Arthur Lucan's drag character of old Mother Riley, whilst being somewhat of a big hit in England, never really made its mark here in America. Why? Well, for starters, the character of Old Mother Riley, a working class Irish woman who gets into all kinds of comedic situations, doesn't have the universal traits necessary to bring success out of England. There are jokes dealing with class and other very traditional English situations. I heard such awful things about this film in particular, being the last film Lucan did playing Mother Riley, and was honestly a bit pleasantly surprised. Sure this is pretty lowbrow stuff. A man in drag mugging for the camera at every opportunity. A series of comedic situations that were almost all slapstick oriented. One scene where Mother Riley breaks into song for no reason at all. And let's not forget the truly inane plot about confusing the names Riley and packages that were mixed up - with Old Mother Riley getting a robot that should have been sent to Bela Lugosi. But Lucan is talented to a degree and made me laugh a time or two. The film was very watchable. As for Bela Lugosi? He did this film as a means to make money so as to get passage back home for himself and his wife while they were in London after failing at a revival of Dracula on stage. This is probably his last good picture in terms of looking robust and relatively healthy prior to committing himself for drug rehabilitation. He looks good and he looks like he is having a lot of fun. There is one story circulating that Lugosi may not have even known Lucan was in drag at their first meeting - Lucan it seems never went out as himself in public but always as Mother Riley so as to preserve his personal life. At any rate, you might give this film a look while keeping a somewhat open mind. It's not Hamlet. It's not Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, but it does have its moments and it has Bela Lugosi. Lugosi is enough for me.
43 Reviews
May the saints shower you with sailors on shore leave!
chrismartonuk-121 June 2008
I couldn't believe it when I heard the above saying from Lucan's lips as he thanked a woman. Though the film hardly operates on the same level as Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein, it passes an hour or two quite amiably. Bela is clearly happy to be back in front of a film camera for the first time in years - even a low budget British one - and he effortlessly conveys his old authority and a sense of fun - he comes across as an enjoyably hammy British version of a Batman TV Series supervillain. Lucan is relatively restrained in this outing compared to past ones. The splendid book VAMPIRE OVER London; BELA LUGOSI IN Britain indicates his personal troubles over his estranged partner Kitty Mcshane, and one can only wonder if this is the reason why. The duo's stage act usually climaxed in plate throwing and this is compensated for by a madcap crockery-crashing slapstick sequence with Bela's henchmen. Dora Bryan is a more than adequate foil for Lucan.
Editing necessary for MY SON THE VAMPIRE means we lose Lucan's one musical number early on in the film. Also, the romance between the kidnapped Loretti and her Naval officer is underplayed to say the least - he keeps getting bonked on the head by various characters. Graham Moffat is also missing from the print. The ending is curious in that we contrast Riley's madcap race to stop the Vampire enduring various crashes and appropriated forms of transport on the way while Von Houson is actually seen gunning down two constables - a bit strong for a juvenile comedy.
The immediate postwar period was a time of apprenticeship for celebrated British comedy stars like the Goons and Tony Hancock who were learning and honing their trade upon being demobbed from the army. By 1951, they were ready to take on the entertainment establishment and sweep aside the old stars like Lucan - in much the same way the Beatles and their ilk were ready in 1963 to change the face of the British music industry. The brief resurgence of popularity Lucan and Mcshane enjoyed prior to this film proved to be a last fling at glory. A whole new wave of innovative British comedy was ready to sweep them aside. Lucan was more truthful than he knew when - at the climax of this film - he sputters "This is the end!" Both Lucan and Lugosi were enjoying a last stab at greatness in an age where they were already anachronisms.
Editing necessary for MY SON THE VAMPIRE means we lose Lucan's one musical number early on in the film. Also, the romance between the kidnapped Loretti and her Naval officer is underplayed to say the least - he keeps getting bonked on the head by various characters. Graham Moffat is also missing from the print. The ending is curious in that we contrast Riley's madcap race to stop the Vampire enduring various crashes and appropriated forms of transport on the way while Von Houson is actually seen gunning down two constables - a bit strong for a juvenile comedy.
The immediate postwar period was a time of apprenticeship for celebrated British comedy stars like the Goons and Tony Hancock who were learning and honing their trade upon being demobbed from the army. By 1951, they were ready to take on the entertainment establishment and sweep aside the old stars like Lucan - in much the same way the Beatles and their ilk were ready in 1963 to change the face of the British music industry. The brief resurgence of popularity Lucan and Mcshane enjoyed prior to this film proved to be a last fling at glory. A whole new wave of innovative British comedy was ready to sweep them aside. Lucan was more truthful than he knew when - at the climax of this film - he sputters "This is the end!" Both Lucan and Lugosi were enjoying a last stab at greatness in an age where they were already anachronisms.
Fun in a Nonsensical Kind of Way
Space_Mafune17 June 2003
While the Mother Riley series (with star Arthur Lucan in drag as an old woman) was rarely outrageously funny, some films in the series nevertheless do manage to amuse and keep an audience's interest. This is one such film. The best bits here involve Bela Lugosi as a vampire who actually behaves more like a mad scientist and the Robot under his command who chases after poor ole Mrs. Riley. More a spoof on old British Scotland Yard films than anything else really. Not bad of its type.
Odd little horror comedy
boris-2625 November 2001
The "Mother Riley" series was a British made series of low budget comedies starring Arthur Lucan, who played, in drag, a dotty old working class woman. These films often satired British government, and how it handles it's working class. When you watch MOTHER RILEY MEETS THE VAMPIRE, much of the gags about Brit leadership will fly past modern day American audiences.
It was the last chance to see the great Bela Lugosi in his full talent, as, of course, a vampire. Later that year, 1952, addiction and poverty sank in deeper, and he would turn to working with a certain Edward Wood.
It was the last chance to see the great Bela Lugosi in his full talent, as, of course, a vampire. Later that year, 1952, addiction and poverty sank in deeper, and he would turn to working with a certain Edward Wood.
