In American terms i suppose that Norman Wisdom's only known film is The Night They Raided Minskys with Jason Robards and Britt Ekland, but he was as big a star in Albania of all places as he was in the UK. this is an injustice because at his pk he was a giant in British film comedy and worthy of a bigger audience. people rightly talk of Keaton and Llyod for their great stunt work, but if they ever watch a Wisdom film they'll see stunts that are almost the equal of those two great men. he was also in British cinamatic terms the closest i've seen to Chaplin.
Norman was often beaten by his father as a child, but through that he learned how to fall properly.
one of the best things that ever happened to him was when he joined the army. before that he was living rough on the streets.
his first big break was in the film Trouble In Store with Lana Morris, a regular leading lady and sang what was to become his theme song Don't Laugh At Me Coes I'm A Fool
other classics followed like Man Of the Moment, The Bulldog Breed and Follow The Star and Just My Luck.
he played a character Norman Pitkin several times to Edward Chapman's Mr Grimsdale in The Square Peg with Honor Blackman, On The Beat, A Stitch In Time and as a milkman in The Early Bird. i can still hear him now shouting 'Mr. Grimsdale!'
though his movie pk was over in the mid 60s he still continued to be popular for the rest of his life. he at 92 is living in a home entertaining the other residants, even though i think is mind has gone
he was in amazing shape even in old age. he could jump and fall of a piano when he was in his 80s. the last think i saw him in was in the sit com Last Of The Summer Wine, playing a brilliant piano player who couldn't perform in front of an audience
The Films Of Norman Wisdom
Your posts are going to be fascinating ones to me, Stuart. I remember these names well, even if I wasn't huge fans of all of them.
Norman Wisdom was a perennial. At certain times of year you could guarantee he'd be on one channel or the other, but I never paid too much notice.
Last of the Summer Wine though was a must at our house. I grew up watching that show in the first Foggy era and somehow continued even when I grew out of most of the other stuff I watched as a kid. I even watched First of the Summer Wine, the short lived prequel. Maybe it had to do with moving north to Yorkshire.
In later years, I got to become drinking buddies with the stuntman on the series at the time and he told intriguing stories about the set. Apparently Peter Sallis, who many know best now for Wallace and Gromit, had a knack for being very polite and telling truly filthy jokes at the same time. That knowledge definitely flavoured my future viewing!
Norman Wisdom was a perennial. At certain times of year you could guarantee he'd be on one channel or the other, but I never paid too much notice.
Last of the Summer Wine though was a must at our house. I grew up watching that show in the first Foggy era and somehow continued even when I grew out of most of the other stuff I watched as a kid. I even watched First of the Summer Wine, the short lived prequel. Maybe it had to do with moving north to Yorkshire.
In later years, I got to become drinking buddies with the stuntman on the series at the time and he told intriguing stories about the set. Apparently Peter Sallis, who many know best now for Wallace and Gromit, had a knack for being very polite and telling truly filthy jokes at the same time. That knowledge definitely flavoured my future viewing!
i too love The Last Of The Summer Wine. it's a show i think got better as writer Roy Clarke brought in more characters to support the the three main stars, though it's two now with Peter Salliss as Glegg and Frank Thornton as Truely Of The Yard
i love Jean Fergurson's mini skirted Marina. it's great that after playing the role for over 20 yrs she can still get away with the fashion in her 60s, though i bet the actress who plays plain love rival Pearl is actually a looker herself in reality. i say love rival that's not really true. Marina and Pearl's husband Howard have been trying to ahve an affair for yrs, but it always goes wrong for them
someone said there was no sex on the show to Terry Wogan, to which he replied 'What about Nora Batty and her wrinkled stockings.' Kathy Staff plays Nora
it's also a show where aging actresses end up Thora Hird was in it in her last yrs. Dora Bryan played her sister, now it's the evergreen June Whitfield.
my fav storyline was after Bill Owen's death. Roy decided to pay tribute to him by writing a two-parter about his character Compo's funeral. aging, but still sexy ex-Carry-On star Liz Fraser was brought in as Compo's secret girl-friend, to which it was asked 'He went chasing after Nora Batty when he was with her.' one of my fav scenes was when Ivy, who runs the cafe, opens her handbag before going to the funeral. she takes out a photo of her husband Sid and gave a wry smile. the actor, who played Sid died after doing the first few series. i though it was a lovley gesture for Roy to write in a little tribute to him too
i love Jean Fergurson's mini skirted Marina. it's great that after playing the role for over 20 yrs she can still get away with the fashion in her 60s, though i bet the actress who plays plain love rival Pearl is actually a looker herself in reality. i say love rival that's not really true. Marina and Pearl's husband Howard have been trying to ahve an affair for yrs, but it always goes wrong for them
someone said there was no sex on the show to Terry Wogan, to which he replied 'What about Nora Batty and her wrinkled stockings.' Kathy Staff plays Nora
it's also a show where aging actresses end up Thora Hird was in it in her last yrs. Dora Bryan played her sister, now it's the evergreen June Whitfield.
my fav storyline was after Bill Owen's death. Roy decided to pay tribute to him by writing a two-parter about his character Compo's funeral. aging, but still sexy ex-Carry-On star Liz Fraser was brought in as Compo's secret girl-friend, to which it was asked 'He went chasing after Nora Batty when he was with her.' one of my fav scenes was when Ivy, who runs the cafe, opens her handbag before going to the funeral. she takes out a photo of her husband Sid and gave a wry smile. the actor, who played Sid died after doing the first few series. i though it was a lovley gesture for Roy to write in a little tribute to him too