The Early Bird * (1965, Norman Wisdom, Edward Chapman, Jerry Desmonde, Paddie O’Neill) – Classic Movie Review 13,399

The 1965 British slapstick comedy film The Early Bird stars Norman Wisdom, Edward Chapman and Jerry Desmonde, and is notable as the star’s first film in colour.

Director Robert Asher’s 1965 British comedy film The Early Bird stars Norman Wisdom, Edward Chapman, Jerry Desmonde and Paddie O’Neill, along with Bryan Pringle, Richard Vernon, and John Le Mesurier. It is notable as the first Norman Wisdom film shot in colour.

Norman Wisdom does his usual mocking the afflicted turn as a moronic milkman called Norman Pitkin works for Grimsdale’s Dairy, who loves his horse Nellie and saves his boss Mr Thomas Grimsdale (Edward Chapman)’s dairy from a threatened takeover by a big business rival company, Consolidated Dairies, under the management of Mr Walter Hunter (Jerry Desmonde).

This slapstick, sentimental and silly farce is about par for the Wisdom course, so his fans will be happy, although the script’s attempts at satire over big business and takeovers are weak and half-hearted. Others can always take refuge in the host of strong comic support players, some though in very small roles.

Producer Hugh Stewart called the movie ‘very good’. And it was still popular enough, as one of the 15 most successful movies at the British box office in 1966.

But it was the last of several films that Hugh Stewart produced for Wisdom, starting from Man of the Moment (1955).

The cast

The cast are Norman Wisdom as Norman Pitkin, Edward Chapman as Mr Thomas Grimsdale, Jerry Desmonde as Mr Walter Hunter, Paddie O’Neil as Mrs Gladwys Hoskins, Bryan Pringle as Austin, Richard Vernon as Sir Roger Wedgewood, John Le Mesurier as Colonel Foster, Peter Jeffrey as Fire Chief, Penny Morrell as Miss Curry, Marjie Lawrence as woman in negligee, Frank Thornton as drunken doctor, Dandy Nichols as woman flooded by milk, Harry Locke as commissionaire, Michael Bilton as nervous man, Imogen Hassall as Sir Roger’s secretary, Tony Selby as Godfrey.

The Early Bird is directed by Robert Asher, runs 98 minutes, is made by The Rank Organisation, released by Rank Film Distributors, is written by Jack Davies, Norman Wisdom, Eddie Leslie and Henry Blyth, is shot in colour by Jack Asher, is produced by Hugh Stewart, and is scored by Ron Goodwin.

Release date: 30 November 1965 (London).

British actress and singer Paddie O’Neil (born Adalena Lillian Nail, 1 May 1926 – 31 January 2010)

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,399

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