Bela Lugosi in fine comic form, for once in on the joke
kevinolzak15 May 2021
1951's "My Son the Vampire" was not originally conceived as the latest entry in the Old Mother Riley series dating back to 1937, thus far a total of 14 features held in low esteem by London critics but highly successful in the provinces. Arthur Lucan made a career out of playing the frumpy Irish biddy in full drag, a music hall veteran of more than 50 years who may have inspired the members of Monty Python, his popularity obviously on the decline with just 3 titles in the previous six years. It was the financial plight of the chronically unemployed Bela Lugosi that inspired Renown to try melding his horror persona with the wildly over the top Lucan, whose screen career came to an end with "Mother Riley Meets the Vampire." Ironically, Lugosi's previous film was the hugely popular "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein," and though he's not playing Dracula here, his characterization of Professor Von Housen is described by Scotland Yard as 'The Vampire,' taking after a legendary ancestor and boasting of his plans to rule the earth with an army of 50,000 robots under his control. When asked how many have been built, he hilariously stammers into a reply of 'one,' forced into hitchhiking to The Vampire's abode and driving off in the drunken motorist's car (he later reports to the local police station: "it was stolen by some fellow behind the Iron Curtain!"). Toned down considerably for its intended juvenile audience but Von Housen at least is guilty of drinking the blood of missing girls, his giggling assistant Hitchcock (Ian Wilson) taunting Mother Riley as his latest victim: "you're being got ready!" Once Lucan's sole musical number is dispensed with, we are introduced to Lugosi at the 12 minute mark (just under 18 minutes screen time), soundly snoring in his coffin as Hitchcock awakens him and inquires why he wears his evening clothes while he sleeps: "I was buried in them!" What appears to be a slapdash script by Val Valentine is assured a decent pace by director John Gilling, more adept at straight up chills with later efforts like "The Flesh and the Fiends," "The Plague of the Zombies," and "The Reptile." Lucan remained in character both on and off camera, always spot on after so many years honing his craft, but a little of Mother Riley tends to go a long way so Lugosi's welcome presence makes this something less of the disaster that most viewers perceive, coming after the likes of The Ritz Brothers, East Side Kids, Wally Brown and Alan Carney, or Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo. What no one might have guessed was that its American distribution was no sure thing, the new title "Vampire Over London" earning no takers until it was snapped up by producer Jack H. Harris, best known for "The Blob," where his theater marquee specifies 'Bela Lugosi' in a film titled "The Vampire and the Robot." Even this only resulted in spotty playdates, its final 1963 moniker "My Son the Vampire" allowing satirist Allan Sherman a precredits sequence detailing how the picture was based on an upside down book. Unsuccessful on both sides of the Atlantic, and mostly a curiosity that only Lugosi fans will eventually seek out, discovering an actor hardly humbled by his desperate need for financing to return to the US but a confident performer who gets more chuckles than his overbearing costar, for once in on the joke.
Don't bother if you don't want to loose 70 minutes of your life on silliness.
mark.waltz18 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Old Mother Riley isn't too happy when her store order is mixed up with the delivery of a strange looking robot (think "Lost in Space's" robot as if made by children from a local junk pile) who kidnaps her and brings her to the nefarious grandson of a rumored long dead vampire. Whether or not this mad scientist is a vampire isn't really confirmed although he does sleep in a coffin, supposedly lives off of human blood, and is played by none other than Bela Lugosi. In a part which he played totally whacked out, Lugosi is simply trying too hard to be funny, and even if it is a twist from his other infrequent comedy roles, he seemed to be deeply out of his element. Arthur Lucan, whose mother Riley dominated British Z-grade programmers for well over a decade, certainly doesn't convince me that he's a sweet old lady. Even Lon Chaney and Lionel Barrymore when they dressed up in Whistler's Mother outfits, looked more authentic than Lucan does, which makes me wonder if this is why one of the characters arguing with "her" refers to "her" as a 'faggot'.
Yes, the word 'faggot' is uttered here, and since Lucan doesn't look like either a cigarette or a bundle of sticks, it made me question the motives for it being utilized in the script. Lucan is supposed to be one of those funny granny type characters, a rip off from Hal Roach comedy shorts where grandma got some gusto in her girdle and went after the bad guy with fire and guts. She/he is first seen talking in a sped up cartoon like way while arguing with a customer, and when confronted by the variety of creatures and villains she encounters, is seen with the photography sped up so she/he can look overly feisty. The ending has her on a bicycle then a motorcycle bike she stole from a cop she collided with. Yes, a 1952 movie that goes back to the days of the Keystone Cops, or probably even a Roadrunner/Coyote cartoon with Mother Riley the poor roadrunner and the unsuspecting Lugosi the even more unfortunate coyote.
Then, there's Lugosi's home, which looks like a Swiss chalet but has all sorts of old dark house contraptions including a swinging fireplace, secret spying panels, and of course, Lugosi's laboratory where unsuspecting females, kidnapped by him, are tied down and drugged. He's got an insane giggling assistant, a butch housekeeper and a nurse (Dora Bryan) who seems to suspect that something is doing on, but doesn't quit. Never is there any reason to really suspect that Lugosi is a vampire other than the coffin he sleeps in (just like the much better "The Corpse Vanishes") and that he wears a cape just like Dracula. Mother Riley isn't interesting enough to make me interested in her other films in the series, so if Lugosi had not been in this, I would have most likely skipped it altogether.
Yes, the word 'faggot' is uttered here, and since Lucan doesn't look like either a cigarette or a bundle of sticks, it made me question the motives for it being utilized in the script. Lucan is supposed to be one of those funny granny type characters, a rip off from Hal Roach comedy shorts where grandma got some gusto in her girdle and went after the bad guy with fire and guts. She/he is first seen talking in a sped up cartoon like way while arguing with a customer, and when confronted by the variety of creatures and villains she encounters, is seen with the photography sped up so she/he can look overly feisty. The ending has her on a bicycle then a motorcycle bike she stole from a cop she collided with. Yes, a 1952 movie that goes back to the days of the Keystone Cops, or probably even a Roadrunner/Coyote cartoon with Mother Riley the poor roadrunner and the unsuspecting Lugosi the even more unfortunate coyote.
