''Meet Mr. Lucifer'' (also known as ''Let's Put out the Light)'' is a 1953 black-and-white British comedy satire film directed by Anthony Pelisser starring

Stanley Holloway Stanley Augustus Holloway (1 October 1890 – 30 January 1982) was an English actor, comedian, singer and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles Stanley Holloway on stage and screen, on stage and screen, especially t ...

, Peggy Cummins and

Jack Watling Jack Stanley Watling (13 January 1923 – 22 May 2001) was an English actor. Life and career Watling was born 13 January 1923 in Chingford, Essex, England. The son of a travelling scrap metal dealer, Watling trained at the Italia Conti Academy ...

. It is based on the 1951

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

''Beggar My Neighbour'' by

Arnold Ridley William Arnold Ridley (7 January 1896 – 12 March 1984) was an English playwright and actor, known early in his career for writing the 1925 play '' The Ghost Train'' and later in life for the British television sitcom ''Dad's Army'' (1968–77 ...

. It opened on 26 November 1953 at the Haymarket Gaumont cinema in London. It was filmed at

Ealing Studios Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in west London, England. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on th ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, and is one of the Ealing comedies. A television set makes people act out of character, with visible encouragement from

the Devil Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or 'e ...

in human form.

Plot

When Mr Pedelty 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, 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 as his maiden aunt, Miss MacPherson. At first, the set improves his character, but as his obsession grows, he becomes increasingly angry at any interruption.

Cast

as Sam Hollingsworth / Mr. Lucifer * Peggy Cummins as Kitty Norton *

as Jim Norton * Barbara Murray as Patricia Pedelty *

Joseph Tomelty Joseph Tomelty (5 March 1911 – 7 June 1995) was an Irish actor, playwright, novelist, short-story writer and theatre manager. He worked in film, television, radio and on the stage, starring in Sam Thompson's 1960 play ''Over the Bridge''. ...

as Mr. Pedelty *

Kay Kendall Justine Kay Kendall McCarthy (21 May 1927 – 6 September 1959) was an English actress and singer. She began her film career in the musical film ''London Town (1946 film), London Town'' (1946), a financial failure. Kendall worked regularly unti ...

as Lonely Hearts Singer * Gordon Jackson as Hector McPhee * Charles Victor as Mr. Elder *

Humphrey Lestocq Humphrey Lestocq (23 January 1919 – 29 January 1984) was a British actor, best known for his roles in ''Angels One Five'' (1952) and '' The Long Shadow'' (1961), and guest appearances in the television series '' The Avengers''. Lestocq sh ...

as Arthur *

Jean Cadell Jean Dunlop Cadell (13 September 1884 – 29 September 1967) was a Scottish character actress. Although her married name was Jean Dunlop Perceval-Clark she retained her maiden name in the context of acting. Life and career She was born at 4 ...

as Mrs. Macdonald *

Raymond Huntley Horace Raymond Huntley (23 April 1904 – 15 June 1990) was an English actor who appeared in dozens of British films from the 1930s to the 1970s. He also appeared in the ITV period drama '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' as the pragmatic family soli ...

as Mr. Patterson *

Ernest Thesiger Ernest Frederic Graham Thesiger (15 January 1879 – 14 January 1961) was an English stage and film actor. He is noted for his performance as Doctor Septimus Pretorius in James Whale's film ''Bride of Frankenstein'' (1935). Early life Ernes ...

as Mr. Macdonald * Frank Pettingell as Mr. Roberts *

Olive Sloane Olive Sloane (16 December 1896 – 28 June 1963) was an English actress whose film career spanned over 40 years from the silent era through to her death. Sloane's career trajectory was unusual in that for most of her professional life she was e ...

