Meet Mr. Lucifer
Meet Mr. Lucifer is a black and white British comedy satire film released in 1953 starring Stanley Holloway. It was filmed at Ealing Studios, London, and is one of the Ealing Comedies. The film is based on the play Beggar My Neighbour by Arnold Ridley (who later played Private Godfrey in the BBC television comedy series Dad's Army).[2] The film opened on 26 November 1953 at the Haymarket Gaumont cinema in London.[1]
Meet Mr. Lucifer | |
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Screenshot showing actor Jack Watling | |
Directed by | Anthony Pelissier |
Produced by | Monja Danischewsky |
Written by | Monja Danischewsky (scriptwriter) additional dialogue by Peter Myers and Alec Grahame |
Starring | Stanley Holloway Peggy Cummins Jack Watling |
Music by | Eric Rogers |
Cinematography | Desmond Dickinson |
Edited by | Bernard Gribble |
Production company | |
Distributed by | General Film Distributors |
Release date | 26 November 1953[1] |
Running time | 83 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
The overall scenario is that a television set makes people act out of character, with visible encouragement from the devil in human form (Mr Lucifer).
Plot
When Mr Pedelty (Joseph Tomelty) leaves his firm, he is given a television set as a retirement present. At first he enjoys all the attention from his neighbours, but soon the attraction wears off, and he sells it on to a young married couple the Nortons (Jack Watling and Peggy Cummins) living in the flat above him. They soon encounter the same problems, and again the set is passed on to several different characters all with the same results.
The set passes to the chemist Hector McPhee who falls in love with "The Lonely Hearts Singer" on a television programme. At first he has the same dour character of his maiden aunt, Miss MacPherson (Jean Cadell). At first the set improves his character, but as his obsession grows he gets increasingly angry at any interruption.
Cast
- (in credits order)
- Stanley Holloway as Sam Hollingsworth / Mr. Lucifer
- Peggy Cummins as Kitty Norton
- Jack Watling as Jim Norton
- Barbara Murray as Patricia Pedelty
- Joseph Tomelty as Mr. Pedelty
- Kay Kendall as Lonely Hearts Singer
- Gordon Jackson as Hector McPhee
- Charles Victor as Mr. Elder
- Humphrey Lestocq as Arthur
- Jean Cadell as Mrs. Macdonald
- Raymond Huntley as Mr. Patterson
- Ernest Thesiger as Mr. Macdonald
- Frank Pettingell as Mr. Roberts
- Olive Sloane as Mrs. Stannard
- Gilbert Harding as Himself
- Philip Harben as Himself
- McDonald Hobley as Himself
- David Miller as Himself
- Olga Gwynne as Principal Boy
- Joan Sims as Fairy Queen
- Ian Carmichael as Man Friday
- Irene Handl as Lady with Dog
- Gladys Henson as Lady in Bus
- Roddy Hughes as Billings
- Eliot Makeham as Edwards
- Bill Fraser as Band Leader
- Dandy Nichols as Mrs. Clarke
- Toke Townley as Trumpet Player
- Fred Griffiths as Removal Man
References
- "Barbara Murray". Art & Hue. 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- "Meet Mr. Lucifer". Britmovie.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
External links
- Meet Mr. Lucifer at BritMovie (archived)
- Meet Mr. Lucifer film review at Timeout
- Meet Mr. Lucifer at the British Film Institute's Film and TV Database
- Meet Mr. Lucifer at IMDb
- Meet Mr. Lucifer at AllMovie