Then, there's Lugosi's home, which looks like a Swiss chalet but has all sorts of old dark house contraptions including a swinging fireplace, secret spying panels, and of course, Lugosi's laboratory where unsuspecting females, kidnapped by him, are tied down and drugged. He's got an insane giggling assistant, a butch housekeeper and a nurse (Dora Bryan) who seems to suspect that something is doing on, but doesn't quit. Never is there any reason to really suspect that Lugosi is a vampire other than the coffin he sleeps in (just like the much better "The Corpse Vanishes") and that he wears a cape just like Dracula. Mother Riley isn't interesting enough to make me interested in her other films in the series, so if Lugosi had not been in this, I would have most likely skipped it altogether.
A one screening curio.
ayupodgey9 March 2007
Yes this really is something of a clinker. A real poverty row, "quota quickie" that is really only of interest because of the bizarre teaming of British variety veteran Arthur Lucan (Old Mother Riley) and horror movie icon Bela Lugosi. Both are well past their prime and the knowledge that poor old Bela was quite ill at the time makes the whole thing quite a melancholy experience. However that being said there is a kind of earthy British working class exuberance to be found in some of the comedy. Lucan and his veteran writer Valentine,knew his audience and their preoccupations as exemplified in the early scenes in Mother Riley's corner shop. Jokes about post war rationing, living on "tick" (a slang term for credit Mr and Mrs America)etc. would've been fairly well received. (But the actual set for the shop is tawdry and really displays the cheapness of the budget). Still Lugosi does seem to enjoy the Vaudeville banter with Lucan. In Lucan's case this was probably more a matter of sheer professionalism rather than genuine enthusiasm as at the time he was, by all accounts, a deeply unhappy man due to an acrimonious split from his wife and former stage partner Kitty Mc Shane. The U.S. version starts incongruously with a song by Allen Sherman (I'll bet he never even saw the film)and some sketchy cartoon graphics that simply do not fit in with the narrative that follows. It's all a bit of a rag bag of second hand, slightly misunderstood horror movie cliché's (vampires, mad scientists, robots etc.)recycled in a half hearted kind of way but not totally without interest. Although of more interest to ageing Brits, like myself than to anyone else, I suspect. Only buy a copy if it's really cheap. It's a one screening curio. You'd have to be a serious masochist or else have no life to really want to see it more than once.
A career low for Bela Lugosi.
BA_Harrison19 May 2023
Decades before Brendan O'Carroll put on a frock to play an Irish matriarch in the abysmal sitcom Mrs. Brown's Boys, Arthur Lucan donned drag to play Irish washerwoman Old Mother Riley, this being the final outing for his inexplicably popular character (there are seventeen Old Mother Riley films in total!).
This time, Mother Riley comes up against a criminal gang led by blood-drinking scientist Professor Von Housen AKA The Vampire (Bela Lugosi, slumming it so that he can pay for a ticket back to the U. S.), who is planning to take over the world with an army of robots, the first of which has mistakenly been sent to the old woman's grocery store. Much craziness ensues, as The Vampire orders his metal man to abduct Mother Riley, and Von Housen's plucky housemaid Tilly (Dora Bryan) tries to find out what her boss is up to.
The film is a laugh-free disaster of colossal proportions from start to finish, Lucan proving thoroughly irritating throughout, gesticulating wildly and screeching dreadfully unfunny one-liners. He also performs a totally forgettable song and dance number with a little help from Carry On regular Hattie Jacques. Much of the physical comedy is accompanied by embarrassingly bad comical sound effects - a slide whistle gets a lot of use- and several scenes are sped up or reversed for comic effect. It's hard to believe that the film was directed by John Gilling, who would give us the excellent The Flesh & The Fiends and Plague of the Zombies - I guess we all have to start somewhere.
This time, Mother Riley comes up against a criminal gang led by blood-drinking scientist Professor Von Housen AKA The Vampire (Bela Lugosi, slumming it so that he can pay for a ticket back to the U. S.), who is planning to take over the world with an army of robots, the first of which has mistakenly been sent to the old woman's grocery store. Much craziness ensues, as The Vampire orders his metal man to abduct Mother Riley, and Von Housen's plucky housemaid Tilly (Dora Bryan) tries to find out what her boss is up to.
The film is a laugh-free disaster of colossal proportions from start to finish, Lucan proving thoroughly irritating throughout, gesticulating wildly and screeching dreadfully unfunny one-liners. He also performs a totally forgettable song and dance number with a little help from Carry On regular Hattie Jacques. Much of the physical comedy is accompanied by embarrassingly bad comical sound effects - a slide whistle gets a lot of use- and several scenes are sped up or reversed for comic effect. It's hard to believe that the film was directed by John Gilling, who would give us the excellent The Flesh & The Fiends and Plague of the Zombies - I guess we all have to start somewhere.
"Personally, I think we are dealing with a dangerous character."
classicsoncall22 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Forget any pretense that this is a horror movie, or even a vampire movie for that matter. The only concession to the title has Bela Lugosi emerging from a coffin after taking a nap. Otherwise, Lugosi's character, Professor Von Housen, admits that he's a scientist who fancies himself a vampire, descended from a real vampire ages ago. A better description of the film might be slapstick comedy, with Arthur Lucan portraying the only character he ever appeared as in over a dozen movies and a TV series. If you didn't know it beforehand, you might actually think that Old Mother Riley was a woman because his drag bit appears fairly effective. He certainly fooled me, as this was the first time I ever caught him and his gimmick. The story itself here is pretty innocuous, with Von Housen attempting to take over the world with an army of fifty thousand robots, but he's only made one so far. And he doesn't even have it on hand; it had to be crated and shipped from Ireland! No explanation offered so you just have to take it on faith like a lot of these old time flicks. Anyway, it's a pretty frenetic story with lots of slap-dash chaos and a sub-plot involving a kidnapped young woman (María Mercedes) who has a chart of South America stashed on a cruise ship with the locations of uranium deposits, needed to create Von Housen's robot army. Look, it probably didn't have to make sense, relying on Lugosi's presence to sell the picture. I did get a kick out of one of Von Housen's lines when he took a pot shot at a rival monster character when he described his own robot creation - "No Frankenstein with all the weaknesses of the flesh!" I wonder what Karloff would have had to say about that.
