Just My Luck

Another solid effort from Norman Wisdom.

Norman chances on a betting scam, and since he wanted to buy a toy car for an orphan, he tried his luck to win the money from a £1 he scrounged, and guess what, he won the accumulator, the betting gang had other ideas about paying out, but a good natured secretary of theirs made sure Norman could collect his winnings.

Note Joan Sims and Cyril Chamberlain in a pre- Carry on role, and a few bit role actors

There was many moments of mirth, my wife, who had never see a Norman Wisdom film until this week, was in stitches, its worth a star just to see her laughing.

A pretty average vehicle for Wisdom. The story about betting on a horse race and winning a fortune doesn't really seem to go anywhere so the resultant narrative feels episodic at best, a little tedious at worst. Our star certainly makes plenty of effort and it's as nice as ever to see the likes of Margaret Rutherford co-starring, but this one just lacks a certain magic.

I'm very fond of Norman Wisdom and of his movies. He has a wide-eyed innocence that I do find charming, endearing and amusing too. Just My Luck is not his best film by a long shot, it is a paper-thin plot, a couple of scenes such as the movie theatre scene that were rather tedious and unfunny and I personally think it could have been longer as well.

However, the production values are thoroughly decent, and the music has its quirkiness. The dialogue and gags are amusing if nothing exceptional, though the eclair scene, the bathing the chimp scene and the scenes where Wisdom is high on chloroform are priceless.

There are several other joys as well, while the story is thin there are components, characters and themes that make it quite touching such as the shop worker/beautiful girl and the Greenwood races. Also Wisdom has a dual role, and while he has been better he is as endearing and charming as ever. There's also Margaret Rutherford who is such a lively presence in this movie and Leslie Phillips who also shows some above-credible comedic flair while playing it straight. While I have nothing against musical interludes, I did like that there aren't any here to perhaps endanger it from slowing down.

All in all, enjoyable without being one of the best. 7/10 Bethany Cox

I caught this movie on TV on night many years ago, and I still remember laughing so hard I had a stomach ache! Norman Wisdom is one of the funniest men in film. Just the eclair eating scene alone is worth renting this or catching it on the late, late show one night. If you see it, don't miss it. You will go to bed giggling!

Margaret Ruthorford week on TCM! Norman ( Norm Wisdom) works in a jewelry store, but still lives with his mother. And is falling for the gal who works across the street (Jill Dixon). Norman has a plan to get rich quick, so he can buy jewelry for his lady friend. Directed by John Carstairs. The movie itself is fun, but that scene in the movie theater just goes on way too long. Were they short on story? It gets a bit three-stooges-ish. But Wisdom has been compared to charlie chaplin, so i guess the slapstick humor is to be expected. We finally meet Rutherford about an hour in... she's the eccentric owner of a racehorse, who may or may not help Norman. It's pretty good; has some similarities to the recent Just My Luck, made in 2006. Story by Peter Cusick, Al Shaughnessy. Wisdom had won a BAFTA in 1954. Rutherford had won for VIPs. Carstairs, Wisdom, and Rutherford made three films together over the years.