Vampire Over London (1952)
"Old Mother Riley Meets the Vampire" (original title)

The mysterious figure known as the Vampire comes to England to complete experiments in his mad bid to gain control of the world. When the radar-controlled Robot which he had ordered shipped... See full summary »

Director:

John Gilling

Writer:

Val Valentine

Stars:

Arthur Lucan, Bela Lugosi, Dora Bryan

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Arthur Lucan	...	Mrs. Riley
Bela Lugosi	...	Von Housen
Dora Bryan	...	Tilly
Philip Leaver	...	Anton Daschomb
Richard Wattis	...	PC Freddie
Graham Moffatt	...	The Yokel (as Graham Moffat)
María Mercedes	...	Julia Loretti
Roderick Lovell	...	Douglas
David Hurst	...	Mugsy
Judith Furse	...	Freda
Ian Wilson	...	Hitchcock, the butler
Hattie Jacques	...	Mrs. Jenks
Dandy Nichols	...	Mrs. Mott
George Benson	...	Police Sergeant
Bill Shine	...	Mugsy's Assistant

Storyline

The mysterious figure known as the Vampire comes to England to complete experiments in his mad bid to gain control of the world. When the radar-controlled Robot which he had ordered shipped to him is delivered instead to Mother Riley, the Vampire, through radar control, has the Robot transport itself as well as Mother Riley to the proper destination...as the old lady goes into a whirl of side-splitting action in a determined effort to frustrate the plans of the sinister Vampire.

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Plot Keywords:

vampire | robot | motorcycle | poverty row film | jumping through a window | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

My Son the Vampire

Filming Locations:

Nettlefold Studios, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fernwood Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

74 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the final "Old Mother Riley" film and the only one in which Arthur Lucan's longtime partner and wife, Kitty McShane, did not appear as Mrs Riley's daughter. Lucan and McShane had a very bitter separation in 1951.

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Goofs

During the climactic chase, when Mother Riley is riding the motorcycle, the rod and wire that lifts her hat is clearly visible.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mugsy: There she is.
Anton Daschomb: Turn the car on.

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Connections

Referenced in Mondo Lugosi (1987)

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Soundtracks

"I Hold Up My Finger and I Say Tweet Tweet"
Written by Leslie Sarony
Sung by Arthur Lucan and cast

User Reviews

Really cute and wacky

I've never heard of or seen a "Mother Riley Adventure" and didn't realize it was a whole series of films, but I had Turner Classic Movies on and saw that Bela Lugosi was in this one so I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm glad I did, as this is one of the wackier movies I've seen in a long time. It's a slapstick horror featuring an old lady who gets abducted by a robot (?) sent to her by a vampire (played by Bela, of course, who endearingly and comfortably hams it up in his few scenes.) Oh yeah, did I mention old Mother Riley is played by an old man? What a strange vehicle this is, but I found it impossible to dislike. There's even a completely random goofy song and dance sequence. The slapstick goes over-the-top in some scenes (notably the ones that are sped up), but it's all in good fun. The best thing the movie has going for it is its distinctly British humor. I loved Dora Byran as Tilly the chambermaid, especially when she starts cavorting with Mother Riley. The woman has such fantastic comedic timing! Overall, its an amusing and quick movie. If you catch it on TV give it a go. I don't think it's as rotten as its reputation.