Raising a Riot

I saw this rare film theatrically on a re-release in the late 1960's and loved it. Well, I was about the same age as the boy in the film, so I really connected to the characters. I remember the wonderful vivid colour photography and overall fun story of a family (without mom) having multiple disasters on holiday in an old windmill. I think I may have seen this on BBC TV once in the 1970's, but that was it. The film appears to have completely disappeared. I wonder why? Anyway, I recommend it if you ever have a chance to see it. Kenneth More delivers as always, as does the entire cast. I do have an unofficial DVD from an old VHS copy of an old VHS recording and can only dream of seeing it properly again remastered in HD.

Only three other user reviews here which surprises me considering Kenneth More's popularity in the 1950's.

I have to agree that the film is no more than amusing when viewed today and even grates at times.

Ken remains one of my favourite actors and I still really enjoy my large DVD collection of his films.

That said , they are not all as good as "Genevieve","Doctor in the House","Reach For the Sky","The Admirable Crichton" ''North West Frontier" etc.and I must admit that "Raising a Riot" depends entirely on Ken's undeniable charm which is an unreasonable ask. The only copy I could acquire is of very poor picture quality ; a re-mastered edition may help.

If you are a Kenneth More fan like me , watch "Raising a Riot" then follow it up with one of his better films.

I fully endorse Me Reefs comments about this lame attempt at comedy.The children are intensely irritating and getting through to the end of this film is a real effort.

Raising a Riot (1955) is what happens when military order meets domestic mayhem-and promptly surrenders. A delightfully brisk British comedy, it turns the quiet art of parenting into a full-scale operation, led by a bewildered father who quickly finds that the home front may be the most treacherous battlefield of all.

Set in that familiar post-war England where tea fixes nearly everything (except screaming toddlers), the film leans into its premise with a mix of dry wit and slapstick charm. The chaos is never cruel-it's affectionate, even when everything is unraveling around the lead. And unravel it does, gloriously.

Kenneth More anchors the film with his trademark likability: calm, decent, and perpetually out of his depth. His character's attempt to manage three unruly children without maternal reinforcements is equal parts admirable and absurd, and it's in that tension that the film finds its heart. He doesn't bumble so much as glide with increasing panic through domestic disasters, all while trying to maintain the illusion of control.

The comedy is classically British-understated, a touch whimsical, and full of moments where a raised eyebrow says more than a punchline. But there are enough flourishes of physical humor to keep the pacing lively, especially when the household tips into full-blown bedlam.

At its core, Raising a Riot is a lighthearted salute to the chaos of parenting, the limits of military precision, and the quiet heroism of simply getting through the day. It's not riotous in the modern sense-but it raises a grin, and sometimes, that's more than enough.