Old Mother Riley in Business

Old Mother Riley in Business is a 1949 British comedy film directed by John Baxter and starring Arthur Lucan, Kitty McShane and Cyril Chamberlain.^[1] It was the sixth in the long-running Old Mother Riley series of films. Old Mother Riley's pub faces competition from a large chain store nearby, causing her to declare war on it.

Old Mother Riley in Business
Trade ad poster
Directed by	John Baxter
Written by	Geoffrey Orme Con West
Story by	Roger Clegg Barbara K. Emary
Produced by	John Baxter
Starring	Arthur Lucan Kitty McShane Charles Victor Cyril Chamberlain
Cinematography	James Wilson
Edited by	Michael C. Chorlton
Music by	Kennedy Russell
Production company	British National Films
Distributed by	Butcher's Film Service
Release date	November 1940 (1940-11)
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Plot summary

Old Mother Riley comes to the rescue of local shopkeepers after a ruthless chain, "Golden Stores" makes its aggressive presence felt. The boisterous Irish washerwoman gives the chain stores boss a push into the river and soon finds herself a wanted woman, donning a nurse's outfit to escape from the hospital in which she is hiding.^[2]

Cast

• Arthur Lucan as Mrs. Riley
• Kitty McShane as Kitty Riley
• Cyril Chamberlain as John Halliwell
• Ernest Butcher
• O. B. Clarence
• Edgar Driver
• Morris Harvey
• Roddy Hughes
• Ruth Maitland
• Edie Martin
• Wally Patch
• Ernest Sefton
• Charles Victor

Reception

According to Kinematograph Weekly the film's box office performance in the north east of England improved after German bombing destroyed a stage show of Arthur Lucan; this caused cancellation of several of Lucan's stage shows but also led to increased sympathy for Lucan.^[3]