Norman Wisdom

June Laverick

Jerry Desmonde

Hattie Jacques

Richard Wattis

Eddie Leslie

John Le Mesurier

Sydney Tafler

Fenella Fielding

Charles Heslop

Joe Melia

Ron Moody

Alan Beaton

Barbara Bennett

Paul Beradi

Eddie Boyce

Richard Caldicot

Pauline Chamberlain

Vic Chapman

Peggy Ann Clifford

Jess Conrad

Pat Coombs

Dan Cressey

Fred Davis

Dick Emery

Mabel Etherington

Peter Evans

Keith Faulkner

Norman Fisher

Tex Fuller

Arthur Goodman

Charles Gray

Patrick Halpin

Victor Harrington

Renee Heimer

Jack Hetherington

Glyn Houston

Juba Kennerley

Dilys Laye

Dickey Luck

Martin Lyder

Edie Martin

Guy Mills

Cecil Paul

Joe Phelps

Robert Raglan

Bob Raymond

Joe Ritchie

George Roderick

Bess Rogers

Rita Royce

Bunny Seaman

John Smart

Philip Stewart

Marianne Stone

Fred Stroud

Reg Thomason

Laura Thurlow

Harry Van Engel

Pearl Walters

Michael Ward

Eric Wetherell

John Wilder

Sheree Winton

Jaqui Wisdom

Nick Wisdom

Robert Asher

Jack Asher

Henry Blyth

Jack Davis

Diana Hawkins

Comedy

Music

Follow a Star

The Rank Organisation

United Kingdom

Norman's Singin' In The Rain.

Standard formula for a Norman Wisdom movie here. Norman becomes a put upon clown whilst bubbling under the surface is the fact he's a very talented guy (singer here), whilst he's in love with a wheelchair bound beauty. It's often the saccharine elements of Wisdom's films that puts people off, but to his fans (and I'm one), they are integral to letting Wisdom hit his comedic heights.

Follow a Star is not a great Norman Wisdom film, but it is a very safe and enjoyable one. Story finds Norman used by ageing crooner Jerry Desmonde, who upon finding he is no longer fashionable, plots to use Norman's amazing singing voice as his own. Cue Norman moving in with Desmonde as the house slave and chaos ensues. Meanwhile those closest to Norman smell a rat and try to bring down Desmonde the fraud. 

As usual there are plenty of laughs and high energy acrobatics, with stand out sequences involving hypnosis and the bravura mania of the finale - where the dastards do all they can to get Norman off of the stage. Some super British comedy actors fill out the support slots, most notably Hattie Jacques and Richard Wattis, while Philip Green's musical contributions are most pleasing.

One for Wisdom fans only? For sure. Otherwise leave well alone. 6.5/10

CinemaSerf

"Truscott" (Norman Wisdom) spends much of his days at work in a laundry dreaming of a stardom that might just come his way when he encounters legendary crooner "Vernon Carew" (Jerry Desmonde). This man's star is very much on the wain until he hears his new friend sing and hits on the idea of "borrowing" his voice - without telling or paying him, of course. His career rejuvenated, it's only his vocal coach "Dymphna" (Hattie Jacques) who recognises  the true owner of the voice but what to do. "Truscott" can only sing if his beloved "Judy" (June Lsverick) is there to encourage him and that's not possible right now. As "Carew" heads to the bright lights of the London Palladium, our plucky hero's friends have to think of a way of showing where the real talent lies. How, though? This is another decent showcase for Wisdom to show that he had quite a few strings to his bow. His semi-slapstick comedy timing is perfect but here he proves that he can also hold a tune, delivering a few of the numbers that fit entertainingly into the story. The story itself, though, is far too long. It could readily lose half and hour and not suffer. Indeed were it a tighter production with less meandering, it'd be quite a solid tale that could have better played to Wisdom's strengths, those of writer Jack Davis and the very Rutherford-esque efforts of an on-form Jacques. As it is, it struggles to stay engaging until perhaps the last ten minutes when life is breathed back into it and some laughs are to be had. It's still quite a fun vehicle for it's star and is a perfectly watchable example of his work.

English