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Norman Wisdom

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Sir
Norman Wisdom
OBE
Wisdom in 1965
Birth nameNorman Joseph Wisdom[1]
Born(1915-02-04)4 February 1915
Marylebone, London, England
Died4 October 2010(2010-10-04) (aged 95)
Ballasalla, Isle of Man
Resting placeKirk Bride Churchyard, Bride, Isle of Man
Medium
  • Comedian
  • actor
  • singer
Years active1946–2008
Spouse
Doreen Naomi Brett
​
​
(m. 1941; div. 1946)​
Freda Simpson
​
​
(m. 1947; div. 1969)​
Children3, including Nicholas Wisdom
Military career
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branchMerchant Navy
British Army
Years of service1930–1946
Unit10th Royal Hussars
Royal Corps of Signals
Battles / warsSecond World War

Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom,[1] OBE[2] (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010) was an English actor, comedian, musician and singer, best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring a hapless character called Norman Pitkin.[3] He was awarded the 1953 BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles following the release of Trouble in Store, his first film in a lead role.

Wisdom gained celebrity status in lands as far apart as South America, Iran and many Eastern Bloc countries, particularly in Albania where his films were the only ones with Western actors permitted to be shown by dictator Enver Hoxha.[4] Charlie Chaplin once referred to Wisdom as his "favourite clown".[5]

Wisdom later forged a career on Broadway in New York City alongside stars such as Mandy Patinkin, and as a television actor, winning critical acclaim for his dramatic role of a dying cancer patient in the television play Going Gently in 1981. He toured Australia and South Africa.[3] After the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, a hospice was named in his honour.[4] In 1995, he was given the Freedom of the City of London and of Tirana.[4] The same year, he was appointed OBE and was knighted five years later.[4]

Early life

[edit]

Norman Joseph Wisdom was born in the Marylebone district of London.[6] His parents were Frederick, a chauffeur, and Maud Wisdom (née Targett), a dressmaker who often worked for West End theatres and once made a dress for Queen Mary.[7] The couple married in Marylebone on 15 July 1912. Norman had an elder brother, Frederick Thomas "Fred" Wisdom (13 December 1912 – 1 July 1971).[citation needed]

The family lived at 91 Fernhead Road, Maida Vale, London W9, where all four shared a single room.[8] Norman and his brother grew up in extreme poverty and were frequently subjected to violence by their alcoholic father, who would sometimes pick them up and throw them across the room.[9][4]

Following the separation of their parents, the boys were "farmed out to paid guardians",[4] but their father failed to pay for their care, and they were eventually turned out. After being expelled from the home entirely by their father, Norman became homeless and was forced to sleep rough on the streets of London.

After a series of unsuccessful foster placements, he was eventually taken in by a generous couple. He soon found work as an errand boy in a grocer's shop, despite not initially knowing how to ride a bicycle.[9] By the age of 13, he was working long shifts in a hotel. One of his fellow boy workers persuaded him to walk to Cardiff with hopes of becoming a miner. However, the boy’s family was unable to house him, and Norman found himself homeless again.

He later joined the Merchant Navy as a cabin boy, sailing to Argentina. During the voyage, he learned to box. In Argentina, he entered a prize fight, managing to last three rounds before being badly beaten. During his time in the Merchant Navy, he also had to fend off unwanted sexual advances from a fellow sailor.

Returning to Cardiff and once again out of work, Wisdom made his way back to London. There, he was advised to join the British Army, which accepted band recruits from the age of 14. Though he had no musical training, he tearfully persuaded the recruiting officer to let him join—and was accepted.

