- published: 28 Nov 2016
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Arthur Lucan (16 September 1885 – 17 May 1954) was an English actor who performed the drag act Old Mother Riley on stage, radio and screen, with a series of comedy films from the late 1930s to the early 1950s.
Lucan was born on 16 September 1885, Sibsey, Lincolnshire, Arthur Towle, the third of seven children born to Tom Towle, a groom, and his wife Lucy Ann Mawer. When he was five years old, the family moved to nearby Boston, Lincolnshire, later making his first acting appearance at the town's Shodfriars Hall. After leaving school, he left home to pursue a career in music hall. He gained a job with a family troupe called the Musical Cliftons, and later as sidekick to a comedian called Will Pepper.
Lucan was appearing in Dublin where he met and married the 16-year-old Kitty McShane in 1913. The couple had one son, Donald Daniel Towle (b. 2 October 1915, Dublin –d. 1970), and became a successful double act. They achieved some success with a sketch called "Bridget's Night Out". For this he first wore drag, and began to develop the character of Old Mother Riley. Whilst in Dublin, he changed his name to Lucan, and they continued to perform as 'Lucan and McShane'. The act was featured in the 1934 Royal Command Performance at the London Palladium, the most prestigious engagement of its time.
Old Mother Riley was a music hall act which originally ran from about 1934 to 1954 played by Arthur Lucan, and from 1954 to the 1980s played by Roy Rolland.
Old Mother Riley was an Irish washerwoman and charwoman character, devised by Lucan (born Arthur Towle). His wife Kitty McShane played Old Mother Riley's daughter, Kitty. It was essentially a drag act but also a double act. The couple played music halls, theatres, and broadcast on radio and appeared in films. Lucan was voted sixth biggest British box-office star by the Motion Picture Herald in 1943. They also gave Jimmy Clitheroe his break in 1939 in an Old Mother Riley pantomime called The Old Woman who Lives in a Shoe, and then the following year a part in their film, Old Mother Riley in Society. The Film Fun comic included an “Old Mother Riley” strip cartoon in the 1940s.
Roy Rolland was Lucan's understudy and stand-in, and after Lucan's death in 1954 he continued to play the Old Mother Riley character in pantomime, on television and in cabaret until the 1980s.
Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (November 3, 39 AD – April 30, 65 AD), better known in English as Lucan (/ˈluːkən/), was a Roman poet, born in Corduba (modern-day Córdoba), in the Hispania Baetica. Despite his short life, he is regarded as one of the outstanding figures of the Imperial Latin period. His youth and speed of composition set him apart from other poets.
Three brief ancient accounts allow for the reconstruction of a modest biography – the earliest attributed to Suetonius, another to an otherwise unknown Vacca, and the third anonymous and undated – along with references in Martial, Cassius Dio, Tacitus's Annals, and one of Statius's Silvae. Lucan was the son of Marcus Annaeus Mela and grandson of Seneca the Elder; he grew up under the tutelage of his uncle Seneca the Younger. Born into a wealthy family, he studied rhetoric at Athens and was probably provided with a philosophical and Stoic education by his uncle.
He found success under Nero, became one of the emperor's close friends and was rewarded with a quaestorship in advance of the legal age. In 60 AD, he won a prize for extemporizing Orpheus and Laudes Neronis at the quinquennial Neronia, and was again rewarded when the emperor appointed him to the augurate. During this time he circulated the first three books of his epic poem, Pharsalia (labelled De Bello civili in the manuscripts), which told the story of the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey.
Kathleen "Kitty" McShane (19 May 1897 – 30 March 1964) was an Irish actress, best known as the wife and acting partner of Arthur Lucan, with whom she appeared in a series of Old Mother Riley stage shows and films from the 1930s to the 1950s.
Catherine McShane was born in Dublin, Ireland, the fourth of seventeen children born to Daniel and Kate McShane, of whom only seven survived to adulthood. In 1910 Arthur Lucan was touring Ireland and was playing his pantomime Little Red Riding Hood in Dublin. Here he met McShane, who successfully auditioned for a part in the show as a singer. Aged just 16 she married the 28-year-old Lucan on 25 November 1913 at the Church of St Andrews in Dublin. The couple had one son, Donald Daniel Towle (2 October 1915, Dublin – 1 January 1970).
McShane and Lucan became a popular music hall and film double act during their nearly forty years together. They gradually evolved the stage characters of Old Mother Riley, with Lucan appearing in drag as Mrs Daphne Snowdrop Bluebell Riley from Dublin, and McShane playing her daughter 'Kitty Riley', whose wayward ways resulted in many of Mother Riley's amusing reactions.
