Norman Wisdom

[poliphilo]

They buried Norman Wisdom the day before yesterday. Those movies of his- with their little man schtick and rudimentary slapstick (he didn't even do his own stunts)- were  a cultural aberration- old hat even as they were being made. Smarter comics got into TV, but Norman couldn't or wouldn't make the leap- and spent half a century in the wings- waiting for the call that never came. In spite of the evidence of the films- which are so dire they don't even have a cult following- he was a very funny man.  I saw him do a routine with a glass of water on the Des O'Connor Show which was masterclass in comic timing.  Someone should have harnessed that talent.  He should have had his own sitcom, or played Shakespeare's clowns, or become a character actor, but none of that ever happened- for whatever reasons. What a waste.