Un parachute pour M. Pitkin

Following up on the zaniness of "Up in the World", Norman Wisdom returned as witless Norman Pitkin in "The Square Peg". In this case, he joins the army in WWII and gets dropped into Nazi-occupied France, where he's a dead ringer for a Nazi general.

I will say that I didn't find this one quite as funny as the previous movie, but the scenes where he's in the general's headquarters are just a hoot - you could turn the sound off and it would still be great. This is one movie that you're sure to love. Also starring is Honor Blackman (that's right: Pussy Galore!) and Edward Chapman.

And to think that I'd never even heard of Norman Wisdom until yesterday when I watched "Up in the World"!

When Council employees make live hard for the soldiers on a local military base, the army drafts them to treat them badly. However Mr Grimsdale and Pitkin accidentally get on the wrong truck and are parachuted behind enemy lines. When Mr Grimsdale is captured by the Nazi's the resistance decide to use Pitkin's uncanny resemblance to Nazi General Schreiber to effect a rescue.

In stead of Norman Wisdom's usual plot of `working class lad showing up the rich', we have `working class lad showing up the military and the Nazis'. Here the plot allows several funny set ups before eventually falling back on the old `lookalike' chestnut. However it's still quite funny – it's not Wisdom's best, but it has it's moments and happily there is very little of his usual `dreaming of unattainable girl' stuff that he usually does.

The cast is better than usual. Wisdom still has his innocent `salt of the earth' thing going on and is funny and charming. Chapman fits well with him as Grimsdale, although the two have had better films together. A very young Honor Blackman (her voice hasn't changed a bit!) is good if fleeting and even Hattie Jacques turns up. The army officers are filled out with familiar faces and everyone tries hard.

Overall this isn't Wisdom's best – but the working class Council worker triumphs over the Germans and upperclasses as a whole – who can't get some enjoyment out of that?!

Without a shadow of a doubt this is my favourite of Norman's films , hilarious from start to finish, featuring two of the funniest sequences of his films.

The scene where Pitkin interferes with the Army march is laugh out loud funny, but the crowning glory comes where Hattie Jacques plays the Opera singer, and Norman's two characters sing with her, it is a side splitting scene.

Wisdom is great, Jacques also, just wonderful.

Considering it's 1958 they skillfully got the two Normans on screen at the same time, it looks really good.

It looks amazing, great sets and costumes, it is a fantastic production.

Love it, 9/10.

What a hilarious romp! Caught my interest right away!

This service comedy (another favorite situation with star comedians) - part army-base shenanigans and part dangerous mission - ranks as possibly the best Norman Wisdom vehicle there is, with a consistent string of often hilarious gags and the star - turning up again in drag and also appearing in a dual role (including one as a Nazi General) - in top form.

Supporting him are Edward Chapman (virtually rising to sidekick status here, he and Wisdom make an engaging comic pair), Honor Blackman (perhaps the most substantial of the star's leading ladies) and Hattie Jacques (as a German opera star).