Known For
Acting
Born
Feb 04, 1915
Died
Oct 04, 2010
Place of Birth
Marylebone, London, England
Credits
53 titles
Norman Wisdom
Biography
Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, OBE was an English actor, comedian and singer-songwriter best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring his hapless onscreen character Norman Pitkin. These films initially made more money than the James Bond film series, and secured Wisdom a celebrity status in lands as far apart as South America, Iran and many Eastern Bloc countries, particularly in Albania where his films were permitted by Enver Hoxha – Wisdom was the only Western actor to enjoy this privilege. Charlie Chaplin famously referred to Wisdom as his "favourite clown". Wisdom later forged a career on Broadway and as a television actor, winning critical acclaim for his dramatic role of a dying cancer patient in the television play Going Gently in 1981. It was broadcast on 5 June that year. He toured Australia and South Africa. After the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, a hospice was named in his honour. In 1995 he was given the Freedom of the City of London and of Tirana. The same year he received an OBE. Wisdom was knighted in 2000 and spent much of his later life on the Isle of Man. Some of his later appearances included roles in Last of the Summer Wine and Coronation Street, and he retired from acting at the age of 90 after his health declined.
Known For
Filmography
Innes Lloyd: The Producer
Self (archive footage)
The Unforgettable Norman Wisdom
Himself (archive footage)
Norman Wisdom: His Story
Himself : Archive footage
Norman Wisdom: Trouble On Tour
Self
The Legend of Harrow Woods
Winston
The Secret Life of Norman Wisdom Aged 92¾
Self
Expresso
The Vicar (as Sir Norman Wisdom)
Between The Sheets
Maurice Hardy
Thora Hird Tribute
Self
The Last Detective
Lofty Brock
It's Only TV But I Like It
Self
Where on Earth Is Katy Manning?
An Audience with Bruce Forsyth
Style Challenge
Cue Here for Laughs with John Virgo
Self
Double X: The Name of the Game
Arthur Clutton/Maurice Rigby
Casualty
Mr. Cole
The Golden Gong: The Story of Rank Films - British Cinema's Legendary Studio
Self
Wogan
Self
Bergerac
Vincent
Going Gently
Bernard Flood
An Audience with...
Self
To See Such Fun
A Little Bit of Wisdom
Norman Wisdom
Playhouse
Bernard Flood
Nobody Is Norman Wisdom
Nobody
Last of the Summer Wine
Man Carrying Gnome (uncredited)
Norman
What's Good for the Goose
Timothy Bartlett
The Night They Raided Minsky's
Chick Williams
Androcles and the Lion
Androcles
Press for Time
Norman Shields / Emily Shields / Wilfred, the Prime Minister
The Sandwich Man
Boxing Vicar
The Early Bird
Norman Pitkin
A Stitch in Time
Norman Pitkin
On the Beat
Norman Pitkin / Giulio Napolitani
The Merv Griffin Show
Self
The Girl on the Boat
Sam Marlowe
The Mike Douglas Show
Self
The Bulldog Breed
Ordinary Seaman Norman Puckle
There Was a Crooked Man
Davy Cooper
Follow a Star
Norman Truscott
Look at Life: A Dog's Life
Self
The Square Peg
Private Norman Pitkin / General Otto Schreiber
Just My Luck
Norman Hackett / Mr. Hackett
Up in the World
Norman
Tony Awards
Self - Nominee / Performer
Man of the Moment
Norman
This Is Your Life
As Long as They're Happy
Norman