Annoying and pathetically unfunny
planktonrules8 October 2007
Arthur Lucan plays the female lead, "Mother Riley", and Lucan's schtick involved playing an old hag in both a series of films as well as on stage. Unfortunately, Lucan looked and sounded nothing like an old woman and instead seemed to be one of the least talented "actors" ever to grace the silver screen. What made it worse was the way that the film's director and producer added "funny" sound effects and optical effects in order to supposedly heighten the humor. All this really did was loudly and very unconvincingly announce "this is really funny--look everyone--isn't this hilarious?!". The film had all the subtlety and charm of an obnoxious four year-old who thinks everyone wants to watch him recite and tell jokes.
Also included for "laughs" are a giant stupid robot (a sure sign the movie is in trouble), a "hilarious" song by that accursed Mother Riley and opening credits that feature a song that might encourage suicide. If Anmesty International got wind of all this, they might try to condemn the movie as a form of cruel and unusual punishment.
Unfortunately, as a result of all this badness, Bela Lugosi is 100% wasted in the film and generally looks rather lost. He could have been funny or scary (like he was in ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN), but the Mother Riley character was so pushy, detestable and awful that Lugosi's performance (as well as a plot) are completely overwhelmed by the eminently hate-able Lucan. You just wanted it all to end!
After seeing this film, I wonder why Bela Lugosi's last film (PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE) is so famous for being the worst movie ever made. Sure, it's very incompetently made and inept in every way--but at least it's fun to watch. On the other hand, MOTHER RILEY MEETS THE VAMPIRE might be one of the most annoying and pathetically unfunny films ever made and watching it will likely induce a humongous migraine!! Painfully bad and awful in every possible way!! I hated this movie and hate everyone who made it. I really wish I could give it a score lower than 1!!! Curse all of you responsible for this bilge.
Did I mention that I didn't like it?!
Also included for "laughs" are a giant stupid robot (a sure sign the movie is in trouble), a "hilarious" song by that accursed Mother Riley and opening credits that feature a song that might encourage suicide. If Anmesty International got wind of all this, they might try to condemn the movie as a form of cruel and unusual punishment.
Unfortunately, as a result of all this badness, Bela Lugosi is 100% wasted in the film and generally looks rather lost. He could have been funny or scary (like he was in ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN), but the Mother Riley character was so pushy, detestable and awful that Lugosi's performance (as well as a plot) are completely overwhelmed by the eminently hate-able Lucan. You just wanted it all to end!
After seeing this film, I wonder why Bela Lugosi's last film (PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE) is so famous for being the worst movie ever made. Sure, it's very incompetently made and inept in every way--but at least it's fun to watch. On the other hand, MOTHER RILEY MEETS THE VAMPIRE might be one of the most annoying and pathetically unfunny films ever made and watching it will likely induce a humongous migraine!! Painfully bad and awful in every possible way!! I hated this movie and hate everyone who made it. I really wish I could give it a score lower than 1!!! Curse all of you responsible for this bilge.
Did I mention that I didn't like it?!
Lugosi can't save this mess.
trishjayp6 October 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I had heard about this film for years, and when it turned up on TCM I decided to catch it. I would have been better off catching a disease.
Now, I wanted to like this film - I really did. But the three words that keep coming to mind are: Pitiful, wretched, unfunny. The worst thing a comedy can be is unfunny.
Actually, Bela Lugosi is the best thing in the film, but that's not saying much. With shoe polish in his hair (and a toupee!), he is Von Housen, a criminal who sleeps in a coffin and has plans for world domination (what else?). He meets his match in Mother Riley, an incredibly annoying character played by actor Arthur Lucan in drag.
The problems with the film are many: mostly, it's just not funny. Lucan is unintelligible half of the time, the slapstick fight scenes are tired and lifeless (everybody seems to be anticipating what happens next), the character of the robot goes nowhere (literally), and, possibly worst of all, we are denied a big payoff as far as what happens with Lugosi's character! Oh yes, there is an absolutely horrendous musical number (!) in Mother Riley's shop at the beginning.
Everything looks as if it were shot in one take - and that was one too many. I felt as if this film ran for hours and hours, instead of 74 minutes. (BTW, the print shown on TCM omits the pre-credits footage with Allan Sherman added for American release; unfortunately, his awful title song remains.) One or two (barely) funny lines and situations cannot sustain this terrible film. Perhaps the Mother Riley series played better to British audiences, but it's so hard to tell using only this film as a yardstick. The other films in the series are not shown here in the US; maybe having Kitty McShane (Arthur Lucan's ex-wife) would have helped.
Bela definitely deserved better.
Now, I wanted to like this film - I really did. But the three words that keep coming to mind are: Pitiful, wretched, unfunny. The worst thing a comedy can be is unfunny.
Actually, Bela Lugosi is the best thing in the film, but that's not saying much. With shoe polish in his hair (and a toupee!), he is Von Housen, a criminal who sleeps in a coffin and has plans for world domination (what else?). He meets his match in Mother Riley, an incredibly annoying character played by actor Arthur Lucan in drag.
The problems with the film are many: mostly, it's just not funny. Lucan is unintelligible half of the time, the slapstick fight scenes are tired and lifeless (everybody seems to be anticipating what happens next), the character of the robot goes nowhere (literally), and, possibly worst of all, we are denied a big payoff as far as what happens with Lugosi's character! Oh yes, there is an absolutely horrendous musical number (!) in Mother Riley's shop at the beginning.
Everything looks as if it were shot in one take - and that was one too many. I felt as if this film ran for hours and hours, instead of 74 minutes. (BTW, the print shown on TCM omits the pre-credits footage with Allan Sherman added for American release; unfortunately, his awful title song remains.) One or two (barely) funny lines and situations cannot sustain this terrible film. Perhaps the Mother Riley series played better to British audiences, but it's so hard to tell using only this film as a yardstick. The other films in the series are not shown here in the US; maybe having Kitty McShane (Arthur Lucan's ex-wife) would have helped.
