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Arthur Lucan (born Arthur Towle; 16 September 1885 – 17 May 1954) was an English actor who performed the drag act Old Mother Riley on stage, radio and screen, with a series of comedy films from the late 1930s to the early 1950s.
Old Mother Riley (full comedy name: Daphne Bluebell Snowdrop Riley) is an Irish washerwoman and charwoman character, devised by Lucan (born Arthur Towle). [1] [3] His wife Kitty McShane played Old Mother Riley's daughter, Kitty. [1] It was essentially a drag act but also a double act.
Arthur Lucan was a British comedian who created the character of Old Mother Riley, a cross-dressing Irish woman. He starred in 17 films and performed in music halls with his wife Kitty McShane until his death in 1954.
- September 16, 1885
- May 17, 1954
Arthur Lucan (1885-1954) was a British comedian who starred in 17 films as Old Mother Riley, a charwoman or laundress with eccentric ways and malapropisms. He also wrote and performed songs and sketches with his wife Kitty McShane in music halls and TV shows.
- January 1, 1
- Boston, Lincolnshire, England, UK
- January 1, 1
- Hull, Yorkshire, England, UK
In 1910 Arthur Lucan was touring Ireland and was playing his pantomime Little Red Riding Hood in Dublin. Here he met McShane, who successfully auditioned for a part in the show as a singer. Aged just 16 she married the 28-year-old Lucan on 25 November 1913 at the Church of St Andrews in Dublin.
Jun 4, 2012 · Old Mother Riley was an Irish washerwoman character, devised by Lucan (born Arthur Towle). His wife Kitty McShane played Old Mother Riley's daughter, Kitty. It was essentially a drag act but...
- 6 min
- 18.3K
- VintageBritishComedy
Dec 4, 2013 · Rare 1985 drama about Arthur Lucan and Kitty McShane (Old Mother Riley & Daughter) starring Brian Murphy and Maureen Lipman
- 52 min
- 73.3K
- James Stevens
