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Comedy

On the Beat

- As the COPPER who comes a CROPPER!

Norman Pitkin wants to be a policeman like his father was, but he fails the height test (amongst others). One day he gets out his father's old uniform and "walks the beat". This leads to a level of chaos that only Pitkin could cause

Release Date : 1962-12-11

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : The Rank Organisation

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Norman Wisdom

Character Name : Norman Pitkin

Original Name : Norman Wisdom

Gender : Male

Jennifer Jayne

Character Name : Rosanna

Original Name : Jennifer Jayne

Gender : Female

Raymond Huntley

Character Name : Sir Ronald Ackroyd

Original Name : Raymond Huntley

Gender : Male

Esma Cannon

Character Name : Mrs. Stammers

Original Name : Esma Cannon

Gender : Female

Eric Barker

Character Name : Doctor

Original Name : Eric Barker

Gender : Male

Wanda Ventham

Character Name : Outraged Hair-Salon Customer

Original Name : Wanda Ventham

Gender : Female

David Lodge

Character Name : Insp. Hobson

Original Name : David Lodge

Gender : Male

Eleanor Summerfield

Character Name : Sgt. Lucilla Wilkins

Original Name : Eleanor Summerfield

Gender : Female

Ronnie Stevens

Character Name : Oberon

Original Name : Ronnie Stevens

Gender : Male

Terence Alexander

Character Name : Chief Supt. Bert Belcher

Original Name : Terence Alexander

Gender : Male

Maurice Kaufmann

Character Name : Vince

Original Name : Maurice Kaufmann

Gender : Male

Dilys Laye

Character Name : American Lady

Original Name : Dilys Laye

Gender : Female

Eve Eden

Character Name : Woman at Hairdressers

Original Name : Eve Eden

Gender : Female

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-03-25

Sometimes I forget just how charismatic and talented Norman Wisdom was. I was never a fan of slapstick humour, but somehow he always manages to inject the tiniest elements of class - even sophistication - into his performances. Here, he delivers one of his better and harder-working efforts as "Pitkin"; son of a decorated police officer who, it had been deemed, is too short to serve in the constabulary himself - so he gets a job cleaning their cars! Now cue for a fun water fight; the Commissioner gets soaked and he gets fired. Luckily for him, though, the police are under huge pressure to apprehend a jewel thief whom they think is masquerading as an high-end hairdresser. Guess what? "Neopolitani" is the spitting image of "Pitkin" and so back he is drafted to infiltrate the salon and hopefully bring down this criminal kingpin. This benefits strongly from an established cast of film and theatre actors who are no strangers to comedy: Terence Alexander, the scene-stealing Esme Cannon, David Lodge and Raymond Huntley (whom I could swear I saw struggling to contain his smiles at times). "Pitkin" even manages to find himself a little love interest in "Rosanna" (Jennifer Jayne) and, of course, there's not the merest doubt that Scotland Yard will get their man. It's a bit too long, and there is a decent smidgeon of stereotyping going on - but I think it fair to remember it's all pretty harmless and representative of British humour in the early 1960s and taken in that spirit is a good example of a star leading an enjoyable enough ensemble effort on a trail of mischief and mayhem.