Norman Wisdom Biography (1925?-)

Born February 4, 1925 (some sources say 1915, 1918, or 1920), in London, England; married Freda Simpson, October 1947 (divorced, 1969); children: Nicholas, Jacqueline. Addresses: Contact: Johnny Mans Productions, Ltd., The Maltings, Brewery Rd., Hoddeson, Hertfordshire EN11 8HF, England. Official Norman Wisdom Fan Club, 115 Ranworth Ave., Hoddeson, Hertfordshire EN11 9NS, England.

Nationality: British
Gender: Male
Occupation: Actor, comedian, writer, producer, songwriter
Birth Details: February 4, 1925?; London, United Kingdom

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Appearances
Shadow boxer, A Date with a Dream, Grand National, 1948
Norman, Trouble in Store, Republic, 1953
Norman, One Good Turn, General Films, 1954
Norman, Man of the Moment, Group, 1955
(Uncredited) Guest, As Long as They're Happy, Rank, 1955
Norman, Up in the World, Rank, 1956
Norman Hackett (and his own father), Just My Luck, Rank, 1957
Norman Pitkin and General Schreiber, The Square Peg, Rank, 1958
Norman Truscott, Follow a Star, Rank, 1959
Norman Puckle, The Bulldog Breed, Rank, 1960
Davy Cooper, There Was a Crooked Man, Lopert/United Artists, 1960
Norman Pitkin and Giulio Napolitani, On the Beat, Rank, 1962
Sam Marlowe, The Girl on the Boat, Knightsbridge, 1962
Norman Pitkin, A Stitch in Time, Zenith, 1963
Norman Pitkin, The Early Bird, Rank, 1965
Father O'Malley, The Sandwich Man, Rank, 1966
Norman Shields, Emily Shields, Wilfred Shields, and Sir Wilfred Shields,Press for Time, Rank, 1966
Chick Williams, The Night They Raided Minsky's (also known as The Night They Invented Striptease), United Artists, 1968
Timothy Bartlett, What's Good for the Goose (also known as GirlTrouble), National Showmanship, 1969
Himself, To See Such Fun, 1977
(In archive footage) Himself, The 1950's: Music, Memories & Milestones, 1988
Arthur Clutten and Maurice Rigby, Double X: The Name of the Game (also known as DoubleX and Run Rabbit Run), New World International, 1992
Where On Earth Is ... Katy Manning Because She'd Really Like to Know! (also known as Where On Earth Is ... Katy Manning), Reeltime Pictures, 1998
Film Work
Associate producer, What's Good for the Goose (also known as Girl Trouble), National Showmanship, 1969
Television Appearances
Series
Norman, Wit and Wisdom, 1948
Norman, Wit and Wisdom, 1950
Norman, ATV, 1970
Music Hall, 1970
Nobody, Nobody Is Norman Wisdom, ATV, 1973
Norman, A Little Bit of Wisdom, ATV, 1974-1976

Episodic
Vincent Parkin, "Almost Like a Holiday," Bergerac, 1983
Himself, Clive Anderson Talks Back, 1993
Billy Ingleton the demon pianist, "The Man Who Nearly Knew Pavarotti," The Last of the Summer Wine, 1995
Mr. Cole, "She Loved the Rain," Casualty, BBC1, 1998
Himself, It's Only TV ... But I Like It, 2000
Himself, "Todd Carty," This Is Your Life, NBC, 2000
Also appeared as himself in episodes of This Is Your Life and TV-AM.
Specials
Norman, Wit and Wisdom, 1948
"The Norman Wisdom Show," Saturday Comedy Hour (three specials), BBC, 1956
Androcles, Androcles and the Lion, 1967
Patient, "Going Gently," Playhouse, BBC2, 1981
(In archive footage) I Love Christmas (documentary), BBC, 2001
Stage Appearances
The 1954 Palladium Show, The London Palladium, London, 1954
Aladdin, The Wonderful Lamp, The London Palladium, 1956
Charley Wykeham, Where's Charley?, Palace Theatre, 1958
Dick Whittington, Turn Again Whittington, The London Palladium, 1960
Robinson Crusoe, Hippodrome Theatre, Bristol, England, 1961, thenEmpire Theatre, Liverpool, England, 1963
(Broadway debut) Will Mossop, Walking Happy, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 1966
Arnold Crouch, Not Now, Darling, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New YorkCity, 1970
Appeared in Buttons and Bows, Blackpool, England; also appeared inRoyal Variety Performances, 1952 and 1954.
Stage Appearances; Revues
Sauce Piquante, Cambridge Theatre, London, 1950
Paris to Piccadilly, Prince of Wales's Theatre, London, 1952
Painting the Town, The London Palladium, London, 1955
Stage Appearances; Ice Shows
London Melody, Empress Hall, 1951
Sinbad the Sailor, Empress Hall, 1953
Major Tours
Cocky, The Roar of the Grease Paint--The Smell of the Crowd, 1964
Norman Wisdom's Summer Show, 1975
Also toured in Albania, 1995, and in a solo show, 1996.
WRITINGS
Screenplays
The Square Peg, Rank, 1958
Follow a Star, Rank, 1959
The Bulldog Breed, Rank, 1960
On the Beat, Rank, 1962
A Stitch in Time, Zenith, 1963
The Early Bird, Rank, 1965
Press for Time, Rank, 1966
What's Good for the Goose (also known as Girl Trouble), National Showmanship, 1969
Film Songs
"Don't Laugh at Me ('Cause I'm a Fool)," Trouble in Store, Republic, 1953
"Please Opportunity," One Good Turn, General Films, 1954
Man of the Moment, Group, 1955
Memoirs
(With William Hall) Don't Laugh at Me, 1992

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

Dacre, Richard, Trouble in Store: Norman Wisdom, a Career in Comedy, TC Farries (Dumfries, Scotland), 1991
International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 3: Actors and Actresses, St. James Press, 1996

Periodicals

Films and Filming (London), December, 1954
Primetime, October/December, 1983
Sight and Sound (London), April, 1954

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