Old Mother Riley

After finishing the film - Old Mother Riley Meets Dracula (1952), with Bela Lugosi, Arthur continued to make stage appearances across the country.

Old Mother Riley remains unmoved by Bela Lugosi's dubious charms in 'Old Mother Riley Meets The Vampire (1952)

Bankruptcy

Arthur was paid a derisory £30 per week from McShane Productions and was classed merely as an employee of the company. In 1953 he was made the subject of a bankruptcy order and owed £15,000 in back taxes to the Inland Revenue.

[Extract from The Times newspaper. Saturday, 22nd August 1953; page 2; Issue 52707; Legal Notices Category: Classified Advertising. Kindly sent to me by Roy Rust]
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[Extract from The Times newspaper. Saturday, 29 August 1953; page 4; Issue 52713; Meeting Of Mr. A. Towle's Creditors. Kindly sent to me by Roy Rust]
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[Extract from The Times newspaper, Wednesday, 10th March, 1954; page 5; Issue 52876; Variety Artist's Debts Mr. A. Towle's Deficiency Of £11,298. Category: Law [Kindly sent to me by Roy Rust]
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The Final Curtain

Under increasing stress due to his financial and personal problems, and drinking heavily, Arthur started another tour in OLD MOTHER RILEY IN PARIS.

His last ever stage appearance was at the Theatre Royal, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, on Friday 14th May 1954.

His next scheduled appearance was due for Monday 17th May 1954 at the Tivoli Theatre Kingston-Upon-Hull, East Yorkshire, where he had played to large appreciative audiences on a number of previous visits.

That Monday at the Tivoli, compere Ellis Aston was the first on stage to open the show. Unbeknown to Ellis and the expectant waiting audience, Arthur Lucan had collapsed whilst waiting in the wings for his cue to go on stage.

The star of the show was carried to his dressing room where he died shortly afterwards.The precise time was 6.22pm.

Arthur Lucan was 68 years old.

His understudy, Frank Seton, took the two houses that night with the audience unaware of the drama that was being played out behind the scenes.

The ambulance sent to remove Arthur's body took over an hour to arrive. This meant that Frank Seton had to keep stepping over the body in the dressing room during costume changes.

Article from the Hull Daily Mail - Tuesday 18 May 1954

ARTHUR LUCAN DIES AT TIVOLI

TRAGEDY BACKSTAGE- BUT SHOW GOES ON

Awaiting his cue in the wings of Hull Tivoli Theatre last night, stage and screen star Arthur Lucan - Old Mother Riley to millions - suddenly collapsed. He died 10 minutes later, without regaining conciosness, in the star dressing room backstage. as his body lay on the floor, his understudy hurriedly donned his costume, made up, and went on.

The Tivoli audience were only aware of a temporary hitch in the show which was halted and restarted from the beginning. While the chorus line tapped through routines, and pearls of laughter swept the auditorium, the City Coroner (Dr Philip Science) examined the body backstage and found that Arthur Lucan had died of heart failure.

The show began in the normal way. The tivoli orchestra chrashed into the customary opening number. The curtain rose, and the girls came on.

HEARD THUD

In the wings, Arthur Lucan, made up in his familiar costume of Old Mother Riley, awaiting his cue. The show manager, Mr Cyril William (Slim) Ingram who stood beside him, commented on how well he looked.

As Mr Ingarm turned away, he heard the thud of a falling body, looked around, and saw that Arthur Lucan had collapsed.

Also present were Mr Roland Watson, chief electrician, and Mr TW Sanderson, manager of the Continental Cinema.

Unconscious, Lucan was carried backstage to his dressing room - the star No.1 dressing room of the century-old Tivoli - where he died.

UNDERSTUDY TAKES OVER

One of the cast, Ellis Ashton, dressed as Lord Mayor, came on stage as the tabs closed and said, "Owing to an unforseen hitch, there will be a slight delay in the programme."

Again the overture was played and the show restarted. This time, 36 year old Frank Seton, wearing Lucan's famous costume, made his entry as Old Mother Riley before an audience unaware ofthe tragedy which had been played out back stage.

The pretty chorus line crowded down the stairs, some of them choking back sobs, and danced gaily on to the stage.

The show went on.

LOOKING WELL

Mr Ingram, who was the last man to speak to Arthur Lucan, told the HDM moments after the tragedy, while he awaited his cue on the same spot, "I was commenting on how well he looked. He said he had been for a walk round the block before he came to the theatre."

