Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Sir Norman Wisdom 1915-2010

One of the few performers who can genuinely be remembered as great, and one with strong connections to Kent most notably Deal.

I saw him at the Margate Winter Gardens, in the eighties, a great performance, a gifted musician, actor, brilliant at comedy but also more than capable as a straight actor.

In an age which celebrates cretinous footballers, vacant models, and talentless reality stars, the passing of a truly gifted hard working entertainer puts some perspective, on the trivial icons that populate our superficial media.

I remember seeing Norman Wisdom a couple of times in Cliftonville admittedly only briefly, in W H Smith's and the Northdown Rd but got the impression the he didn't exude or have that aura of self importance that some famous people seem to.  Sadly the end of an era, I think.

7 comments:

  1. A great loss,my children loved all his films,I did as well,they went around the house for days after seeing his film shouting out "Mr Grimsdale" "Mr Grimsdale...
    as we all get older it seems as if all our great comedians are passing away and not being replaced.

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  2. Those films of his are classics

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  3. I saw him when I was working at the Kent and Canterbury, I saw a old boy walking down the corridor and I Knew I knew him but being a Nurse, my first thought was he was a old patient, he saw me staring at him, he smiled and gave me a cheery wave, seconds later I was sprinting down the corridor shouting it's Norman Wisdom, not my most professional moment, and he was gone, but I got a wave and Smile and that is more than most.
    the reason I know it was def him was the Staff on the Ward after I returned said a friend of his from Deal died young leaving a Wife and Children, he asked Norman to keep and eye on his family, Norman kept his word, and was visiting the wife then in her 80's, they got this from her and her Children, he apparently visited for a couple of days a week, he was living in the Isle of White at the time. so not only a great man, but a great man :) Just when you think you couldn't like someone more, you hear that and you do.

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  4. My favouite film is the Bulldog Breed and he played Able Seaman Norman Puckle. Great comedy in the days when we had a navy.

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  5. We saw him in Fareham about 20 years ago, even in hs 70s he was leaping about on top of piano's etc
    very fit for a man of his age, we miss you Norman.

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  6. Not really my scene, other than when I was very young and still thought Laurel & Hardy were funny, but accept he brought pleasure to many. At least he entertained for a lifetime unlike today's so called celebrities who are writing their memoirs at 24.

    An earlier commentator laments the passing of all our great comedians but I think it is more down, like the similar passing of crooners, to a change in taste. Modern humour is largely unfunny filth, Russell Brand style, but there are still a few genuinely funny folk about like Michael McIntyre and plenty of good light sitcom actors.

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