Ce formidable laitier

Milkman Pitkin (Wisdom) and his employer, Mr Grimsdale (Chapman), pit their small, archaic dairy against a conglomerate, hell bent on taking their business by fair means or foul.

This film is largely innocent and boisterous fun, slapstick and so forth. Even in its day it was hardly considered cutting edge, so it may be of limited appeal to folk who know not of Norman Wisdom and his earlier outings. This is the first Norman Wisdom film in colour and the last to feature regulars Wisdom, Chapman and Desmonde together.

Wisdom we expect to fall about, but others didn't have it easy either; Desmonde passed away two years after this film was made and was in his late fifties (and possibly in poor health) during shooting; he must have been game though; he variously gets sprayed with foam, falls out of a building, drenched with a fire hose, dragged by a runaway lawnmower and hangs from a tree, all whilst doing his trademark 'outraged patrician type' act. Good stuff. Supporting roles from John Le Mesurier, Richard Vernon, Frank Thornton, Peter Jeffrey, and Brian Pringle (as Machiavellian milkman Austin) are well done. Honourable mention goes to Nellie the horse too.

Some of the scenes in this film are quite memorable; the horse tranquilliser's effects on Pitkin and Grimsdale are a nod to the upcoming era of psychedelia.

Yes this is mostly hackneyed, old fashioned, and so forth, but that was really the point; open up a Norman Wisdom film and inside you will find mostly harmless fun, occasionally with a little pathos thrown in. This is a pretty fair example of a Norman Wisdom film; simply being in colour means it is more likely to get watched by some modern audiences.

My parents took me and my brother to see this at the "pictures". (I was 8 and my brother was 5 in 1965) I DO remember that this film made me laugh till I almost burst at the seams! :-) I've never forgotten the image of Norman, the horse, and "Mr. Grimsdale!?" I've tried to get this film at video stores without success. Shame. It's a classic!

Some of the reviews here are from people who, having been told this is Norman's best film, might not watch any others. I'd not exactly say I don't like this, but I'd place it near the bottom of the list. Perhaps only Press for Time is worse.

There's a certain style of comedy and pathos that's missing here, and strangely the colour does not help. The opening scenes are reminiscent of Morecambe and Wise, in their Breakfast sketch. Overall, there's a lack of sharpness to the comedy, so oddly the Norman Wisdom films from ten years earlier don't look so old fashioned as the ones made in the 1960's.

Trouble in Store, Stitch in Time, Bulldog Breed, at least give those a try if The Early Bird was not your cup of tea, because those three are more representative of Norman Wisdom's comedy - not just silly slapstick, but true heart.

This is a fun vehicle for Norman Wisdom that starts out quite amiably. He works for his boss "Grimsdale" (Edward Chapman) delivering the milk from his horse-drawn float early each morning. One day, though, he discovers all their empties broken and a new supplier "Consolidated Dairies" taking over his patch. Thwarted at every turn by their supercilious general manager "Hunter" (Jerry Desmonde) and his peak-capped henchman "Austin" (Bryan Pringle) it falls to poor old "Pitkin" to save the day, the business and his job! The beginning works well with a sort of gunfight at OK corral scenario between the two milkmen that clears the street quicker than a thunderstorm. Thereafter, though, the joke wears a bit thin and the story resorts a little too much to slapstick - especially on the golf course - for my liking before descending a little too quickly into the preposterous where it loses much of it's charm and the horse starts to steal all the scenes! It's also a bit on the long side. Perhaps some more ruthless use of the razor blade in the cutting room could have tightened it up bit and kept the pace a bit better concentrated? Wisdom did have great comedy timing and a very expressive face, though, there are giggle moments here for us to enjoy and even a semblance of the Dunkirk spirit! I could just have done with a bit more of that!

The Early Bird is directed by Robert Asher and stars Norman Wisdom, Edward Chapman, Jerry Desmonde & Paddie O'Neil. Grimsdale's Dairy, an old fashioned company who still deliver milk by horse and cart, are under threat of closure by the modern conglomerate that is Consolidated Dairies. But milkman Norman Pitkin (Wisdom) will not take it lying down; chaos ensues.

Norman Wisdom was an acquired taste, he was very much in the vein of Jerry Lewis from across the pond. His comedy staple was pratfalling and playing a lovable but hapless guy who constantly causes mayhem where ever he goes. Much like Lewis, the debates have always raged about if the comedy on offer was borderline genius or just standard buffoonery. The answer to which is naturally up to the individual observer to decide. What isn't up for debate is that Wisdom's film's, mostly, are perfect family fare that are agreeably watchable at any time of year.

The Early Bird is Wisdom's first feature film in colour, the title is derived from the saying "the early bird catches the worm". It sees Wisdom re-teamed with Chapman, Asher & Desmonde who all feature prominently in Wisdom's big screen output. As it is, The Early Bird is one of the most fondly remembered film's that Wisdom did. And rightly so because it contains some comedy gold moments to enjoy. Opening with a delightful 10 minute sequence that contains no dialogue, the film then pitches Wisdom into a number of truly great comedy scenes. A rampaging petrol lawnmower, a golf match interruption, Norman leading his horse up the stairs to bed; and the pièce de résistance that is the finale as a fire is believed to have broken out at the towering Consolidated Dairies building. All acted with comedic gusto by Wisdom and the cast thrust into the ensuing chaos. Lest we forget, also, the moral at the core of the writing too, this may be comedy unbound but it's also a sharp observation on the changing of the times and the sad disappearance of the little businesses. While the painted sets showcase a talent that's sometimes forgotten in this day and age of CGI enhancement.

A delightful comedy from a delightful and much respected entertainer. The kind of which is now impossible to replace. 8/10