Old Mother Riley's New Venture

Old Mother Riley's New Venture is a low-budget black-and-white 1949 British comedy film, starring Arthur Lucan, Kitty McShane and Chili Bouchier. It is the twelfth in the long-running Old Mother Riley films, and was the first of the series to play in London's West End. In addition, it was the first to be released in the US, where it opened in 1952, as Old Mother Riley, (and was re-released there as A Wild Irish Night).

Plot summary
The owner of a five star London hotel leaves for a holiday, and to everyone's surprise promotes Old Mother Riley from kitchen dishwasher to manageress. Chaos ensues, and Mother Riley and Kitty are suddenly suspects in the theft of the Royal Hula Diamond, but somehow along the way also manage a trip to a beauty parlour, a banquet with Arab royalty, some Saint Patrick's Day celebrations, and a climactic custard pie fight.

Cast

 * Arthur Lucan as Old Mother Riley
 * Kitty McShane as Kitty Riley
 * Chili Bouchier as Cora Gayne
 * Willer Neal as David Thompson
 * Sebastian Cabot as Potentate
 * Wilfred Babbage as Major Gayne
 * Maureen Riscoe as Mabel
 * Fred Groves as John Grigsby
 * C. Denier Warren as Matthew Hillick
 * Paul Sheridan as Saunders
 * Arthur Gomez as Chef
 * John Le Mesurier as Karl
 * Amando Guinle as Jules
 * Grace Arnold as Prison Governor
 * Howard Douglas as Dr Collins
 * Hugh Dempster as Drunk
 * Gordon Littman as 1st Aide
 * Robert Moore as Allan
 * George Street as Walters
 * James Knight as Police Superintendent
 * Blanche Fothergill as Mrs Ginochie
 * Brian Royceton as Commissionaire
 * Pamela Skiff as Beauty Parlour Attendant
 * Joy Frankau as Beauty Parlour Attendant

Critical reception

 * The Digital Fix wrote, "New Venture is essentially unwatchable...Old routines, a bare minimum of laughs and a comic pairing who are, quite frankly, way beyond their best."
 * At the time of the film's release, Monthly Film Bulletin called the film, "a vivacious slapsick comedy."
 * On its U.S. release, Variety wrote of the film, "offers little appeal for most situations...Film's best market appears to lie in "Irish Night" shows or in neighbourhoods where there's a sizable Irish population. Cast is unknown to American audiences... Arthur Lucan has a thespian field day in the title role."