Trouble in Store

I saw this on UK TV today for the first time in many years and was reminded of the great enjoyment that Norman Wisdom has always provided. This movie now seems very dated and full of the flavour of early 50's Britain.

I'll always remember the 'pill swallowing' sequence and we always used it as a joke with our own kids when they had to take pills and struggled.

Seeing it again I became aware of a number of throw-away lines with sexual connotations that now seem quite modern.

The movie is firmly rooted in the British class system - but here the 'common' working man takes the p*** out of all the establishment figures and institiutions AND wins good in the end AND gets his girl.

No wonder Norman Wisdom was such a hero in Russia and Albania (apparently)!

See this movie if you haven't already .. enjoy it for what it is and what it represented.

I grew up watching this film, and his others, and even though I'd class The Square Peg as my favourite, I'd class trouble in store as one of the best. Watching it as an adult I still adore the innocent, sweet humour, but I also loved the more feeling side of it when he started singing. Performances vary a little it's fair to say, for me though the best of them is Margaret Rutherford, she is absolutely joyous as the eccentric, but slightly adorable thief. Her spree is a terrific scene, so funny, as is the the window display scene.

I had forgotten how nimble and fit Wisdom was, such a talented all rounder, he dazzles here.

I adore this film, and not just for the sake of nostalgia, 9/10.

When a major London department store is taken over by a new manager, Mr Freeman, stock boy Norman finds himself out of a job after a series of misunderstandings. He wins back his job in time to get embroiled in an internal robbery of the store.

This was the first of the Norman Wisdom/Rank comedies that became an annual money spinner from the 50's well into the 1960's. The plot is rarely important and here we have a mix of romance and robbery that supports the usual mix of accidents and misunderstandings. The romance and the robbery don't really work, the romance seems to happen far too quickly while the robbery is tacked on at the end.

Wisdom is as excellent as always - his uncoordinated, shy, eager, accident prone and misunderstood personality allows him to have a series of funny set pieces. It's an acquired taste, but if you like the short of slapstick humour then Wisdom will appeal to you. Wisdom regular Jerry Desmonde is good as the store manager and Margaret Rutherford (second in the cast list for a very small role) is funny as an upper-class shop lifter. The only weak link is Lister as Norman's love interest, she's a little light and her character changes depending on how the story is going.

Overall it's not a masterpiece but it's a good Norman Wisdom comedy. It won't appeal to everyone but it's a gentle family comedy from another age.

Though now slightly over fifty years old, Sir Norman's film debut remains one of his very best movies. 'Trouble In Store' finds the clown in top form, as a stock room worker who wishes to move up in the world and marry the girl of his dreams. Whether roller-skating behind a fast moving bus or crooning his biggest hit (and signature tune) 'Don't Laugh At Me', Norman demonstrates the charisma that made him such a major box office attraction.

Backing Norman is the fantastic Margaret Rutherford, who in only a handful of scenes steals the picture (and everything else!) as an elderly shoplifter. The very lovely Lana Morris also scores as the object of Sir Norman's affections. Lana comes across in this picture so well that it is a real pity that she did not have a better movie career.

Highlights range from Wisdom's window dressing 'duel' with Michael Ward, a very catchy duet with Lana (Norman once again showing us his great singing voice) and a fun Western parody climax. This movie seemed to fly by and is probably Sir Norman's most enjoyable film.

"Trouble in Store" is one of the first films in which British actor Norman Wisdom starred. The versatile and talented Wisdom went on to a distinguished comedy career in England. He received a knighthood and retired from entertaining at the age of 90, living another five years beyond that.

Wisdom came from a poor beginning and broken family background. He learned to forage and scrounge early for survival and struck out on his own in his early teens. With such a background, the irrepressible Wisdom devoted a lifetime to trying to make people laugh. He especially liked to entertain children outside of films.

Besides his acting and athleticism that he used in his comedic roles, Wisdom had a very good singing voice. He learned to play several instruments – clarinet, sax, trumpet, French horn, drums and piano. He was also an accomplished songwriter.

In this early comedy film, he shows much of the slapstick, falling down, tripping and mishap behavior that became his trademark in many more films and in live performances. The supporting cast, plot and other aspects of the film are all good. But, this is a Norman Wisdom showcase all around.

In reading about this beloved English entertainer, I came across some of his clever quotes and cute sayings. Here's one that might describe the basis for his playful attitude and fun-filled approach to life: "Such is life and life is such and after all it isn't much. First a cradle. Then a hearse. It might have been better, but it could have been worse."