Military service

[edit]

In 1930, Wisdom was posted to Lucknow, in the United Provinces of British India,[4] where he served as a band boy.[10] During his time there, he learned to ride horses, became the flyweight boxing champion of the British Army in India,[4] and taught himself to play a wide range of instruments, including the piano, trumpet, saxophone, flute, drums, bugle, and clarinet.[8]

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Wisdom was assigned to a communications centre in a command bunker in London. There, he handled telephone connections between war leaders and the prime minister. He met Winston Churchill on several occasions while delivering updates on incoming calls.[8] He later joined the Royal Corps of Signals, performing similar duties at unit headquarters in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

While shadow boxing in an army gym, Wisdom discovered his gift for entertaining.[11] He began honing his skills as a musician and stage entertainer.[5] In 1940, at the age of 25, during a NAAFI entertainment night, he spontaneously stepped out of the orchestra pit during a dance routine to perform shadow boxing. Hearing laughter from his fellow soldiers and officers, he added a duck waddle and a series of comic facial expressions. Reflecting on the moment, he recalled: "They were in hysterics. All the officers were falling about laughing."[12]

Wisdom would later say that this was where he first developed his trademark persona as "The Successful Failure".[12] Over the next few years, until his demobilisation in 1945, his act grew to include his now-famous singing, pratfalls, and stumbling routines. After a performance at a charity concert at Cheltenham Town Hall on 31 August 1944,[13] actor Rex Harrison came backstage and encouraged him to pursue a career as a professional entertainer.[14]

Comic entertainer

[edit]

After being demobilised, Wisdom worked as a private hire car driver. Having improved his diction during his army service, he also took a job as a night telephone operator.[8]

At the age of 31, Wisdom made his debut as a professional entertainer, still referring to himself as "The Successful Failure". Performing in small suburban music halls, he crafted a unique act that drew on his natural shyness, his talent for slapstick falls, his musical versatility, and his singing ability. A recurring part of his routine involved struggling to keep up with a theatre band that frequently changed key—until he would outplay them, showcasing his virtuosity. A review from August 1946 praised his performance: "An unusual and most versatile comedian, Norman Wisdom, contributes two remarkable turns. He is an accomplished pianist, a pleasing singer, a talented instrumentalist, a clever mimer, and withal, a true humourist."[15]

Wisdom's ascent in the entertainment world was relatively swift. A highly successful run at the London Casino in April 1948[16] led to a summer season in Out of the Blue in Scarborough. He shared the stage with magician David Nixon, and their onstage chemistry resulted in further variety performances together, beginning again at the London Casino in September 1948.[17] That Christmas, he appeared in the pantomime Robinson Crusoe at Birmingham's Alexandra Theatre.[18]

By this point, Wisdom had fully adopted the costume that would become his trademark: an askew tweed flat cap with the peak turned up, a suit at least two sizes too small, a crumpled collar, and a mangled tie. The comic persona that came with it—known as "the Gump"—would come to define his film career. Within two years, he had become a star of the West End theatre circuit, refining his act primarily between venues in London and Brighton:[12]

I spent virtually all of those years on the road. You could keep incredibly busy just performing in pantomimes and revues. There was a whole generation of performers who learned everything on the stage.

In 1948, Wisdom made his television debut and quickly gained a large following. That same year, he appeared in a small film role in A Date with a Dream.

Starring film roles for the Rank Organisation

[edit]

Wisdom starred in a series of low-budget comedies produced by the Rank Organisation, beginning with Trouble in Store (1953).[19] The film earned him a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Film in 1954,[20] and became the second most popular film at the British box office that year. Exhibitors also ranked him as the tenth biggest box-office star in Britain in 1954.[21]

His cheerful, unpretentious screen persona—lighthearted and physical—made his films natural successors to those of George Formby a generation earlier.[22] While never critically acclaimed, Wisdom’s comedies were hugely popular with domestic audiences and represented some of Britain’s most successful box-office draws of the era. They even found unexpected success in overseas markets, helping to financially sustain Rank at a time when its costlier productions faltered.[citation needed]

Most of these films featured his well-known Gump character—usually named Norman—who found himself in various manual jobs, frequently incompetent and always subordinate to a straight man, typically portrayed by Edward Chapman (as Mr Grimsdale) or Jerry Desmonde. The films highlighted Wisdom’s flair for physical slapstick comedy and his ability to evoke sympathy through the character’s naïveté and helplessness. Romantic subplots were a regular feature, often revolving around the Gump’s awkwardness with women, echoing the innocence found in Formby’s earlier roles.