Bela definitely deserved better.
music hall gags
Cristi_Ciopron14 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
From his early Budapestan stage career, Lugosi must of kept a taste for light comedy, as he understood himself to belong to a Viennese tradition of gentle _divertissement; even his acting style can be understood not only as nonchalance, but also as a silent contempt for the wholly unlike style he met in the USA, and he choose to simply neglect this very different Hollywoodian style, he was familiar and accustomed to a lighter style, more fanciful, and he felt at ease in this British vehicle inspired by the music hall style.
His career's decline didn't begin until after his last RKO movie. But with vehicles like this one, he hoped to reinvent himself.
'Vampire ', a British comedy, offered Lugosi a role he seemed to enjoy, and he gave in return a lively performance in the style of the '30 serials' masterminds. Though presumed to be a vampire, his character belongs to a Sci Fi plot; but he may be a vampire as well, since the disappearances of the women are real, and there are several mummies in one of his rooms, and he feeds Mrs. Riley liver and steaks to get her ready. The storyline serves as a pretext for gags; the musical number is very funny.
Lugosi plays a wicked scientist who owns a robot, but hopes to make many more others, once he secures himself a source of uranium; he declares that tin men are better than Frankenstein's monster. He kidnaps a girl, the heiress of a uranium mine, to get from her the map of the uranium mine, in order to use that element for making robots and weapons, and conquer the world; aside from generic mastermind performance, such as hailing the opening a new era in violence, Lugosi has one demanding scene, his 1st scene with Mrs. Riley, when he hires here, and his acting comes across as on a par with his guest's. The Sci Fi storyline, such as it is, comes straight from the '30 serials. If you have been amused, the movie accomplished its aim.
Like in the music hall, the storyline isn't supposed to be very meaningful, or carefully thought, but a pretext for countless gags. I liked the supporting cast (the spectacled man in the first scenes, Frieda, the maid, the copper, the drunk gentleman and his pretty wife).
The script gathers comedy, Sci Fi and nominal _vampirism; in the music hall's days, a role in drag wasn't unusual. The movie has the freshness of some British movies. Someone wrote that this is a movie you either enjoy, or you don't. I did.
Nowadays audiences can mistake this music hall fun for slapstick and one-liners; but it's music hall fun, British fun, lots of gags, and audiences should acknowledge that 'Vampire ' belongs mainly to Mrs. Riley; the same goes for another comedian of those times, Askey (whose gags were much more of the slapstick genre, Mrs. Riley plays here generic physical comedy). The 1st scene, Mrs. Riley as a shopkeeper, was what the actor knew best, and also what he performed best. Some people today seem to be ashamed to watch an actor play in drag. But it wasn't unusual in the music hall days, and in much of the stage's history.
His career's decline didn't begin until after his last RKO movie. But with vehicles like this one, he hoped to reinvent himself.
'Vampire ', a British comedy, offered Lugosi a role he seemed to enjoy, and he gave in return a lively performance in the style of the '30 serials' masterminds. Though presumed to be a vampire, his character belongs to a Sci Fi plot; but he may be a vampire as well, since the disappearances of the women are real, and there are several mummies in one of his rooms, and he feeds Mrs. Riley liver and steaks to get her ready. The storyline serves as a pretext for gags; the musical number is very funny.
Lugosi plays a wicked scientist who owns a robot, but hopes to make many more others, once he secures himself a source of uranium; he declares that tin men are better than Frankenstein's monster. He kidnaps a girl, the heiress of a uranium mine, to get from her the map of the uranium mine, in order to use that element for making robots and weapons, and conquer the world; aside from generic mastermind performance, such as hailing the opening a new era in violence, Lugosi has one demanding scene, his 1st scene with Mrs. Riley, when he hires here, and his acting comes across as on a par with his guest's. The Sci Fi storyline, such as it is, comes straight from the '30 serials. If you have been amused, the movie accomplished its aim.
Like in the music hall, the storyline isn't supposed to be very meaningful, or carefully thought, but a pretext for countless gags. I liked the supporting cast (the spectacled man in the first scenes, Frieda, the maid, the copper, the drunk gentleman and his pretty wife).
The script gathers comedy, Sci Fi and nominal _vampirism; in the music hall's days, a role in drag wasn't unusual. The movie has the freshness of some British movies. Someone wrote that this is a movie you either enjoy, or you don't. I did.
Nowadays audiences can mistake this music hall fun for slapstick and one-liners; but it's music hall fun, British fun, lots of gags, and audiences should acknowledge that 'Vampire ' belongs mainly to Mrs. Riley; the same goes for another comedian of those times, Askey (whose gags were much more of the slapstick genre, Mrs. Riley plays here generic physical comedy). The 1st scene, Mrs. Riley as a shopkeeper, was what the actor knew best, and also what he performed best. Some people today seem to be ashamed to watch an actor play in drag. But it wasn't unusual in the music hall days, and in much of the stage's history.
Really cute and wacky
ThrownMuse9 October 2007
I've never heard of or seen a "Mother Riley Adventure" and didn't realize it was a whole series of films, but I had Turner Classic Movies on and saw that Bela Lugosi was in this one so I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm glad I did, as this is one of the wackier movies I've seen in a long time. It's a slapstick horror featuring an old lady who gets abducted by a robot (?) sent to her by a vampire (played by Bela, of course, who endearingly and comfortably hams it up in his few scenes.) Oh yeah, did I mention old Mother Riley is played by an old man? What a strange vehicle this is, but I found it impossible to dislike. There's even a completely random goofy song and dance sequence. The slapstick goes over-the-top in some scenes (notably the ones that are sped up), but it's all in good fun. The best thing the movie has going for it is its distinctly British humor. I loved Dora Byran as Tilly the chambermaid, especially when she starts cavorting with Mother Riley. The woman has such fantastic comedic timing! Overall, its an amusing and quick movie. If you catch it on TV give it a go. I don't think it's as rotten as its reputation.
a great line
beelaker23 December 2007
Warning: Spoilers
So it is not one of the better movies, we can agree. And you wouldn't expect to see Bela Lugosi in such a low brow vehicle as it reminds one of the Bowery Boys at first with Arthur Lucan's mug. But a few good lines are spoken in it. I especially liked when the robot dropped off the drunk driver in the latter's car and the drunk asks "I didn't take you too far out of my way, did you, I hope?" And Lugosi's valet asks "Why do you sleep in your evening clothes?", and Lugosi says "Well, I was buried in them" At least I didn't have to buy or rent the film. It was made available for download through my library with OverDrive media. I also viewed a great interview with the late Vincent Price who spoke about Lugosi and Karloff among others.
