Mother Riley Meets the Vampire

A Vendor sells papers that bring news of a missing woman.

The BBC carries a story about a fanatic known as The Vampire and the kidnapping of a famous scientist's daughter. Broadcasting House on Portland Place, London W1 which also makes an appearance in ‘You Made Me Love You’, ‘Death at Broadcasting House’, ‘Once a Jolly Swagman’, ‘The Day the Earth Caught Fire’, ‘Band Wagon’, ‘No Trace’, ‘The Happy Family’, ‘The Oracle’, ‘The Last Man to Hang’, ‘The Voice of Merrill’ and ‘Give My Regards To Broad Street’.

Peter was on the case.

The shot tilts up the building. Portland Place W1.

Peter provides this modern comparison.

Another missing woman, another headline as The Vampire strikes again.

A lorry carrying packing crates turns into the driveway of the film's 'The Towers' in Essex. Steve Platt identifies this as the entrance to St. George's College on Weybridge Road in Addlestone, Surrey.

Nick Boorman found that the trees have grown over the wall.

When the labels become mixed up, a crate destined for Mrs. Riley is delivered to Professor Von Housen, who is going by the name of Dr. Riley. The entrance to St. George's College in Addlestone located by Steve Platt.

Steve also captured the entrance as it appears now.

A little later, the lorry arrives in fictional Ration Row, London SE19. High Street, Walton on Thames, Surrey at the junction with Winchester Road. (RL)

Nicely matched by John Harwood. (SJ)

Reversing towards Mrs. Riley's shop, a crate containing Von Housen's robot is delivered. High Street, Walton on Thames, Surrey at the junction with and looking down Winchester Road. (RL)

By John H. (SJ)

A Drunk drives towards Mother Riley as the robot leads her along a darkened road.

Remotely controlling the robot, the Professor brings Mrs. Riley to his house.

Having escaped from Von Housen after discovering that he is the one kidnapping young women, Mrs. Riley cycles away.

In her haste to report Van Housen as being The Vampire, Mrs. Riley crashes into a tree.

Mrs. Riley (Arthur Lucan) asks a Yokel (Graham Moffatt) where the police station is.

After destroying the robot and releasing the scientist's daughter, Mrs. Riley goes after Von Housen. Looking south on Southwood Lane in London N6.

Denis Hoare found that the newer car is about the only obvious change here. And perhaps the bollards. (RL)

The camera follows Mother Riley as she almost crashes into a car coming the other way. The junction of Southwood Lane and The Park in Highgate.

The house in the backgound is the same but the lampost on the traffic island has been replaced with modern plastic road signs, and again the car replaced with it's modern equivalent. Thanks for the shot and the observations Denis. (RL)

Von Housen's Humber Pullman speeds away.

Mrs. Riley tries to keep up. Is this Walton on Thames or North London?

The camera pans to follow as Mrs. Riley corners.

The view ahead as seen by Mother Riley.

The action moves to North London and this is Hermitage Lane in NW2 with the now demolished Castle Hotel in the background.

Tris captured the view east across Finchley Road towards Hermitage Lane in 2012, four years before the building was demolished.

The junction of Cricklewood Lane, Finchley Road and Hermitage Lane in Childs Hill NW11.

Looking north up Finchley Road, with Cricklewood lane on the left and Hermitage Lane on the right. The garage has gone and is replaced by a new apartment block but the building partially hidden by the trolley bus in the original screenshot still exists. Denis Hoare did wait for a trolleybus for a better comparison shot, but in the end he gave up and settled for this modern bus instead. We appreciate your attention to detail Denis, you tried....thank you. (RL)

Von Housen's car reaches to docks.

At the quayside, Professor Von Housen (Bela Lugosi) is helped from the car by his butler, Hitchcock (Ian Wilson).

Mrs. Riley keeps up her pursuit. No longer in North London, we're now at the corner of Bridge Street and Mayo Road in Walton on Thames.

