Up in the World

Out of work Norman goes to the labour exchange. The window cleaner of Lady Banderville has had an accident and they need a replacement. However a gang of criminals want the job to be able to gain access to the Banderville estate and kidnap the young son, Sir Reginald. Norman finds it difficult to get on with both staff and employers but within the staff there is a member of the gang plotting the kidnap of poor Reginald.

Norman Wisdom comedies all run to the same formula in different settings. This involves the working class lad being put down by the snobbish upper-classes as he accidentally makes them look foolish -–but always comes good in the end. Here we see him as a window cleaner to an upperclass family with all the various scrapes he gets into – but this has the kidnapping which gives it the feel of a reasonable plot to fall back on.

The comedy is as good as it got for Wisdom and this is one of his better films (although not his best). The various routines and pratfalls are standard but enjoyable. The fact that the plot is quite good too (despite the holes) is a bonus but not important. Happily Norman's wooing of the usual attractive lady is limited to one brief song. The majority consist of various funny scenes and a good, if totally unrealistic, football match.

Wisdom is on form and still looks as young and naïve as he makes himself out to be. Desmonde is as usual, every inch the upper class man looking for the fall. Swanson makes a pretty and unobtrusive love interest. The only bit of the cast I hated was Caridia who was really unpleasent as the spoilt brat. He did the role well but I felt that someone that spoilt and upper class should have some sort of comeuppance at the end of the film.

Overall this is good for all Wisdom fans and many first timers may be won over by this mix of gentle comedy and whimsy.

This title might just as well apply to Norman as the film, with him coming from an homeless street orphan, up into a film star.

But the title actually refers to going up a ladder, as a window cleaner, in this film Norman becomes an unlikely hero, eventually. And he gets the girl, formula Norman, but at least its a bit funny and got a good moral story.

The girl he got was Maureen Swanson, an an actor from Glasgow who also made her way "Up in the world", a few years later she gave up acting when she married into the nobility, she had 6 children and a good life, passing away in 2011 aged 78, she survived Norman by a year. Jerry Desmonde was in with Norman again, and look out for Brit film character stars Lionel Jeffries and Cyril Chamberlain and future Carry On star Bernard Bresslaw in an early role.

Obviously with Ladders involved, Norman gets up to a few stunts on them, maybe Jackie Chan got his inspiration from him, unless both got it from Laurel and Hardy or Buster Keaton? Anyway its got a good few funny moments. Worth watching just for them.

This is another "fish out of water" Norman Wisdom comedy, where he plays a window cleaner at a lavish, huge country estate. He is the new target of the mischievous child Sir Reginald and generally causes havoc with the other people. There is a sub plot about kidnapping Sir Reginald, something that his family always seems frightened about. Norman eventually agrees to take Sir Reggie to London to a nightclub to see a magician. Norman even wreaks havoc there. Norman Wisdom is a good physical comedian and he plays this role rather well. In this film he is the star, with his pratfalls and sight gags. There is a love interest but thats very secondary to Norman's mishaps. If you like Norman Wisdom, slapstick comedy, British comedy or just plain silliness, you should watch this as well as other Norman Wisdom comedies. It doesn't hurt to laugh.

I quite like Norman Wisdom, there is something very endearing about him, not just because he's funny but there's his wide eyed innocence and naivety that is really quite infectious. These infectious traits are put to perfect use here, as Wisdom is on top form in a very funny and sweet performance with one of his most likable characters. The slapstick comedy which involves ladders and broken windows is standard and perhaps not that original, but I for one find it amusing and memorable. Up in the World also has a more solid plot than most Wisdom films, and the football match is one of my favourite scenes of the film. The part where he breaks into song is quite sweet, I think Wisdom has quite a nice singing voice. It isn't only funny though, the scenes with Michael Caridia(who is quite good) and the hamster are quite sentimental in a touching way. Up in the World looks lovely with the sets and photography striking, the dialogue sparkles, the pace is snappy, the direction is good and the music has just the right dose of quirkiness. All in all, a very nice film and one of my favourites of a talented and pleasurable entertainer such as Norman Wisdom. 8.5/10 Bethany Cox

I regard myself fortunate to have met Norman Wisdom once. He was doing some promotional work up in Newcastle in the late 1990s.

Up in the World sees hapless Norman play a window cleaner on a big country estate. It has more windows than roof tiles. Norman has to put up with the spoilt brat of the household.

Some bad guys plan to kidnap the brat, an heir to the title and they are not happy that Norman bagged the window cleaning job.

Norman is forced to take the lad to a nightclub in London where Norman causes havoc during a magic act. The bad guys make a kidnap attempt and poor Norman is blamed and lands himself in jail.

Some of it is silly fun, there is an opening mishap where Norman places a giant poster over some apartments.

It is knockabout fun but I think it is not a good film. Norman Wisdom's schtick has aged a bit. Some of it comes across as irksome. The singing is irritating.