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One Good Turn

  • 1955
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
704
YOUR RATING
Norman Wisdom in One Good Turn (1955)
Norman is the oldest orphan at Greenwood Children's Home and now acts as their caretaker. All the orphans are very happy and well cared for. The adventures start when a nasty property developer wants to close the orphanage and build a factory on the site.
Play trailer2:03
1 Video
6 Photos
SlapstickComedy

Norman is the oldest orphan at Greenwood Children's Home and now acts as their caretaker. All the orphans are very happy and well cared for. The adventures start when a nasty property develo... Read allNorman is the oldest orphan at Greenwood Children's Home and now acts as their caretaker. All the orphans are very happy and well cared for. The adventures start when a nasty property developer (boo hiss!) who is also the chairman of the orphanage board wants to close the orphana... Read allNorman is the oldest orphan at Greenwood Children's Home and now acts as their caretaker. All the orphans are very happy and well cared for. The adventures start when a nasty property developer (boo hiss!) who is also the chairman of the orphanage board wants to close the orphanage and build a factory on the site. The children are sent to Brighton for the day and Norm... Read all

  • Director
    • John Paddy Carstairs
  • Writers
    • John Paddy Carstairs
    • Sid Colin
    • Maurice Cowan
  • Stars
    • Norman Wisdom
    • Joan Rice
    • Shirley Abicair
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    704
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • John Paddy Carstairs
    • Writers
      • John Paddy Carstairs
      • Sid Colin
      • Maurice Cowan
    • Stars
      • Norman Wisdom
      • Joan Rice
      • Shirley Abicair
    • 14User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:03
    Trailer

    Photos5

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    Top cast96

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    Norman Wisdom
    Norman Wisdom
    • Norman
    Joan Rice
    Joan Rice
    • Iris
    Shirley Abicair
    • Mary
    Thora Hird
    Thora Hird
    • Cook
    William Russell
    William Russell
    • Alec Bigley
    Joan Ingram
    Joan Ingram
    • Matron Sparrow
    Richard Caldicot
    Richard Caldicot
    • Mr. Bigley
    Marjorie Fender
    • Tuppeny
    Keith Gilman
    • Jimmy
    Noel Howlett
    Noel Howlett
    • Jeweller
    David Hurst
    David Hurst
    • Professor Dofee
    Harold Kasket
    • Ivor Petrovitch
    Ricky McCullough
    • Gunner Mac
    • (as Ricky Mc Cullough)
    Anthony Green
    • Martin
    • (as Antony Green)
    John Adams
    • Constable in Theatre
    • (uncredited)
    Chris Adcock
    • Stagehand
    • (uncredited)
    Frank Andrews
    • Boxing Spectator
    • (uncredited)
    Jonathan Bailey
    • Minor Role
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • John Paddy Carstairs
    • Writers
      • John Paddy Carstairs
      • Sid Colin
      • Maurice Cowan
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews14

    6.5704
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    Featured reviews

    9gwilym49

    Probably the best of Wisdom's films.

    Probably the best of Norman Wisdom's films. Some extremely funny and clever scenes are seen in this work. For example, Wisdom fools around in a railway carriage in front of some very 'English' stuffed shirts. Also,(in one of the funniest scenes I have seen in any film) he stands in front of an orchestra waving a candy floss stick. The orchestra plays accordingly! There are some sentimental scenes also, which some viewers may find hard to take (as in all Wisdom's films). But, on the whole, a very funny film guaranteed to cheer you up when you are feeling down.
    7shaun_lime

    The car in the front shop window

    I'm so glad I came across norman wisdom when i was young because he's truly a Magnificent actor and great at his comedy acting and never gets old.

    I loved the film, a wonderful story and always love a good laugh and norman's films never fail to do that for me even when ive seen them all many times.

    There just don't make films like this anymore..
    8Sleepin_Dragon

    Sweet and funny.

    Norman agrees to buy a pricey toy car for a young lad at an Orphanage, and sets about earning the required amount.