Wisdom’s second starring film, One Good Turn (1955), ranked as the seventh most popular British film of that year.[23] He also made a cameo in As Long as They're Happy (1955), followed by a return to leading roles in Man of the Moment (1955), which further cemented his popularity—he was named the sixth most popular British film star of 1955.[24]

His subsequent films saw him in a variety of jobs: a window cleaner in Up in the World (1956), and a jewellery store worker in Just My Luck (1957). Although these titles saw a dip in box-office returns, The Square Peg (1959), an army-themed comedy, reversed the trend, becoming one of the top-grossing films of the year and finishing seventh at the British box office.[25] By contrast, Follow a Star (1959) was less successful.

Seeking to break from the Rank formula, There Was a Crooked Man (1960) marked an attempt to rebrand Wisdom’s screen image, though The Bulldog Breed (1960) saw a return to more familiar territory. A young Michael Caine co-starred in the latter and later recounted that he did not enjoy working with Wisdom, saying he "wasn't very nice to support-part actors".[26] Nevertheless, Wisdom retained his position as the tenth most popular star at the British box office.

Departing again from the typical format, Wisdom starred in The Girl on the Boat (1961), based on a novel by P. G. Wodehouse. He returned to more familiar comedic roles in On the Beat (1962), where he played a car cleaner, and in A Stitch in Time (1963), as an apprentice butcher.

His first colour film, The Early Bird (1965), cast him as a milkman. This was followed by a cameo in The Sandwich Man (1966) and a starring role in Press for Time (1966), his final film in the series of Rank Organisation comedies. Despite this being the end of that era, Wisdom was still voted the fifth most popular star at the British box office.[27]

In addition to acting, Wisdom’s stage performances often included musical numbers, although he composed only a handful himself. He is credited with seven songs in the ASCAP database: "Beware", "Don't Laugh at Me ('cause I'm a Fool)", "Falling in Love", "Follow a Star", "I Love You", "Please Opportunity", and "Up in the World".[28]

Later career

[edit]
Norman Wisdom demonstrating a typical expression (1965)

In 1966, Norman Wisdom spent a brief period in the United States to star in the Broadway production of the Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn musical comedy Walking Happy, based on Harold Brighouse’s play Hobson's Choice. His performance as Will Mosop earned him a nomination at the Tony Awards.

This success led to his first Hollywood film role in The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968), as well as a part in the 1967 U.S. television musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Androcles and The Lion, with music by Richard Rodgers and co-starring Noël Coward.

Following a typically well-received appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show,[4] further opportunities in the United States were cut short when he was forced to return to London after the breakdown of his second marriage. From then on, his career focused more on television, and he toured internationally with a successful cabaret act. In 1981, he received critical acclaim for his dramatic portrayal of a terminally ill cancer patient in the television play Going Gently.

Wisdom was among the actors initially considered for the lead role of Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. He declined the offer, reportedly because he "didn't find it funny", and the role was eventually played by Michael Crawford. Series creator Raymond Allen later confirmed this decision.[29]

On 31 December 1976, Wisdom performed his theme song "Don't Laugh at Me ('cause I'm a Fool)" during BBC1’s A Jubilee of Music, held to celebrate British pop music in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s forthcoming Silver Jubilee.[30] He had previously performed for the Queen at many Royal Command Performances, beginning in 1952.[31]

After touring South Africa, Zimbabwe and Australia with modest success, Wisdom's appearances in Britain became increasingly rare, and he spent much of the 1980s living in seclusion on the Isle of Man.[32]

In the 1990s, his career experienced a revival, aided by the support of younger comedians such as Lee Evans, whose energetic performances were frequently compared to Wisdom’s.[33] This resurgence culminated in his being made a knight for services to entertainment in the 2000 New Year's Honours List.[34] At the knighthood ceremony, he famously performed his trademark trip as he walked away from the Queen, prompting her to laugh warmly.[35]

From 1995 to 2004, he played the recurring role of Billy Ingleton in the long-running BBC comedy series Last of the Summer Wine. In 1996, he was honoured with a Special Achievement Award from the London Film Critics.[36]

Wisdom appeared on a special edition of This Is Your Life in 2000, dedicated to actor-director Todd Carty. In 2001, during an England World Cup qualifier against Albania, he made a memorable half-time appearance at St James' Park, scoring a penalty at the Leazes End.[37]