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 Irene Joan Marion Sims (9 May 1930 – 27 June 2001) was an English actress and comedienne, best remembered for her roles in the ''Carry On'' franchise, appearing in 24 of the films (the most for any actress). On television, she is known for ...

as Fairy Queen *

Ian Carmichael Ian Gillett Carmichael, (18 June 1920 – 5 February 2010) was an English actor who Ian Carmichael on stage, screen and radio, worked prolifically on stage, screen and radio in a career that spanned seventy years. Born in Kingston upon ...

as Man Friday *

Irene Handl Irene Handl () (27 December 1901 – 29 November 1987) was a British character actress who appeared in more than 100 British films; she also wrote novels. Life Irene Handl was born in Maida Vale, London, the younger of two daughters of an Aus ...

as lady with dog *

Gladys Henson Gladys Hilda Barbara Kate Henson (née Gunn; 27 September 1897 – 21 December 1982) was an Irish actress whose career lasted from 1932 to 1976 and included roles on stage, radio, films and television series. Among her most notable films wer ...

as lady in bus *

Roddy Hughes Rhodri Henry Hughes (19 June 1891 – 22 February 1970) was a Welsh theatre, film and television actor, who appeared in over 80 films between 1932 and 1961. Selected filmography * '' Mr. Bill the Conqueror'' (1932) * '' Reunion'' (1932) * '' Sa ...

as Billings *

Eliot Makeham Harold Elliott Makeham (22 December 1882 – 8 February 1956) was an English film and television actor. Career Makeham was born in London, England. Between 1931 and 1956, Makeham appeared, primarily in character roles, in 115 films and in 11 t ...

as Edwards *

Bill Fraser William Simpson Fraser (5 June 1908 – 9 September 1987) was a Scottish actor who appeared on stage, screen and television for many years. In 1986 he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for his stage role in the play '' ...

as band leader * Dandy Nichols as Mrs. Clarke * Toke Townley as trumpet player * Fred Griffiths as removal man

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' wrote: "The challenge of television has already provoked a number of American film companies into some attempt at retaliation, but ''Meet Mr. Lucifer'' is the first major British effort in this direction. Satire, unfortunately, has the habit of rebounding back on its creator, and the absence of real wit or attack in both script and direction proves, in this case, unfortunate. The numerous owners of this particular television set are all familiar types, and the evil machinations of Mr. Lucifer proceed along all too easily forecast lines. In the circumstances, Jack Watling's bad temper resulting from the disruption of his household is easily understood, and the fate of Joseph Tomelty's Mr. Pedelty would seem to be a warning against the dangers of excessive hospitality. Kay Kendall's contribution, unfortunately, is limited to the dimensions of the ordinary television screen, and the inclusion of so many close-ups of Gordon Jackson's tortured face peering at her may appear a little excessive. A few scenes, such as the dingy pantomime at the beginning, the square dance sequence, and Hector's despairing efforts to rid himself of his neighbours are pleasantly handled, but the general paucity of comic invention elsewhere makes the film's attempted debunking fall some distance short of its target." ''The

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...

Guide to Films'' gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "For every Ealing comedy gem there is at least one poor imitation, packed with cosy caricatures and devoid of the usual satirical bite. This tepid assault on television has Stanley Holloway as a pantomime demon who is sent as an emissary from hell to ensure that TV sets throughout the nation bring nothing but misery."

Leslie Halliwell Robert James Leslie Halliwell (23 February 1929 – 21 January 1989) was a British film critic, encyclopaedist and television rights buyer for ITV, the British commercial network, and Channel 4. He is best known for his reference guides, '' Fi ...

said: "Clean and occasionally amusing piece of topical satire on tellymania; but the prologue is funner than the sketches." In ''British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959'' David Quinlan rated the film as "average", writing: "Satirical comedy has few teeth."

References

External links

*
''Meet Mr. Lucifer''
film review at Timeout
''Meet Mr. Lucifer''
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Meet Mister Lucifer 1953 films 1953 comedy films British comedy films Ealing Studios films Films directed by Anthony Pelissier Films set in London British films based on plays Films about television British black-and-white films 1950s English-language films 1950s British films Films scored by Eric Rogers (composer) The Devil in film