Lugosi Has A Good Time In This Horror/Comedy
mord3920 October 2000
Warning: Spoilers
MORD39 RATING: ** out of ****
As a kid I recall laughing hysterically at this comical film; as an adult I don't know what was so funny, although I still manage a grin here and there.
Bela Lugosi had to make this film in England in 1952 because he needed the money for his ticket back home. He went to Britain to revive his famous DRACULA play, but was stuck there when it bombed and the actor couldn't scrape up enough cash to sail to America! This film helped him get back on his feet, although almost nobody has a kind word for it.
The film is "okay", and it's Bela's best fifties flick if for no reason other than that he appears to be having fun and really getting into his character (a criminal who acts like a vampire but isn't really one). He's even funny in a few scenes.
Mother Riley (Arthur Lucan in drag) had a long-running comedy series of his (her) own, and this one was the last. Lucan is amusing some of the time as well, getting involved in Lugosi's mad plans for world domination.
The bottom line is that if you know what to expect, you can have a fun time with this movie. And for Bela Lugosiphiles, it's a MUST.
As a kid I recall laughing hysterically at this comical film; as an adult I don't know what was so funny, although I still manage a grin here and there.
Bela Lugosi had to make this film in England in 1952 because he needed the money for his ticket back home. He went to Britain to revive his famous DRACULA play, but was stuck there when it bombed and the actor couldn't scrape up enough cash to sail to America! This film helped him get back on his feet, although almost nobody has a kind word for it.
The film is "okay", and it's Bela's best fifties flick if for no reason other than that he appears to be having fun and really getting into his character (a criminal who acts like a vampire but isn't really one). He's even funny in a few scenes.
Mother Riley (Arthur Lucan in drag) had a long-running comedy series of his (her) own, and this one was the last. Lucan is amusing some of the time as well, getting involved in Lugosi's mad plans for world domination.
The bottom line is that if you know what to expect, you can have a fun time with this movie. And for Bela Lugosiphiles, it's a MUST.
Might be Lugosi's lowest point.
DarthVoorhees22 November 2012
Warning: Spoilers
'Vampire Over London' is a horrible film with one redeeming quality which is of course Bela Lugosi and yet even the legendary Bela is really not enough to give this a view. 'Vampire Over London' is worse than any collaboration Lugosi made with Ed Wood. In fact I would even go so far as to say that Ed Wood is dignified and deep in the title drag role in 'Glen or Glenda' in comparison to Arthur Lucan's Old Mother Riley.
Lucan's Old Mother Riley is the kind of character that is like torture to watch. He is Jar Jar Binks/Steve Urkel caliber annoying. I'd rather watch someone scratch a chalk board for an hour than to sit through this film again. The fact that this type of character was never funny to begin with doesn't stop Lucan from indulging in every tired cliché. The film assumes it's audience is incredibly stupid but I don't think even stupid people would find Lucan funny.
Lugosi is good but he is given a horrendous script and is not in the film all that much. Lugosi wants to explore new territory here and he kind of plays the character more for laughs but none of the material is very funny. And since this is Lucan's film, Lugosi is never given a chance to do anything except set up Lucan's horrible humor. In a career full of highs and lows this might be rock bottom for this talented man. He didn't deserve this.
Lucan's Old Mother Riley is the kind of character that is like torture to watch. He is Jar Jar Binks/Steve Urkel caliber annoying. I'd rather watch someone scratch a chalk board for an hour than to sit through this film again. The fact that this type of character was never funny to begin with doesn't stop Lucan from indulging in every tired cliché. The film assumes it's audience is incredibly stupid but I don't think even stupid people would find Lucan funny.
Lugosi is good but he is given a horrendous script and is not in the film all that much. Lugosi wants to explore new territory here and he kind of plays the character more for laughs but none of the material is very funny. And since this is Lucan's film, Lugosi is never given a chance to do anything except set up Lucan's horrible humor. In a career full of highs and lows this might be rock bottom for this talented man. He didn't deserve this.
An acquired taste, for sure
Leofwine_draca3 November 2015
MOTHER RILEY MEETS THE VAMPIRE is the last in a long-running series of films (going since the 1930s) featuring Arthur Lucan in the title role of Old Mother Riley, a bad-tempered Irish washerwoman who always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. This one's the only one in the series of interest to horror fans, thanks to a starring role for an aged Bela Lugosi, playing a sinister vampire with nefarious plans for England.
Basically, this is MRS BROWN'S BOYS for the mid-20th century audience, and as juvenile and silly as it sounds. Most of the comedy involves groan-worthy slapstick, pitfalls, and dumb dialogue gags. Lucan is certainly an acquired taste, although I suppose he does grow on you a little bit as the film progresses, but it's still a very dated slice of British comedy. In fact the only part I really liked was the chase-based climax, which brings in some humorous Laurel & Hardy style sight gags. The cardboard robot is fun though, and narrowly predates the introduction of Robby the Robot in FORBIDDEN PLANET.
Lugosi is given quite a fair bit of screen time to be menacing and is, well, Lugosi. What's impressive is that he takes this film just as seriously as his Universal classics, and is the best thing in this. However, MOTHER RILEY MEETS THE VAMPIRE is also worthy of note thanks to the presence of some familiar British comedy actors, including Hattie Jacques in an unlikely song-and-dance routine. Dora Bryan (CARRY ON SERGEANT) has a minor role and there are cameos for Charles Lloyd Pack, John Le Mesurier, and George Benson, although I was unable to spot the latter two. Future Hammer director John Gilling helmed this one.