In 2002, he filmed a cameo as a butler in a low-budget horror film, and in 2004 appeared in Coronation Street as fitness enthusiast Ernie Crabbe. In 2007, he came out of retirement to take a role in the short film Expresso.[38]

Popularity in Albania

[edit]

Wisdom became a beloved cultural icon in Albania, where his films were among the few Western imports permitted under the regime of Enver Hoxha. From the viewpoint of dialectical materialism, Wisdom’s recurring screen persona—a proletarian underdog triumphing over the capitalist elite—was interpreted as a symbolic victory for the working class. His character, often referred to as Mr Pitkin, struck a chord with Albanian audiences.

When he visited the country in 1995, he was astonished to find himself mobbed by fans, including then-president Sali Berisha. During the trip, he was filmed by Newsnight visiting a children’s project supported by ChildHope UK.[39]

He returned in 2001, coinciding with the England vs Albania match in Tirana.[40] At the training ground, he drew more attention than David Beckham and delighted the stadium crowd by wearing a half-English, half-Albanian shirt and performing one of his signature trips before kick-off.[41] In recognition of his enduring popularity, Wisdom was made an honorary citizen of Tirana in 1995.[42]

His affection for Albania culminated in a collaboration with Tony Hawks and Tim Rice on the novelty single "Big in Albania", featured in Hawks’ book and TV series One Hit Wonderland. The song reached number 18 on the Top Albania Radio chart.[43]

Retirement

[edit]
Wisdom in Peel, Isle of Man, in 2005

In October 2004, Wisdom announced he would retire from the entertainment industry on his 90th birthday (4 February 2005). He announced he intended to spend more time with his family, playing golf and driving around the Isle of Man, where he was living.[44]

In 2007, Wisdom returned to acting in a short film directed by Kevin Powis, Expresso. The film, which Wisdom later announced (reported BBC/ITV News) was to be officially his last film role, is set during one day in a coffee shop and was funded by the UK Film Council and ScreenWM. Shot in January, it premièred at the Cannes Film Festival on 27 May 2007. It was later adopted by the UK charity Macmillan and released on DVD in aid of the charity.

In the film, Wisdom plays a vicar plagued by a fly in a café. Producer Nigel Martin Davey gave him only a visual role so that he would not have to remember any lines, but on the day, Wisdom was alert and had his performance changed to add more laughs.[45]

Personal life

[edit]

Wisdom was married twice. His first wife was Doreen Brett, whom he married in 1941. By 1944 they had separated when Doreen gave birth to a son, Michael (born 1944), fathered by Albert Gerald Hardwick, a telephone engineer.[citation needed] The marriage was dissolved in 1946.[citation needed]

He married his second wife, Freda Isobel Simpson, in 1947;[4] they had two children: Nicholas (born 1953, who later played first-class cricket for Sussex)[46] and Jacqueline (born 1954).[47] The couple divorced in 1969,[4] with Wisdom granted full custody of the children.[6] Freda Wisdom died in Brighton in 1992.[citation needed]

Popular in the Isle of Man, he lived for 27 years in a house in Andreas named Ballalough (Manx for "lake farm", also a humorous corruption of the English "belly laugh"). He supported various charities and charitable works, including orphanages in Albania.[48] In 2005, Wisdom starred in a video for the Manx girl group Twisted Angels, for their single "LA", in support of the local charity Project 21.[49]

During the 1960s, he was involved in a famous legal case (Wisdom v Chamberlain, 1968) in which he was pursued by the Inland Revenue for tax on profits made from the sale of silver bullion he had bought when concerned about the further devaluation of sterling. He contended that it was an investment, but the court held that it had been a trading venture and was duly chargeable to income tax.[50]

Interests

[edit]

Wisdom was a lifelong supporter and a former board member of football team Brighton & Hove Albion. He also liked Everton and Newcastle United.[51] He enjoyed golf,[44] and was a member of the Grand Order of Water Rats.[52] He was an honorary member of the Winkle Club, a charity in Hastings, East Sussex.[53]

