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"On Your Way, Riley!" (Play based
on the life of Lucan and McShane)
British
Music Hall Performers
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LUCAN & MCSHANE - THE WAR YEARS 1939-1945
1939
As the storm clouds gathered over Europe, it was a busy year for Lucan & McShane.
. The third and fourth films in the series - "OLD MOTHER RILY MP" and "OLD MOTHER RILEY JOINS UP"
were released.
The duo also played to capacity audiences in a thirty week tour with a review called "OLD MOTHER RILEY
COMES TO TOWN".
War was declared on Germany on 3 September 1939.
Lucan and McShane star in a Christmas pantomime 'THE OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A SHOE', which also featured
the young Jimmy Clitheroe.
Christmas pantomime poster from 1939, for an appearance at the Pavilion Theatre,
Liverpool.
1940 The BBC's Forces Programme begins on the radio on 7th January 1940.
With imports of food declining because of the U boat attacks on shipping and the advance of the German army across Europe,
the British government introduced food rationing on 8th January 1940. The first foods to be rationed were bacon, butter and sugar.
Click
here for an interesting article on the BBC's wartime radio programming. The Battle of Britain begins on 10th July 1940.
Lucan and McShane's first radio broadcast for the BBC on 13 August 1940, performing "OLD MOTHER RILEY
COMES TO TOWN".A further broadcast follows on a Forces Programme, as guests of Jack "Dixon of Dock
Green" Warner (pictured below) on 23 November 1940.
Click
here for more on Lucan & McShane's radio career. 1941
In order to supplement the shortage of meat in Britain millions of tins of processed meat, de-boned and compacted,
were shipped from the USA and Argentina by the government. SPAM luncheon meat (pictured below) had finally arrived
in Britain!
1941 was yet another very busy year for Lucan and McShane.
The film "OLD MOTHER RILEY'S GHOST" is released. This is the only film where Arthur Lucan is seen a man. In addition to his
traditional Old Mother Riley role, he plays a villain who disguises himself as her.
In February, the duo tour the country for fourteen weeks with a new show - "OLD MOTHER RILEY PAYS US A VISIT". On
9 April 1941 the Queen's Theatre, South Shields (pictured below) , is destroyed by the German Luftwaffe, and the duo lose almost all of their
props,costumes and scenery. Arthur was particularly upset to lose an irreplaceable pair of pink flanelette patched
knickers, which he had first worn as Old Mother Riley years earlier in "Red Riding Hood" in Dublin.
The Queens Theatre, South Shields, shortly
after being destroyed by German bombers on 9 April 1941 Click
here for more on this. A further ten week tour of the show is planned for the autumn of 1941.
The duo record two radio shows for the BBC - "OLD MOTHER RILEY TAKES TO THE AIR" and "OLD MOTHER RILEY'S CHRISTMAS PARTY"
The duo also shoot their new film - "OLD MOTHER RILEY'S CIRCUS".
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1941 (Continued)
The couple were asked to make special propaganda films for the Central Office for Information, reminding the general
public that "CARELESS TALK COSTS LIVES" and "REMEMBER.....KEEP MUM" (see poster below).
Keep Mum : Careless Talk Costs Lives. Ministry of Information poster. [Click picture for larger image.] Lucan and McShane are voted the second most popular British box-office attractions, after George Formby (pictured below)
, by The American Motion Picture Herald.
George Formby
1942
Another series of "OLD MOTHER RILEY TAKES TO THE AIR" is broadcast on the radio between June and August 1942.
The film "old Mother Riley in Paris" is re-released as "Old Mother Riley Catches A Quisling".
Their earlier re-edited films continue to do the rounds as support features.
Columbia Records issue
a series of recordings of the Old Mother Riley sketches.
Click
here for more information on Lucan & McShane's records. Click
here to listen to the Lucan & McShane's Columbia records. Work begins on the next flim - "OLD MOTHER RILEY, DETECTIVE", which is released in 1943.
The couple's yearly earnings are reputed to be in the region of £40,000, a phenominal amount of money in those days, making them
one of the higest paid acts in the country.
1943
"OLD MOTHER RILEY -OVERSEAS" is filmed and a number of radio programmes are recorded by Lucan & McShane throughout
the year.
1944
On 6th June 1944, the familiar voice of John Snagge announced on BBC radio that D-Day had begun. This was the start
of the Allied invasion of German-occupied Europe.
Lucan and McShane continue their radio sucess with a number of further shows recorded in the first half of the year.
The film "OLD MOTHER RILEY AT HOME" begins production in December 1944. This was the first film in which Willer Neal
(aka Billy Bleach) played the part of Kitty's boyfriend. A classic case of art imitating life.
Kitty McShane first took a shine to the young Billy Bleach after he was booked as part of a male backing quartet
on tour in 1944.
The relationship quickly developed into something more serious and Bleach became a permanent fixture in both Lucan
& McShane' public and private lives. Arthur naively went along with her. However, he insisted that Bleach changed his name, as
it "sounds like a washing detergent!" Billy Bleach was re-invented as Willer Neal. The die was cast.
Little did Arthur Lucan realise that
the seeds of the destruction of his marriage and his career had been sown.
Click
here for more on this. 1945
The film "OLD MOTHER RILEY AT HOME" is released in April 1945, The couple's relationship deteriorated, and this was to
be their last film for four years.
On 30th April 1945 Adolf Hitler commits suicide in his Berlin bunker. World War II ended in Europe with VE Day, on 8th May 1945, ending six years of misery.
Lucan and McShane make a number of new radio appearances during the year.
Click
here for more on Lucan & McShane's radio career.
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