Plus on est de fous

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

As I had been expecting, the second Norman Wisdom vehicle was more of a sentimental comedy - since it finds him taking care of an orphanage (again, a favorite theme with star comedians) which is set to be torn down by ruthless developers - and, in fact, there is an excess of pathos present, especially in Norman's relationship with a lonely (and very uncharismatic) boy. However, on the upside, this turned out to be quite a plot-packed and gag-filled film, though it runs out of steam towards the end.

The level of invention is certainly average (though already a few gags and plot details are reprised from its immediate predecessor, TROUBLE IN STORE [1953]), notably the trip to Brighton culminating in a marathon walk, Norman's hilarious stint as an orchestral conductor (even if it's a situation that's been done to death, and the subsequent destruction of the stage was practically ripped off The Marx Bros.' A NIGHT AT THE OPERA [1935]) and the star's myriad attempts to raise money in order to buy the boy a motor-car he had promised him.

Interestingly, watching Wisdom at work here immediately after MORGAN - A SUITABLE CASE FOR TREATMENT (1966) irresistibly draws parallels with David Warner's own child-like behavior in that film (albeit dealt with, obviously, in a more adult manner).

Norman agrees to buy a pricey toy car for a young lad at an Orphanage, and sets about earning the required amount.

It is a truly lovely, sweet film, it has some very funny moments, the scene inside the first class carriage, and the orchestra conduction are works of pure brilliance.

Lots of familiar faces, a young William Russell, a good few years before his break on Doctor Who, Thora Hird is lovely as Cook.

Wisdom as always is just wonderful, a great actor, boundless charisma. 8/10.

It's a joy.

I'm so glad I came across norman wisdom when i was young because he's truly a Magnificent actor and great at his comedy acting and never gets old.

I loved the film, a wonderful story and always love a good laugh and norman's films never fail to do that for me even when ive seen them all many times.

There just don't make films like this anymore..

With fairly high Pinewood production values this was one of Norman Wisdom's best films, sans his best foil Jerry Desmonde though. Richard Caldicott played the posh pompous machinating bigwig foil here, but unfortunately wasn't (mis)used to the full.

Norman is general dogsbody at quaint orphanage under threat of demolition and replacement by a factory – this umbrellas various episodic adventures he has in his drive to buy an expensive £12 toy car for little Jimmy. Favourite bits: annoying the First Class rail passengers with his vivacity/yobbishness – depending on your point of view; making the best of a trouserless situation; peeling the onion with the sewing machine, to everyone's distress; the boxing bout; conducting the orchestra; the Black Sheep Of Whitehall and Happiest Days Of Your Lives type reprises. Thora Hird got more of a showing than in Black Sheep too. Two sentimental songs from Norman along the way: Step In The Right Direction (bedtime at the orphanage) and one he wrote himself Please Opportunity (at the funfair), both perfectly sung – just how much did Anthony Newley and Robbie Williams owe to him?

Along with some of the sets some of the acting could be a little wooden but much more preferable to me than todays plastic. For a glimpse of a safe but dead Britain it's great stuff, also a pleasant non-heavy comedy in all departments.