Riley may refer to:
Old Mother Riley's Circus (1941) with Arthur Lucan & Kitty McShane (full movie)
Old Mother Riley one of Hulls adopted Sons
Arthur Lucan paranormal experiment
Vampire over London (1952) Arthur Lucan, Bela Lugosi, Dora Bryan. Horror
On Your Way Riley - (1985 - Arthur Lucan/Old Mother Riley drama)
Old Mother Riley Joins Up (1939) Arthur Lucan, Kitty McShane (full movie)
Arthur Lucan & Kitty McShane - Old Mother Riley's Budget / Takes Her Medicine (1941)
Arthur Lucan & Kitty McShane - Old Mother Riley On The Farm, 1941
Arthur Lucan & Kitty McShane - Old Mother Riley's Past (1941)
Old Mother Riley Tribute Act Impersonator Les Leroy Comedian
Actors: Maureen Lipman (actress), Norman Bird (actor), Maureen Lipman (actress), Brian Murphy (actor), Brian Murphy (actor), David Cunliffe (producer), Alan Plater (writer), Hugh Futcher (actor), Robert Bridges (actor), John Glenister (director), Lesley Scoble (actress), Teri Scoble (actress), Trevor T. Smith (actor), Trevor T. Smith (actor), Margaret Bottomley (producer),
Genres: Drama,None of the nine "Old Mother Riley" films made between 1939 and 1945 for British National have been released on dvd, and, like all other British National films, their current copyright status is unknown. This is the fifth film in the series, "Old Mother Riley's Circus", one of two that were shown on UK tv over 25 years ago, since when they have slipped back into obscurity. The earlier and later Old Mother Riley films have all been released, I'm sure there is still a market for these if someone could obtain the rights to issue them. Should a dvd release be announced, I will remove the film immediately.
Film ,photos,and titles about the character Od Mother Riley Played by the actor Arthur Lucan
Mark and Jack from PSI go to Arthur Lucan / Old mother Rileys grave and use the PSB7 ghostbox in an attempt to communicate . This is an experiment and should be treated as such .
The mysterious figure known as the Vampire comes to England to complete experiments in his mad bid to gain control of the world. When the radar-controlled Robot which he had ordered shipped to him is delivered instead to Mother Riley, the Vampire, through radar control, has the Robot transport itself as well as Mother Riley to the proper destination...as the old lady goes into a whirl of side-splitting action in a determined effort to frustrate the plans of the sinister Vampire. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044925/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Rare 1985 drama about Arthur Lucan and Kitty McShane (Old Mother Riley & Daughter) starring Brian Murphy and Maureen Lipman
This was the sixth film (out of 17) in which Arthur Lucan appeared as Old Mother Riley, the larger than life Irish washerwoman constantly worrying about her daughter Kitty but inevitably winning through against any adversaries that she encountered. Eight of the films, including "Old Mother Riley Joins Up" were made for British National films between 1939 and 1945, and all remain in limbo, with none having been released on VHS or dvd, and only two having had television screenings in the UK. "Old Mother Riley Joins Up" was released in February 1940 and was one of the first comedies to use the war as a backdrop for the action. This print of the film was made available through ebay about 10 years ago and is slightly incomplete, running 67 minutes against the official release time of 75 minut...
Old Mother Riley was a music hall act which originally ran from about 1934 to 1954 played by Arthur Lucan, then from 1954 to 1977 by Roy Rolland. Old Mother Riley was an Irish washerwoman character, devised by Lucan (born Arthur Towle). His wife Kitty McShane played Old Mother Riley's daughter, Kitty. It was essentially a drag act but also a double act. They were hugely successful at the time, playing music halls, theatres, radio and films. They also gave Jimmy Clitheroe his big break in 1939 in an Old Mother Riley pantomime called The Old Woman who Lives in a Shoe, and then the following year a part in their film, Old Mother Riley in Society.
Arthur Lucan (September 16, 1885, Sibsey, Lincolnshire – May 17, 1954, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire) was an English actor who gained fame as Old Mother Riley on stage, radio and also screen, with a series of comedy films between the late 1930s and early 1950s. Lucan was born as Arthur Towle, the third of seven children born to Tom Towle, a groom, and his wife Lucy Ann Mawer. When he was five years old, the family moved to nearby Boston, Lincolnshire, later making his first acting appearance at the town's Shodfriars Hall. After leaving school, he left home to pursue a career in music hall. He gained a job with a family troupe called the Musical Cliftons, and later as sidekick to a comedian called Will Pepper. Lucan was appearing in Dublin where he met and married the 16 year old Kitty McS...
Old Mother Riley was an Irish washerwoman character, devised by Lucan (born Arthur Towle). His wife Kitty McShane played Old Mother Riley's daughter, Kitty. It was essentially a drag act but also a double act. They were hugely successful at the time, playing music halls, theatres, radio and films. They also gave Jimmy Clitheroe his big break in 1939 in an Old Mother Riley pantomime called The Old Woman who Lives in a Shoe, and then the following year a part in their film, Old Mother Riley in Society
Old Mother Riley Tribute Act Impersonator Les Leroy Comedian Presenting a Tribute to Arthur Lucan's Character Old Mother Riley this video features Comedian Les Leroy a Veteran of the Olde Tyme Music Hall and Old Time Variety Entertainment Circuit and also the Northern Club Circuit. He is the father of Hypnotist and Mentalist Jonathan Royle and can be contacted via his sons website of http://www.magicalguru.com