

I've been to the site of his death many times when i was younger, it was no longer a Theatre but a cafe with a shrine to him, it's changed again now, i think it's now a bakers, not been in for year's, so don't know whether the shrine is still there.