One Good Turn (1955)

Bullish Brighton Buffoonery!

One Good Turn is directed by John Paddy Carstairs and Carstairs co-writes the screenplay with Sid Colin, Maurice Cowan, Talbot Rothwell, Dorothy Whipple and Ted Willis. It stars Norman Wisdom, Joan Rice, Shirley Abicair, Thora Hird, William Russell, Joan Ingram and Richard Caldicot. Music is by John Addison and cinematography by Jack E. Cox.

Norman is the oldest orphan at Greenwood Children's Home and has slotted into the furniture as the unpaid caretaker. The happiness and tranquillity of The Orphanage is greatly disrupted when it comes to light that the Orphanage chairman wants to sell it and turn it into a factory. Can the staff, the kids and the biggest kid of them all - Norman - stop the scheming rotter?

A delight for Wisdom fans, this monochrome piece finds the jumping bean that is Wisdom on fine form. There's nothing new in the narrative threads, it's Norman causing chaos when he's trying to do good, and those around him are affected either physically or emotionally. So watch Norman with a wasp up his trousers, bringing the tears with onions, a child's motor car chase, a charity walk, taking control of an orchestra and more! The kids are great, as is the wonderful as usual Hird, and there's even a couple of musical numbers to ease the flow of the ebullience.

We know where we are heading, but really who cares? The fun is in getting there and finding Wisdom doing what he does best - lifting those blues. 7/10