One Good Turn

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..

Here in the film; One Good Turn, director; John Paddy Carstairs' focus appears to be on juxtaposing 1950s youth culture with Victorian philanthropic-style morality. In other words this film director looks at the up-and-coming democratic methods as illustrated by the children's anarchic actions pertaining to saving their home, which is an orphanage. This is pitted against pillar-of-the community-type figures who are not used to democracy where their authority and values are questioned by the new generation. This anarchic behaviour is further juxtaposed with Norman's innocent attitude to life.

The illustration of the insubordinate behaviour of young people is also illustrated well in films such as for example;The Blue Lamp (1950), albeit in a more serious and as such cynical way where the youths of the era are labelled as potentially dangerous. But this film along with One Good Turn are mere reflections of social change.

For my money J.P. Carstairs is the director who brings more to bare to Wisdom's acting and comic timing. As such One Good Turn is a far superior Wisdom outing than many of his later ones. For this reason it is an excellent choice for viewing.

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.

Well almost, Norman likes touching on the underdogs, the put down and the socially disadvantaged, this one sees him sticking up for Orphans, fortunately its not too cheesy, but its not great, not one of his best.

Its more of a moral humorous comedy than a funny one, Wisdom gets up to his usual antics, but with a slightly serious angle, Norman was an orphan, so its a subject that's in his heart, its no coincidence this is the subject of his second film in, it was a life project. His whole life leading up to him being a star is around being an orphan and fighting for them, he did charity work in that line for many years after.

But its still fairly good, look out for a character actor with the name of Thora Hird, a stalwart of British Film and TV.

Norman Wisdom may not be a household name in North America, but he certainly was one in Europe & Asia during the height of his career in the '50s & the '60s. "One Good Turn" is a funny, clean cut family comedy that you can watch with your kids without having to have the remote handy to press the forward button during the inappropriate sections which nowadays is all over so called family movies. Norman is charming, honest & utterly funny in his movies. A likable character that kids and adults alike can relate to. "One Good Turn" is a funny movie with many clever slapstick sequences (check out the orchestra conductor sequence for just one example) that have not lost their charms. Norman Wisdom movies have been hard to find here in North America but recently WHAM! USA label has put out a whole bunch of them out (sadly on VHS only so far). Get them while they're still around. You won't be disappointed!