A lover of cars, his collection included a 1956 Bentley S1 Continental R Type fastback, which he first bought in 1961, and then again in the late 1980s.[54] In 1969, he purchased, after the divorce from Freda Simpson, a Shelby Cobra 427, CSX3206, in New York, which he kept until 1986, when it was sold to another car enthusiast in Brighton, UK. Until his age and declining mental health meant he failed a Department of Transport fitness-to-drive test, he owned and drove a 1987 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit and a Jaguar S-Type, which were sold in September 2005.[citation needed]

In 1963, he bought a new motor yacht. The 94 feet (29 m) long hull and superstructure were built in Spain for £80,000, before being towed to Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, for fitting out. After three years of extensive works and sea trials, she was named M/Y Conquest and valued at £1.25 million by insurers. It was available for charter at £6,000 a month but Wisdom later sold it, saying that he was "no sailor".[12]

Health decline

[edit]

In mid-2006, after he suffered an irregular heart rhythm, Wisdom was flown by helicopter to hospital in Liverpool and was fitted with a heart pacemaker.[55]

Wisdom resided in the Abbotswood nursing home in Ballasalla, where he had been resident from 12 July 2007 to 4 October 2010.[56]

On the release of Expresso to DVD in the same month, BBC News confirmed that Wisdom lived in a care home, because of his suffering from vascular dementia.[45] It was also reported that he had granted his children power of attorney over his affairs and, having sold off his flat in Epsom, Surrey, they were now in the process of selling his Isle of Man home to raise money to fund his longer-term care.[57]

On 16 January 2008,[58] BBC2 aired Wonderland: The Secret Life Of Norman Wisdom Aged 92 and 3/4.[59] The documentary highlighted the dilemma of coping with an ageing parent. His family stated Wisdom's memory loss had become so severe he no longer recognised himself in his films.

Death

[edit]

In the six months prior to his death, Wisdom suffered a series of strokes, causing a decline in his physical and mental health. He died on 4 October 2010 at Abbotswood nursing home on the Isle of Man at the age of 95.[60]

His funeral took place on 22 October 2010 in Douglas, Isle of Man, and all of the island were invited.[61][62] His trademark cloth cap was placed on the coffin in the church.[62] The funeral was attended by a large number of showbusiness personalities and, at Wisdom's request, Moira Anderson sang "Who Can I Turn To",[62] which was specially arranged for the occasion by Gordon Cree.[63] Wisdom's body was buried at Kirk Bride Churchyard, Bride, Isle of Man.

Tributes and other references

[edit]
  • In 2007, a Norman Wisdom-themed bar opened at the Sefton Hotel, Douglas, called Sir Norman's. It has stills from his many films on the walls and TV screens playing some clips of his old films. The bronze statue of Wisdom, which used to be on a bench outside Douglas Town Hall, has been moved to the steps leading into the hotel bar on Harris Promenade.[62][64]
  • Wisdom featured on the BBC Radio 4 series Desert Island Discs in August 2000. Of the eight songs he chose, four were performed by Wisdom himself (including his favourite, 'Don't Laugh at Me 'Cos I'm a Fool'), while a fifth was a duet with Joyce Grenfell.[65]
  • The 2011 film My Week with Marilyn features impersonator Glenn Michael Ford playing Norman Wisdom in a background scene.
  • A Wetherspoon pub in Deal, Kent, where Wisdom ran away from the children's home, was named The Sir Norman Wisdom in his honour when it opened in March 2013.[66]
  • In 2015 Wisdom of a Fool, a new one-man play based on the life of Norman Wisdom opened at The Capitol Theatre, Horsham, in Wisdom's centenary year, on 17 September. A UK tour began at Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in 2016 and continues into 2018.[67][68]
  • Wisdom is mentioned in the song "The Things That Dreams Are Made Of" by the Human League, while the gatefold sleeve of their Hysteria album shows the group in a large room with a scene from The Early Bird on the TV.

