How could anyone hate the comedy capers of Norman Wisdom ? Me for a start . Just how much mileage is there in a man with an ill fitting suit falling over while screeching " Mr Grimsdale " in a silly voice ? I wouldn't say it was mileage I would say it was inch-age . You have to forgive the unsophisticated slapstick approach of Wisdom comedies because they were produced in a far less sophisticated not to mention less cynical era but I'm never in a forgiving mood where Sir Norman Wisdom is concerned
ON THE BEAT is - if not better than most of his comedies - certainly by no means Wisdom's worst comedy . Much of this may be down to the fact that Wisdom plays several roles : Tough , fearless Inspector Pitkin , criminal mastermind Giulio Napolitani and wannabe cop Norman Pitkin . Okay he's hardly going to win an Oscar but at least Wisdom doesn't pratfall about too much , and there is a sequence where Pitkin leads what must be the whole Lodon met on a wild goose chase which is almost charming in a surreal type of way . If we're going to be cynical then we have to ask when Pitkin applies to be a policeman why isn't he given a sarcasm test ?
No doubt Wisdom fans ( Yes both of them ) will love this movie while everyone else will merely dislike it
ON THE BEAT is - if not better than most of his comedies - certainly by no means Wisdom's worst comedy . Much of this may be down to the fact that Wisdom plays several roles : Tough , fearless Inspector Pitkin , criminal mastermind Giulio Napolitani and wannabe cop Norman Pitkin . Okay he's hardly going to win an Oscar but at least Wisdom doesn't pratfall about too much , and there is a sequence where Pitkin leads what must be the whole Lodon met on a wild goose chase which is almost charming in a surreal type of way . If we're going to be cynical then we have to ask when Pitkin applies to be a policeman why isn't he given a sarcasm test ?
No doubt Wisdom fans ( Yes both of them ) will love this movie while everyone else will merely dislike it