    It is a truly lovely, sweet film, it has some very funny moments, the scene inside the first class carriage, and the orchestra conduction are works of pure brilliance.

    Lots of familiar faces, a young William Russell, a good few years before his break on Doctor Who, Thora Hird is lovely as Cook.

    Wisdom as always is just wonderful, a great actor, boundless charisma. 8/10.

    It's a joy.
    bob the moo

    Wisdom carries the whole film – one of his better vehicles

    Norman is the oldest orphan at Greenwood's orphanage who now works there in return for free board. Norman is always trying to give the orphans a good life but all that is threatened when Mr Bigley announces he is going to sell the property for industrial use, Norman takes action to prevent the sale.

    I'm not a huge Wisdom fan but I have seen many of this films. So I know that I do enjoy his brand of humour and know he can be really funny in a gentle way when the film allows him to be. Here the basic plot is only a step to several funny scenes – Norman entered in a walking race, Norman fleeing the police in a toy car, Norman in a train carriage with a group of upper-class stiffs etc. Most of the film is little to do with the plot described above. It's only the final scene where the orphans repel the adults that brings it back to the central idea, however that doesn't mean it's no good. My personal favourite is the scene where Norman gets mistaken for a conductor because he's holding a candy floss stick and gets bungled in front of an orchestra at a concert- again little to do with the plot, but still funny!

    The actual set-ups for Wisdom to do his stuff are all pretty funny and don't feel forced despite not fitting naturally into the plot. The humour is gentle and when Norman is doing it he really gives his all. He'll never be respected like some other comedians but here he shows that he is a genius and can work gags well in his own style. In other films he has suffered from a lack of a good support cast, but here he is pretty much carrying the whole thing and does it very well. Some may dislike the cute kids aspect of the film but it's only the end where they get much input. Rice and Abicair are OK but it's nice to see a young Thora Hird before her stair-lift adverts paid her way!

    Overall this is funny, gentle comedy Wisdom style. Those that hate his basic style will dislike this but fans will love it and it's good enough to win over new viewers. Definitely one of Wisdom's better films – and that's without the sterling support of regular's Desmonde and Chapman.
    7Spondonman

    Orphans Of The Norm

    With fairly high Pinewood production values this was one of Norman Wisdom's best films, sans his best foil Jerry Desmonde though. Richard Caldicott played the posh pompous machinating bigwig foil here, but unfortunately wasn't (mis)used to the full.

    Norman is general dogsbody at quaint orphanage under threat of demolition and replacement by a factory – this umbrellas various episodic adventures he has in his drive to buy an expensive £12 toy car for little Jimmy. Favourite bits: annoying the First Class rail passengers with his vivacity/yobbishness – depending on your point of view; making the best of a trouserless situation; peeling the onion with the sewing machine, to everyone's distress; the boxing bout; conducting the orchestra; the Black Sheep Of Whitehall and Happiest Days Of Your Lives type reprises. Thora Hird got more of a showing than in Black Sheep too. Two sentimental songs from Norman along the way: Step In The Right Direction (bedtime at the orphanage) and one he wrote himself Please Opportunity (at the funfair), both perfectly sung – just how much did Anthony Newley and Robbie Williams owe to him?

    Along with some of the sets some of the acting could be a little wooden but much more preferable to me than todays plastic. For a glimpse of a safe but dead Britain it's great stuff, also a pleasant non-heavy comedy in all departments.

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    Related interests

    Leslie Nielsen in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
    Slapstick
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Producer Maurice Cowan made Norman Wisdom's first film, and wrote the story for his third film. He so disliked working with Wisdom on this film that he never produced another film for the comedian.
    • Connections
      Featured in Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema: British Comedy (2021)
    • Soundtracks
      Please Opportunity
      Written by Norman Wisdom

      Performed by Norman Wisdom

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 17, 1955 (Portugal)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Veseli Norman
    • Filming locations
      • Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • Maurice Cowan Productions
      • Two Cities Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 30m(90 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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