The Square Peg
Directed by John Paddy Carstairs
Written by Jack Davies, Henry Blyth, Norman Wisdom, and Eddie Leslie
1958/UK
The Rank Organization
First viewing/YouTube
[box] I can never tell a joke, I’ve always found it easier to just fall over. — Norman Wisdom[/box]
For me, this was watchable but not hilariously funny.
The world of Norman Pittman (Norman Wisdom) revolves around his work as a road repairman and his boss Mr. Grimsdale. He thinks that this is far more important than WWII and refuses to back down to officers. Eventually, it becomes apparent that the only way to beat Norman is to make him join up. A series of misadventures takes Norman and Grimsdale to France, where Norman’s resemblance to a German general leads to danger and hijinx. With Honor Blackman as a pretty spy.
I find Wisdom more irritating than endearing, unfortunately. Most of the gags are built around cheekiness and he takes it just that bit too far each time. The humor does not seem to have translated well across time and culture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNSIsjI4iHU
Trailer
