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".
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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0936295
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q349217
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Filmography (Movies)
Innes Lloyd: The Producer
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:24/03/2025
The Unforgettable Norman Wisdom
Character:Himself (archive footage)
Release Date:08/11/2011
Norman Wisdom: His Story
Character:Himself : Archive footage
Release Date:14/10/2010
Norman Wisdom: Trouble On Tour
Character:Self
Release Date:28/04/2008
The Legend of Harrow Woods
Character:
Release Date:12/02/2008
The Secret Life of Norman Wisdom Aged 92¾
Character:Self
Release Date:16/01/2008
Thora Hird Tribute
Character:Self
Release Date:30/03/2003
Where on Earth Is Katy Manning?
Character:
Release Date:01/01/1998
An Audience with Bruce Forsyth
Character:
Release Date:01/02/1997
Cue Here for Laughs with John Virgo
Character:Self
Release Date:12/09/1994
Double X: The Name of the Game
Character:Arthur Clutton/Maurice Rigby
Release Date:05/06/1992
The Golden Gong: The Story of Rank Films - British Cinema's Legendary Studio
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1985
Going Gently
Character:Bernard Flood
Release Date:05/06/1981
To See Such Fun
Character:
Release Date:01/11/1977
What's Good for the Goose
Character:Timothy Bartlett
Release Date:21/03/1969
The Night They Raided Minsky's
Character:Chick Williams
Release Date:21/12/1968
Androcles and the Lion
Character:Androcles
Release Date:15/11/1967
Press for Time
Character:Norman Shields / Emily Shields / Wilfred, the Prime Minister
Release Date:08/12/1966
The Sandwich Man
Character:Boxing Vicar
Release Date:15/07/1966
The Early Bird
Character:Norman Pitkin
Release Date:30/11/1965
A Stitch in Time
Character:Norman Pitkin
Release Date:01/12/1963
On the Beat
Character:Norman Pitkin / Giulio Napolitani
Release Date:11/12/1962
The Girl on the Boat
Character:Sam Marlowe
Release Date:05/08/1962
The Bulldog Breed
Character:Ordinary Seaman Norman Puckle
Release Date:13/12/1960
There Was a Crooked Man
Character:Davy Cooper
Release Date:31/08/1960
Follow a Star
Character:Norman Truscott
Release Date:01/01/1959
Look at Life: A Dog's Life
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1959
The Square Peg
Character:Private Norman Pitkin / General Otto Schreiber
Release Date:04/12/1958
Just My Luck
Character:Norman Hackett / Mr. Hackett
Release Date:14/11/1957
Up in the World
Character:Norman
Release Date:06/12/1956
Man of the Moment
Character:Norman
Release Date:24/11/1955
As Long as They're Happy
Character:Norman
Release Date:15/03/1955
One Good Turn
Character:Norman
Release Date:04/01/1955
Trouble in Store
Character:Norman
Release Date:14/12/1953
Date with a Dream
Character:Shadow Boxer
Release Date:01/11/1948
Television Appearances
Between The Sheets
Character:Maurice Hardy
The Last Detective
Character:Lofty Brock
It's Only TV But I Like It
Character:Self
Style Challenge
Character:
Dalziel & Pascoe
Character:
Casualty
Character:Mr. Cole
Wogan
Character:Self
Bergerac
Character:Vincent
An Audience with...
Character:Self
A Little Bit Of Wisdom
Character:Norman
Playhouse
Character:Bernard Flood
Nobody Is Norman Wisdom
Character:Nobody
Last of the Summer Wine
Character:Man Carrying Gnome (uncredited)
Last of the Summer Wine
Character:Billy Ingleton
Norman
Character:
The Merv Griffin Show
Character:Self
The Mike Douglas Show
Character:Self
Tony Awards
Character:Self - Nominee / Performer
This Is Your Life
Character:
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