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.
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Biography from TMDB.
- February 4, 1915
- October 4, 2010 (aged 95)
- Marylebone, London, England
- Actor and writer
- 18 on MovieCove · 40 credits in all
What are Norman Wisdom's films like?
Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 10
Light 10 · Serious 0 · Dark 0
A split, not a type: Grounded 7 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0
Gentle 7 · Charged 3 · Intense 0
Steady 7 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 9
Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0
Casual 9 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 10 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 0
Resolved 10 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Hero: 8 of 9 analyzed roles.
Show the 9 rolesHide the roles
- Heroas Norman in One Good Turn (1955)
- Heroas Norman in Man of the Moment (1955)
- Heroas Norman in Up in the World (1956)
- Heroas Norman Pitkin in The Square Peg (1958)
- Shapeshifteras Norman Pitkin / General Schreiber in The Square Peg (1958)
- Heroas Davy Cooper in There Was a Crooked Man (1960)
- Heroas Sam Marlowe in The Girl on the Boat (1962)
- Heroas Norman Pitkin in A Stitch in Time (1963)
- Heroas Androcles in Androcles and the Lion (1967)
Moods and endings
- Happy9
- Bittersweet1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Norman Wisdom's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 18 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on BritBox (5).
- BritBox
Subscription and free streaming for Norman Wisdom's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
40 credits, 18 with a MovieCove page; 15 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
The Legend of Harrow Woods (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Expresso (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Five Children and It(2004)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
Between The Sheets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
The Last Detective(2003)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows
Where on Earth Is Katy Manning? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
An Audience with Bruce Forsyth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Style Challenge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Dalziel and Pascoe(1996)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows
Double X: The Name of the Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Casualty(1986)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all shows
Bergerac(1981)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows
Going Gently (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
To See Such Fun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
A Little Bit of Wisdom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Nobody Is Norman Wisdom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Last of the Summer Wine(1973)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all showsNorman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
What's Good for the Goose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Androcles and the Lion(1967)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Press for Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
The Sandwich Man(1966)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
The Early Bird (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
A Stitch in Time(1963)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
On the Beat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
The Girl on the Boat(1962)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
The Bulldog Breed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
There Was a Crooked Man(1960)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Follow a Star (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
The Square Peg(1958)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Just My Luck(1957)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Up in the World(1956)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Man of the Moment(1955)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
This Is Your Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
As Long as They're Happy(1955)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
One Good Turn(1955)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Trouble in Store (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
Date with a Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)
Career shape
Star power in the 93rd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 40 titles from 1948 to 2008; peak year 1965.
Film career
Peak 1965 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1953Screen debut· Trouble in Store
- 1953First top-billed film· Trouble in Store
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Norman Wisdom's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 13; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 50th to 74th8
- 25th to 49th6
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
10 of their 18 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Divisive1
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser10
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed5
Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 36. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Norman Wisdom work with?
People who share at least 2 of Norman Wisdom's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Paddy Carstairs shares the most, 5.
Directors
- John Paddy CarstairsShared titles: The Square Peg (1958), Just My Luck (1957), Up in the World (1956), Man of the Moment (1955), One Good Turn (1955)See all 5 shared titles with John Paddy Carstairs
Writers
- Henry BlythShared titles: A Stitch in Time (1963), The Square Peg (1958), Up in the World (1956)See all 3 shared titles with Henry Blyth
- Eddie LeslieShared titles: A Stitch in Time (1963), The Square Peg (1958)See all 2 shared titles with Eddie Leslie
- Jack DaviesShared titles: A Stitch in Time (1963), The Square Peg (1958)See all 2 shared titles with Jack Davies
- Reuben ShipShared titles: The Girl on the Boat (1962), There Was a Crooked Man (1960)See all 2 shared titles with Reuben Ship
Actors
- Edward ChapmanShared titles: A Stitch in Time (1963), The Square Peg (1958), Just My Luck (1957)See all 3 shared titles with Edward Chapman
- Jerry DesmondeShared titles: A Stitch in Time (1963), Up in the World (1956), Man of the Moment (1955)See all 3 shared titles with Jerry Desmonde
- Jill DixonShared titles: Just My Luck (1957), Up in the World (1956)See all 2 shared titles with Jill Dixon
Composers
- Philip GreenShared titles: A Stitch in Time (1963), The Square Peg (1958)See all 2 shared titles with Philip Green
- Kenneth V. JonesShared titles: The Girl on the Boat (1962), There Was a Crooked Man (1960)See all 2 shared titles with Kenneth V. Jones
Producers
- Earl St. JohnShared titles: A Stitch in Time (1963), The Square Peg (1958)See all 2 shared titles with Earl St. John
- Hugh StewartShared titles: A Stitch in Time (1963), The Square Peg (1958)See all 2 shared titles with Hugh Stewart
- Albert FennellShared titles: The Girl on the Boat (1962), There Was a Crooked Man (1960)See all 2 shared titles with Albert Fennell
- John BryanShared titles: The Girl on the Boat (1962), There Was a Crooked Man (1960)See all 2 shared titles with John Bryan