Basically, this is MRS BROWN'S BOYS for the mid-20th century audience, and as juvenile and silly as it sounds. Most of the comedy involves groan-worthy slapstick, pitfalls, and dumb dialogue gags. Lucan is certainly an acquired taste, although I suppose he does grow on you a little bit as the film progresses, but it's still a very dated slice of British comedy. In fact the only part I really liked was the chase-based climax, which brings in some humorous Laurel & Hardy style sight gags. The cardboard robot is fun though, and narrowly predates the introduction of Robby the Robot in FORBIDDEN PLANET.
Lugosi is given quite a fair bit of screen time to be menacing and is, well, Lugosi. What's impressive is that he takes this film just as seriously as his Universal classics, and is the best thing in this. However, MOTHER RILEY MEETS THE VAMPIRE is also worthy of note thanks to the presence of some familiar British comedy actors, including Hattie Jacques in an unlikely song-and-dance routine. Dora Bryan (CARRY ON SERGEANT) has a minor role and there are cameos for Charles Lloyd Pack, John Le Mesurier, and George Benson, although I was unable to spot the latter two. Future Hammer director John Gilling helmed this one.
Oh, The Pain!
boblipton16 March 2020
I've just watched this movie, and even as I try to recall enough of it to explain it to you, my brain recoils in horror. It involves Arthur Lucan in drag (he sings a song, during which the sound track changes, letting the audience know it is pre-recorded) and Bela Lugosi acting perfectly seriously as someone who believes he is a vampire. Lugosi has just built a prototype robot to conquer the world -- there's uranium involved too -- but the prototype is shipped to Riley's store and he must get it back.
Lugosi starred in a lot of horror movies after he did Dracula, but this is the most horrific of all. It's a musical-comedy vampire movie directed by John Gilling. We all know there are some things man was not meant to know, and songs man was not meant to sing. There are, apparently, some movies man was not meant to see, and this is one of them. As my brain concusses, trying to get away from my eyes, I will call a temporary halt to my survey of British Quota Quickies. I trust you will understand.
Lugosi starred in a lot of horror movies after he did Dracula, but this is the most horrific of all. It's a musical-comedy vampire movie directed by John Gilling. We all know there are some things man was not meant to know, and songs man was not meant to sing. There are, apparently, some movies man was not meant to see, and this is one of them. As my brain concusses, trying to get away from my eyes, I will call a temporary halt to my survey of British Quota Quickies. I trust you will understand.
So Bad I Only Remember It Was Really Really Bad (No Really)
verbusen5 November 2005
Warning: Spoilers
2 of 10 just to say you saw Legosi before he totally went deep end from old age and whatever he was on (morphene?), well maybe not. I rented this and I would commend it if it was funny, or not intentionally funny but ended up funny or scary or not scary but stupid. Basically you get none of the mentioned, it's just a horrid waste of time. Get really really drunk or drugged up (whatever your pleasure I am not condoning drug use), put this on and than fall asleep and just remember that this is a bad flick. Probably was when it first came out and it definitely is now. Don't say I didn't warn you. Oh I know you will watch it anyway being the optimist you are and Legosi lover from his Universal days, but believe me, this is about the lowest Legosi will get on my list and that includes Ed Wood stuff (at least that was so bad it was funny), it's even below Monogram, really really bad (no really).
Dull and Ineffective Comedy
Uriah4322 November 2016
Dull and Humorless This movie begins with a woman by the name of "Julia Loretti" (Maria Mercedes) being kidnapped by agents working for a man named "Von Housen" (Bela Lugosi) who goes by pseudonym of "the Vampire" and has everyone convinced that he is an actual vampire. As it turns out, however, although he sleeps in a coffin Von Housen is actually an inventor who is working on a plan to build 50,000 robots so that he can take over the world. To that end, he has abducted Julia because she knows where a secret chart is kept which identifies the location of a rich deposit of uranium that he desperately needs. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned as the prototype of the robot is accidentally sent to the wrong address which forces him to seize an old lady by the name of "Mrs. Riley" (Arthur Lucan) before she has a chance to alert the authorities. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that prior to watching this movie I had no idea that it was one of a series of films focused exclusively on the character of Mrs. Riley. Be that as it may, I honestly didn't care too much for this particular film due in large part because the slapstick humor was so incredibly dull and ineffective. It just wasn't a good movie. That being said, I have rated it accordingly. Below average.
I will say it actually had a few funny jokes-- but little else.
kfo949429 November 2015
Right from the beginning this movie had a feel of a cheaply made production that for some reason was able to get aging Bela Lugosi to co-star in order to give the film some worth. But overall, Lugosi turned out to be more of an embarrassment to the film while the main star, Arthur Lucan, tried his best to hold the movie together with his slap-stick antics that had been his custom for years. While nothing could have made this production into a classic, Mr Lucan did prove that he could use the weak script to the best of his ability and use his humor to at least give the audience a smile.
There is very little to the story as Lugosi plays a vampire like character that orders a robot through the post. The items gets mixed up in shipping and instead of going to Lugosi ends up at Mrs Riley's (Lucan) house. Now a series of unbelievable events will lead Mrs Riley to solve a case in minutes that Scotland Yard has been working on for weeks. Along the way Mrs Riley goes through some situations that, at times, is somewhat humorous. The sad thing is they are few and far between and you have many scenes that are downright boring.
Lucan did his best but nothing could save this cheaply made production. Even the copy of the movie that I watched was incredibly dark and had an almost amateurish feel in sound and quality. The only saving grace was some funny lines by Lucan as he made his way through the pitfalls.
If your watching this for Bela Lugosi, it will prove to be a sad experience. Watch the movie for one reason-- that is the sometime quirky British comedy genre of the forties and early fifties. And perhaps you might smile once or twice while watching.
There is very little to the story as Lugosi plays a vampire like character that orders a robot through the post. The items gets mixed up in shipping and instead of going to Lugosi ends up at Mrs Riley's (Lucan) house. Now a series of unbelievable events will lead Mrs Riley to solve a case in minutes that Scotland Yard has been working on for weeks. Along the way Mrs Riley goes through some situations that, at times, is somewhat humorous. The sad thing is they are few and far between and you have many scenes that are downright boring.