"I told him to watch the deep trough before the footlights. As I turned away from him he hit the deck. We carried him into the dressing room and he never regained consciousness."

His dresser, Miss Maisie Monro, who was in tears sad "I saw him die. I have been with him for years."

MEMENTOS

On a shelf in the artists bar where Lucan had his last drink - a gin and orange - before he went upstairs to go on stage, stood two small brass figurines presented by himself and his wife, Kitty McShane, during their last visit to Hull in 1953.

Lucan had been playing Old Mother Riley for 35-40 years and had created an almost legendary theatre character. He was a native of Lincolnshire and had played in Hull in "Going Gay" in May last year.

WIFE TOLD

The Tivoli managing director, Mr Harold Clark, telephoned Kitty McShane in London to break the tragic news. She arrived in Hull today.

Mrs Joy Grant, wife of one of the cast, Jimmy Grant, who plays the part of Pat Riley in the show said "He was chatting to us just before he went on. He seemed alright then."

Gale Douglas who had been Arthur's "feed" for the last 3 years and has been in 6 shows with him said "Before we came to the theatre Arthur had been looking in a pet-shop window, admiring some puppies and was talking about buying a corgi.

INIMITABLE

Mr Seton who stepped into the principal part said afterward "You can't really take over a part like Old Mother Riley. It is entirely hisown characterisation. You can't just mimic him."

GRAND TROUPER

A Hull Daily Mail reporter writes "I was almost certainly the last reporter ever to be Arthur Lucan's company. I met him on Sunday evening socially for the first time and was impressed with his devotion to showbusiness. This was not merely a jobto him, but a part of his life which he loved fervently."

"He was a grand trouper who never failed to respond to the maxim of maxim that 'the show must go on'. Even when he was ill he never spared himself and rarely called on his understudy."

"He had plans for making a further series of films in which medium he was immensly popular. He had played the halls for many years with undisputed sucess and his death will be mourned by many friends and fans.

The above article is accompanied by two photographs. The first of Frank Seton leaving the star dressing room to take over the part. The second is a smaller picture of Mr Roland Watson, chief electrician at the Tivoli Theatre, in whose arms Mr Lucan died.

Continued

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This site was created and is maintained by Martyn Peter Wilkinson.

Quotes and images not my own remain in the copyright of the originator or else in the public domain. The information contained in this web site is intended for entertainment, educational, historical, and informational purposes only.

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The Death of Arthur Lucan - An Eyewitness Account by Janet Karel

Here is a poignant e-mail I received from Janet Karel regarding the last moments of Arthur Lucan. I spoke to Janet on the telephone in January 2007 and she is an absolutely charming lady. She has kindly allowed me to share her memories of that fateful night. Here is her story...

"I was the female lead in Gaston and André’s fifties tour of Old Mother Riley in Paris, Arthur Lucan’s last show. Over the years I have heard and seen programmes where others of the company have talked of his death that night in Hull. Although I was never contacted about it I was certainly the last person that Arthur stood and talked with before he crashed into unconsciousness backstage at the Tivoli Theatre.

I well remember the tour of ‘Old Mother Riley in Paris’ and the death of its star Arthur Lucan, backstage at the Tivoli Theatre, Hull. I was playing the role of Mary, the girl next door to Old Mother Riley, and deeply in love with her wayward son Pat.

The performance, on that sad night, began quite normally. Arthur and I stood, as we usually did, awaiting our first entrance, wondering what the ‘house’ was like. I, ready to go ahead, putting across the story of Pat and I as childhood sweethearts (changing the words of the old song Mother Kelly’s Doorstep to Mother Riley’s Doorstep) and ending by breaking down in tears, which was Old Mother Riley’s cue to enter, and stand on her doorstep sniffing and dabbing her eyes with her apron.

We had both come down in good time at the ‘Overture and Beginners’ call. Arthur must have run back up to his dressing room, probably for a quick nip of something warming, because I remember marvelling at the athletic speed at which he flew back downstairs again, and the comic incongruity of this with his elderly lady character, which I suppose was the very essence of his appeal.

