Dated and rather pitiful, it has to be said
A jungle romp for Arthur Lucan's cross-dressing film star, Old Mother Riley. This one sees Riley enmeshed in a plot involving the ghost of an old pirate and a treasure map which supposedly reveals the location of some hidden treasure. A supporting cast of wily natives and crooks flesh out the other roles and the (awful) jokes come thick and fast.
As with the other films in this series, OLD MOTHER RILEY'S JUNGLE TREASURE has dated very badly and it feels very inferior to the polished American likes of the Abbott & Costello films (which have dated themselves). The paucity of the budget means that none of the supposedly exotic locations are ever convincing, and the jokes are groan-worthy rather than funny.
There's an air of political incorrectness to the whole thing which I suppose gives it some novelty value as a product of its era. Watch out for an early turn from Peter Butterworth, involved in some pratfalls over a decade before he started appearing in Carry On films, a supporting role for fellow Carry On actor Cyril Chamberlain, and a cameo from Michael Ripper.
As with the other films in this series, OLD MOTHER RILEY'S JUNGLE TREASURE has dated very badly and it feels very inferior to the polished American likes of the Abbott & Costello films (which have dated themselves). The paucity of the budget means that none of the supposedly exotic locations are ever convincing, and the jokes are groan-worthy rather than funny.
There's an air of political incorrectness to the whole thing which I suppose gives it some novelty value as a product of its era. Watch out for an early turn from Peter Butterworth, involved in some pratfalls over a decade before he started appearing in Carry On films, a supporting role for fellow Carry On actor Cyril Chamberlain, and a cameo from Michael Ripper.
- Leofwine_draca
- Dec 7, 2015