The little man who scored such a success in his first film, Trouble In Store (1953), was back again to cheer us all up. This time, Norman is the oldest orphan at Greenwood Children’s Home and now acts as their caretaker and odd-job man.
But there are dirty deeds afoot, and the chairman of the board is also a property developer who is looking to make a fortune out of the children’s home by selling it to make room for a new factory.
In an attempt to raise some money (£12) to buy a model motor car as a present for Jimmy (Keith Gilman), one of the orphans at the home, Norman tries his hand at various jobs – carrying sandwich boards, boxing (“Three rounds and win ten pounds”), motor racing, competing in the London to Brighton walking race, even conducting an orchestra.
There is a romantic angle, too, for Norman is in love with schoolmistress Iris (Joan Rice), who, in turn, is in love with someone else, while Mary (Australian zither player Shirley Abicair) is in love with Norman.
Good clean fun with plenty of genuinely funny slapstick from a time now long gone. Norman works so hard it’s impossible not to like him.
Norman
Norman Wisdom Iris
Joan Rice Mary
Shirley Abicair Cook
Thora Hird Alec Bigley
William Russell Matron Sparrow
Joan Ingram Bigley
Richard Caldicot Professor Dofee
David Hurst Igor Petrovitch
Harold Kasket Gunner Mac
Ricky McCullough Martin
Anthony Green Jimmy
Keith Gilman Tuppenny
Marjorie Fender Boxer
Arthur Mullard
Director
John Paddy Carstairs
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Norman
Bigley