Filmography

[edit]
Year Film Role Director Notes
1948 A Date with a Dream Shadow Boxer Dicky Leeman
1953 Trouble in Store Norman John Paddy Carstairs
1955 One Good Turn
As Long as They're Happy Norman – Cameo Appearance uncredited
Man of the Moment Norman
1956 Up in the World
1957 Just My Luck Norman Hackett
1958 The Square Peg Norman Pitkin / General Schreiber
1959 Follow a Star Norman Truscott Robert Asher
1960 There Was a Crooked Man Davy Cooper Stuart Burge
1960 The Bulldog Breed Norman Puckle Robert Asher
1961 The Girl on the Boat Sam Marlowe Henry Kaplan
1962 On the Beat Norman Pitkin / Giulio Napolitani Robert Asher
1963 A Stitch in Time Norman Pitkin
1965 The Early Bird
1966 The Sandwich Man Boxing Vicar Robert Hartford-Davis
Press for Time Norman Shields / Emily, his mother / Wilfred, his grandfather Robert Asher
1968 The Night They Raided Minsky's Chick Williams William Friedkin USA
1969 What's Good for the Goose Timothy Bartlett Menahem Golan
1992 Double X: The Name of the Game Arthur Clutten
1998 Where on Earth Is ... Katy Manning Self documentary
2001 Junfans Attic [citation needed]
2004 Five Children and It Nesbitt John Stephenson
2007 Expresso The Vicar Kevin Powis Short; Buzz

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Director Notes
1948-1950 Wit and Wisdom
1967 Androclese and the Lion Androclese TV movie
1970 Norman Norman Wilkins Alan Tarrant
Music Hall
1973 Nobody Is Norman Wisdom Nobody
1974 A Little Bit of Wisdom Norman
1981 BBC2 Playhouse Bernard Flood Episode: Going Gently.

BAFTA Best Single Play, 1982

1983 Bergerac Vincent Episode: "Almost Like a Holiday"
1988 The 1950s: Music, Memories & Milestones
1995-2004 Last of the Summer Wine Billy Ingleton 7 episodes
1998 Casualty Mr. Cole Episode: "She Loved the Rain"
2002 Dalziel and Pascoe Bernie Marks Episode: "Mens Sana"
2003 The Last Detective Lofty Brock Episode: "Lofty"
Between the Sheets Maurice Hardy Miniseries
2004 Coronation Street Ernie Crabbe 1 episode
2008 Wonderland: The Secret Life Of Norman Wisdom Aged 92 and 3/4

Box office ranking

[edit]

For a number of years British exhibitors voted Wisdom one of the most popular stars in the country.

  • 1954 – 10th most popular star (3rd most popular British star)[21]
  • 1955 – 6th most popular star (3rd most popular British star)[24]
  • 1956 – 5th biggest British star[69]
  • 1957 – 9th most popular star (5th most popular British star)[70]
  • 1958 – 7th most popular British star
  • 1959 – 3rd most popular British star[71]
  • 1963 – 10th most popular star[72]
  • 1966 – 5th most popular star[27]

Audio recordings

[edit]
  • I Would Like to Put on Record
  • Jingle Jangle
  • The Very Best of Norman Wisdom
  • Androcles and the Lion US Television, Original Cast Recording.
  • Where's Charley? London Cast Recording.
  • Wisdom of a Fool
  • Nobody's Fool
  • Follow a Star
  • 1957 Original Chart Hits
  • Walking Happy Original Broadway Cast Recording.
  • The Night They Raided Minsky's Motion Picture Soundtrack recording.
  • Follow a Star/Give Me a Night in June
  • Happy Ending/The Wisdom of a Fool
  • Big in Albania – One Hit Wonderland
  • They Didn't Believe Me

