Meet Mr Lucifer ** (1953, Stanley Holloway, Peggy Cummins, Jack Watling, Barbara Murray, Joseph Tomelty, Gordon Jackson, Kay Kendall) – Classic Movie Review 11,211

‘A Devil-May-Care Joker From Ealing Studios’: Meet Mr. Lucifer (1953).

Director Anthony Pelissier’s 1953 British black and white Ealing Studios satirical fantasy comedy Meet Mr Lucifer stars Stanley Holloway, Peggy Cummins, Jack Watling and Barbara Murray.

Ealing Studios, seeking to attack their deadly enemy of television, turn Arnold ‘Ghost Train’ Ridley’s play Beggar My Neighbour into a vehicle for Holloway as a panto demon king, injured in an accident but sent back to Earth by Lucifer, who is worried that TV is making people too happy.

Pleasant performances from a marvellous comedy cast cannot quite save a rather forced and flaccid satirical comedy on the dire effects of television, as a TV set retirement present gets sold to various households, causing a chain of misery. But it is worth a look for a peep at the way British TV was two years before ITV began, with guest spots from some of the personalities of the day – cook Philip Harben, announcer MacDonald Hobley, grumpy panel game star Gilbert Harding.

The magic touch of the best Ealing stalwarts is noticeably missing in the work of the crew but happily not in that of the cast.

Also in the cast are Joseph Tomelty, Gordon Jackson, Jean Cadell, Kay Kendall (Lonely Hearts Singer), Ian Carmichael (Man Friday in pantomine), Charles Victor, Humphrey Lestocq, Ernest Thesiger, Frank Pettingell, Olive Sloane, Joan Sims (Fairy Queen), Raymond Huntley, Olga Gwynne (Principal Boy), Irene Handl, Gladys Henson, Edie Martin, Roddy Hughes, Eliot Makeham, Bill Fraser, Dandy Nichols, Molly Hamley-Clifford, Toke Townley, Fred Griffiths, Herbert C. Walton, Eddie Leslie, Charles Lamb, A.E. Matthews, David Miller, Johnnie Schofield, John Warren, Lee Patterson (American Sailor), Edie Martin (Deaf Lady), Fanny Carby (Lady in Street) and Diane Cilento (Woman in street).

Geoffrey Keen provides the voice of Mr Lucifer.

The screenplay is by Monja Danischewsky, with additional dialogue by Peter Myers and Alec Grahame.

Meet Mr Lucifer is directed by Anthony Pelissier, runs 83 minutes, is made by Ealing Studios, is released by General Film Distributors, is written by Monja Danischewsky, Peter Myers and Alec Grahame, is shot by Desmond Dickinson, is produced by Michael Balcon (executive producer) and Monja Danischewsky, is scored by Eric Rogers, and designed by Wilfred Shingleton.

It is shot at Ealing Studios, Ealing, London.

Unfortunately, TV won the battle, thousands of cinemas closed, Ealing Studios closed and were bought by the BBC, and the music halls closed too.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,211

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