I was smiling as he came towards me, and he said “You’re looking lovely tonight, Mary”. His eyes were misty and I guessed he was actually thinking of his darling Kitty McShane. I brushed off the remark and he turned to the wall, leaning his head on his hand in a comic pose of rejection. Then suddenly, he staggered back, spinning almost full circle, still stiffly upright, then crashed backwards to the floor where he lay, his breath rasping, rattling and snorting, as others rushed to him. I heard my cue and went on stage. All the time as I sung, I was trying to make sense of what I’d seen happening to Arthur. The song ended, my tears flowed on cue, but there was no answering sniff, no quip from Mother Riley’s doorstep behind me.

I turned and looked upstage. Her door remained shut, her doorstep empty. I continued to stand quite still as the house lights came up, just staring at that empty doorstep, and it dawned on me that Old Mother Riley would never stand there, or indeed anywhere, ever again."

Janet Karel

Article from the Hull Daily Mail - Tuesday 18 May 1954 - headed Hull Entertainment Reviewed by PCM

THE SHOW MUST GO ON

"Despite the tragedy back-stage "Old Mother Riley in Paris" went on without a hitch, at the Tivoli last night except for a break at the beginning when Arthur Lucan died while waiting to make his first entry.

Descibed as a musical frolic, the show is a gay review with a delectable chorus line, rich comedy and pleasant singers. Frank Seton took over the part of Old Mother Riley, and acquitted himself so well that one comment from an old theatregoer was "a miracle".

Janet Kavel sang pleasantly with Jimmy Grant. Little Barry Gnome was extremely amusing, and Arthur Bega and Joy's dance specialities were first-class in their style.

The Andree dancers are a top-class turn, and Ellis ashton's humour was rib-ticking.

But the real credit must go to a whole team of troupers who carried on under one of the most crippling handicaps possible in showbusiness."

The Funeral

After a Requiem Mass, Arthur Lucan was buried in Kingston-upon-Hull's Eastern Cemetery on Friday 21st May 1954. His funeral was attended by Kitty, his son Donald, the cast of the show, the Tivoli Theatre management and staff, numerous show-business friends and fans.

After a short service at the graveside, in the variety tradition, Kitty picked up Arthur's famous Old Mother Riley costume and threw it on top of the coffin. As the large group of mourners around the grave dispersed, Kitty remained for a few minutes. Before leaving, she threw a single red rose onto the coffin, alongside Arthur's costume.

arthur lucan's grave

Arthur Lucan's grave in Hull's Eastern Cemetary
[Picture courtesy of Lynton Black]

On Kitty's instructions, Arthur's gravestone bore the simple inscription :

'Arthur Lucan, better known and beloved by all children as Old Mother Riley. Don't cry as you pass by, just say a prayer.'

There are no dates on the stone and above the inscription is an indented cross with the figure of Jesus on it.

Arthur Lucan's grave

[The above four pictures are courtesy of Jon Black]

Continued

"We're all from the same mould but some of us are mouldier than others!" - Arthur Lucan

The Show Must Go On

On Kitty McShane's instructions, the show played out its run for the rest of the week at the Tivoli, and Frank Seton was replaced by Roy Rolland in the Old Mother Riley role. The show continued to tour after a two week break, under the amended titles "OLD MOTHER KELLY IN PARIS" and "PARADISE ROW TO PARIS".

Roy Roland as Old Mother Riley

Roy Rolland continued to keep the Old Mother Riley flame burning . Theatre poster from 1985.

The Legacy

Although Arthur Lucan, the man, was gone, Old Mother Riley, the wonderfully eccentric larger than life character that he created, would live on through his films and radio work, to delight future generations, both young and old.

The Old Mother Riley character was enormously popular, especially with children. So much so, that for many decades after Arthur Lucan’s death, local school children in Kingston-Upon-Hull would regularly cover his grave in flowers.

kitty mcshane and arthur lucan

Kitty McShane with husband Arthur Lucan, in his familiar Old Mother Riley garb.

Postscript

After Arthur's death, the widowed Kitty carried on the act of Old Mother Riley with Roy Rolland in the role, but with little success.

She was found dead at her London home, on 24th March 1964, aged 65, just short of ten years after her husband. The cause of death was not reported.

"There's laughter and tears, smiles and regrets, sunshine and showers, but we must all carry on to the end."

Arthur Lucan, from his famous sketch, THE MATCHSELLER.

ARTHUR LUCAN (1885-1954)

KITTY McSHANE (1898-1964)