Books

[edit]
  • Lucky Little Devil: Norman Wisdom on the Island He's Made His Home (2004)
  • Norman Wisdom, William Hall (2003). My Turn. Arrow Books. ISBN 978-0-09-944676-7.
  • Don't Laugh at Me, Cos I'm a Fool (1992) (two volumes of autobiography)
  • Trouble in Store (1991)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Birth Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
  2. ^ "No. 54066". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 1995. p. 14.
  3. ^ a b Dixon, Stephen (5 October 2010). "Sir Norman Wisdom obituary". The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Sir Norman Wisdom". The Daily Telegraph. London, UK. 5 October 2010. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Sir Norman: Nobody's fool". BBC News. 6 June 2000. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  6. ^ a b Double, Oliver (2014). "Wisdom, Sir Norman Joseph (1915–2010), comedian and actor". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/103354. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 16 February 2022. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  7. ^ Don't Laugh at Me, p. 1
  8. ^ a b c d Wisdom, Norman; Hall, William (2003). My Turn. Arrow Books. ISBN 978-0-09-944676-7.
  9. ^ a b Norman Wisdom: My Story, BBC Two, 15 October 2010
  10. ^ "Norman Wisdom". IMDb.
  11. ^ "Sir Norman takes final stage bow". BBC News. 18 October 2004. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  12. ^ a b c d Wazie, Burhan (25 February 2001). "Words of Wisdom". The Observer. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  13. ^ "Gloucester Citizen". Gloucester Citizen: 7. 30 August 1944.
  14. ^ "Plaque marks comic's time in forces". BBC News. 6 September 2003. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  15. ^ "Hastings and St Leonards Observer". Hastings and St Leonards Observer: 3. 24 August 1946.
  16. ^ "The Stage". The Stage: 5. 22 April 1948.
  17. ^ "The Stage". The Stage: 2. 16 September 1948.
  18. ^ "Birmingham Daily Gazette". Birmingham Daily Gazette: 2. 17 January 1949.
  19. ^ McFarlane, Brian; Slide, Anthony (2003). The Encyclopedia of British Film. London, UK: Methuen Publishing Ltd. p. 736. ISBN 978-0-413-77301-2. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  20. ^ "Film Nominations 1953". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  21. ^ a b "John Wayne Heads Box-Office Poll". The Mercury. Hobart, Tasmania. 31 December 1954. p. 6. Retrieved 24 April 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ^ McFarlane, Brian; Slide, Anthony (2003). The Encyclopedia of British Film. London, UK: Methuen Publishing Ltd. p. 230. ISBN 978-0-413-77301-2. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  23. ^ "Dirk Bogarde favourite film actor". The Irish Times. Dublin, Ireland. 29 December 1955. p. 9.
  24. ^ a b "The Dam Busters". The Times. London. 29 December 1955. p. 12.
  25. ^ "Year Of Profitable British Films". The Times. London, England. 1 January 1960. p. 13 – via The Times Digital Archive.
  26. ^ "Michael Caine interview: Every single person I knew became rich". The Independent. London, UK. 4 September 2017. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  27. ^ a b "Most popular star for third time". The Times. London. 31 December 1966. p. 5.
  28. ^ "Works Written by Wisdom Norman". The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  29. ^ Robertson, Peter (24 February 2016). "The man who made Frank Spencer". Daily Express. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  30. ^ "In pictures: Sir Norman Wisdom". BBC News. 4 February 2005. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  31. ^ "1952, London Palladium". The Royal Variety Performance. Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  32. ^ Dixon, Stephen (4 October 2010). "Sir Norman Wisdom obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  33. ^ Rees, Jasper (25 October 2004). "All I've ever felt on stage is pain". The Daily Telegraph. London, UK. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  34. ^ "No. 55710". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1999. p. 2.
  35. ^ Adetunji, Jo (4 October 2010). "Norman Wisdom dies aged 95". The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  36. ^ "Film – Special Awards". London Film Critics Circle. Archived from the original on 7 December 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  37. ^ Labes, Lucinda (31 July 2002). "Albania: Stormin' Norman". The Daily Telegraph. London, UK. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
  38. ^ "New film: Expresso". BBC News. 7 May 2007. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
  39. ^ "Norman Wisdom mobbed by Albanian fans on 1995 trip". Newsnight. BBC. 5 October 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  40. ^ Udall, Elizabeth (22 September 1996). "How We Met: Rick Wakeman and Norman Wisdom". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  41. ^ "Sir Norman Wisdom: Clown Prince of Albania". BBC News. 30 March 2001. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  42. ^ "Per Dhenien e Titullit "Qytetar Nderi I Qytetit Te Tiranes"" [For Issue of Title "Honorary Citizen of the city of Tirana"] (PDF). Tirana Municipal Council (in Albanian). 18 January 1995. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 March 2012.
  43. ^ Stuart, Julia (16 July 2002). "Tony Hawks: Big in Albania". The Independent. London, UK. Archived from the original on 17 February 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
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