John Harwood notes that the distinctive corner flat side shop is the same, even the white paint. (SJ)

Facing south towards to the junction of Finchley Road with Cricklewood Lane and Hermitage Lane.

Denis took this from diagonally opposite the corner of the same road junction as show in Capture 21, facing south on Finchley Road, with Hermitage Lane on the left at the traffic lights, and Cricklewood Lane on the right. The pub on the corner of Hermitage Lane in the screenshot, 'The Castle', has been demolished and the site redeveloped, but the buildings after the traffic lights remain. Again, he did wait for a red bus for a better comparison shot, but this time he settled for a red van instead. (RL)

Mrs. Riley speeds past. Looking north on Finchley Road NW11 with Heathway Court standing on the right in NW3.

Gary Green provides this view of the location now.

Going in the wrong direction along a one way street, Mrs. Riley dodges a stream of cyclists. Thames Street, Walton-on-Thames.

Nick Boorman revisited the shop.

As the police head for Tilbury docks, Mrs. Riley crashes the car and takes to a bicycle. Anne Poole advises that this is Annett’s China shop, run by old Walton family, that stood on High Street, Walton-on-Thames but was sacrificed to Hepworth Way and the new shopping centre development in the mid 60s.

Anne provides this view of the same location pointing out that a branch of Caffè Nero now stands on the site of Annett’s China shop.

New Zealand Avenue in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. The street was also seen in 'The Price of Silence', ‘The Sound Barrier', 'The Naked Truth’, 'Rag Doll', 'Something in the City', ‘The Third Alibi’ and, a little further along, 'A Weekend with Lulu'.

Nick Boorman points out that the Gas showrooms have gone and the building has been extended, otherwise there's very little change in nearly 70 years.

Mrs. Riley has trouble with a lamp post. New Zealand Avenue with part of the Regal Cinema visible to the extreme left.

Nick Boorman found that, in the intervening years, the gap between the building and the cinema has been filled with an extension to the existing row of shops.

A roundabout is encountered. Christopher Matheson advises that this is the view south along Golders Green Road, London NW11 from the junction with North Circular Road. He draws attention to the fact that the post box is on the corner of Woodlands. (RL)

The post box survives in Antony Blair's view.

Becoming dizzy, Mrs. Riley cycles round and round the roundabout. Christopher Matheson explains that Mrs. Riley is heading north into Brent Street from North Circular Road. (RL)

Antony Blair's comparison shows that a crossroads has replaced the roundabout.

A bus comes up behind the old woman. In the background, Brook Lodge confirms the location as facing north-east, from the one-time roundabout, along North Circular Road. (RL)

Taken from a suitable elevation by Antony Blair.

The bus follows Mrs. Riley as she turns off the roundabout. A closer view of the post box on the corner of Golders Green Road and Woodlands. The flats, Christopher tells us, are named Riverside Drive, and also feature in ‘The Secret Place’. (RL)

The scene now captured by Antony Blair.

Mrs. Riley collides with a motorcycle Policeman. The junction of Walton Bridge Road and Walton Lane on Cowey Sale between Walton’s two bridges.

Picking up the motorbike, Mother Riley speeds away. The bridge crossing Engine River to the east of Cowey Sale with the New Zealand Hospital at Mount Felix standing to the left. The building burnt down in the late 1960s.

The Policeman takes Mrs. Riley's bicycle and heads off in the opposite direction. This is Walton Bridge crossing the Thames with Walton Bridge House in the left distance. A similar view was seen in 'A Time to Kill'.

John Harwood notes many changes to the bridge. (SJ)

More of New Zealand Avenue in Walton on Thames with buildings at the corner of High Street and Winchester Road in the left distance.

Lots of new buildings but Winchester road outline building still there, observes John H. (SJ)

Mrs. Riley reaches the docks as the police are apprehending The Vampire.