Lucan did his best but nothing could save this cheaply made production. Even the copy of the movie that I watched was incredibly dark and had an almost amateurish feel in sound and quality. The only saving grace was some funny lines by Lucan as he made his way through the pitfalls.
If your watching this for Bela Lugosi, it will prove to be a sad experience. Watch the movie for one reason-- that is the sometime quirky British comedy genre of the forties and early fifties. And perhaps you might smile once or twice while watching.
Poor Bela--reduced to THIS?
preppy-330 November 2011
Just terrible. It's about a mad scientist named Von Housen (Bela Lugosi) who wants world domination. He has to battle with old Mrs. Riley (Arthur Lucan) and somehow a stupid robot is thrown in.
I caught this on Saturday afternoon TV back in the 1970s. I was still in grammar school back then and (even at that young age) I found it stupid and painfully unfunny. I don't think I even smiled once. The slapstick was tired and Lucan was incredibly annoying. At one point the movie comes to a screeching halt so he/she can sing a song! The song is dreadful--enough to make you want to cut off your ears. Lugosi is the only thing that makes this bearable. He was very ill at the time (you can tell) but he gives this his all. Despite the lousy script he manages to put his lines over. Still this is a stupid and unfunny film that's best left forgotten.
I caught this on Saturday afternoon TV back in the 1970s. I was still in grammar school back then and (even at that young age) I found it stupid and painfully unfunny. I don't think I even smiled once. The slapstick was tired and Lucan was incredibly annoying. At one point the movie comes to a screeching halt so he/she can sing a song! The song is dreadful--enough to make you want to cut off your ears. Lugosi is the only thing that makes this bearable. He was very ill at the time (you can tell) but he gives this his all. Despite the lousy script he manages to put his lines over. Still this is a stupid and unfunny film that's best left forgotten.
Bela Lugosi and Old Mother Riley - a PERFECT team!!
binapiraeus29 May 2014
Being a real Bela Lugosi fanatic, I just 'stumbled' into this movie by pure coincidence - I didn't even know that it was one of Arthur Lucan's 'Old Mother Riley' vehicles, of which I'd only heard so far, nor that it was the last one of this long-running (and I'm sure, tremendously funny) film series; so, simply following the label 'starring Bela Lugosi', I got mixed up, just like 'Old Mother Riley' did in this adventure, in one of the most HILARIOUS British comedies I've ever seen, with the humor certainly at its MOST British - in the most positive sense!
An absolutely outrageous story about a mad scientist who believes he is a vampire and wants to rule the world with an army of robots, and the permanently broke old shop owner 'Mrs. Riley', whom some crazy twists of fate bring together - from here on, you can just STOP thinking, and start enjoying the slapstick-like chase scenes, the wonderful displays of Arthur Lucan's GREAT comical talent - and a really TOTALLY 'unknown' Bela Lugosi, who seems to feel ABSOLUTELY at ease with all that nonsense, and obviously has got a great lot of fun with deliberately overplaying his well-known 'mad scientist' image! (NO comparison at all with the entirely unfunny Hollywood 'comedy' he did - or maybe HAD to do, for financial reasons - the same year called "Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla"...)
Of course, this movie DOES require a good sense of (British) humor; but I'm sure that EVERY fan of horror classics, and especially of Bela Lugosi, who is equipped with a little bit of said sense of humor will LOVE this crazy spoof - and will be wanting to see more of those hilarious 'Old Mother Riley' films!
An absolutely outrageous story about a mad scientist who believes he is a vampire and wants to rule the world with an army of robots, and the permanently broke old shop owner 'Mrs. Riley', whom some crazy twists of fate bring together - from here on, you can just STOP thinking, and start enjoying the slapstick-like chase scenes, the wonderful displays of Arthur Lucan's GREAT comical talent - and a really TOTALLY 'unknown' Bela Lugosi, who seems to feel ABSOLUTELY at ease with all that nonsense, and obviously has got a great lot of fun with deliberately overplaying his well-known 'mad scientist' image! (NO comparison at all with the entirely unfunny Hollywood 'comedy' he did - or maybe HAD to do, for financial reasons - the same year called "Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla"...)
Of course, this movie DOES require a good sense of (British) humor; but I'm sure that EVERY fan of horror classics, and especially of Bela Lugosi, who is equipped with a little bit of said sense of humor will LOVE this crazy spoof - and will be wanting to see more of those hilarious 'Old Mother Riley' films!
Watch Steady Decline of Lugosi
Helismoke16 July 2021
Much like the decline of Lon Chaney, Jr., Bela Lugosi's decline is highly visible in the chain of movies made after circa 1940. The great Karloff said he would take roles as he was an actor, and some were really good. Lugosi by this time was doing it simply for the money. This movie is absolutely horrible, and I'm a Lugosi fan. The fact the " Heroine " is a guy in drag does nothing for the comic value, nor does the cheesy, and I mean REALLY CHEESY, plot. Horror? No. Comedy? No. Don't waste your time.
A bizarre oddity
heedarmy22 March 2001
This obscure British B-pic has to be seen to be believed. Ageing music hall entertainer Arthur Lucan ("Mother Riley") confronts a raddled and ill-looking Bela Lugosi, playing a master criminal who sleeps in his coffin and thinks he's a vampire. Lugosi, spoofing his own horror persona, is assisted by a sinister henchman called Hitchcock (!) and a silly-looking robot.
The film isn't particularly good but you keep on watching out of sheer bemusement, wondering what will crop up next. There's a song-and-dance routine in Old Mother Riley's shop, speeded-up chase sequences, a brief appearance from ex Will Hay "fat boy" Graham Moffat and, showing how social attitudes have changed, a running joke involving a drunk driver!
The film isn't particularly good but you keep on watching out of sheer bemusement, wondering what will crop up next. There's a song-and-dance routine in Old Mother Riley's shop, speeded-up chase sequences, a brief appearance from ex Will Hay "fat boy" Graham Moffat and, showing how social attitudes have changed, a running joke involving a drunk driver!
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