Norman Wisdom: Difference between revisions

| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|DorisDoreen ENaomi Brett|1941|1946|reason=divorced}}<br
* />{{marriage|Freda Simpson|1947|1969|reason=divorced}}

Wisdom later forged a career on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in New York City, alongside stars such as [[Mandy Patinkin]] and as a television actor, winning critical acclaim for his dramatic role of a dying cancer patient in the television play ''Going Gently'' in 1981. He toured Australia and South Africa.<ref name="GuardianObit" /> After the 1986 [[Chernobyl disaster]], a hospice was named in his honour.<ref name="TelegraphObit" /> In 1995, he was given the [[Freedom of the City]] of London and of [[Tirana]].<ref name="TelegraphObit" /> The same year, he was appointed [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] and was knighted five years later.<ref name="TelegraphObit" />

The family lived at 91 Fernhead Road, [[Maida Vale]], London W9, where they slept in one room.<ref name="MyTurn">{{cite book|last1=Wisdom| first1=Norman |last2=Hall |first2=William |title= My Turn|publisher=Arrow Books|year=2003|isbn=978-0-09-944676-7}}</ref> He and his brother were brought up in extreme poverty and were frequently hit by their alcoholic father, who would pick them up and throw them across the room.<ref name="Story" /><ref name="TelegraphObit" />

After ahis period in a [[Foster care|childrenparents's home]] in [[Deal, Kent]]separation, Wisdom ranand awayhis whenbrother hewere was"farmed 11out butto returnedpaid toguardians",<ref becomename="TelegraphObit" an/> [[errandhowever, boy]]his infather adid [[grocerynot store|grocer'spay shop]]so onthey leavingwere schoolboth atturned 13out. Having been kicked out of his home by his father he became homeless and slept rough in London,. After unsuccessful fostering elsewhere he was generously taken in by a couple. Wisdom got work as an [[errand boy]] in a [[grocery store|grocer's shop]] despite not initially knowing how to ride a bicycle.<ref name="Story">''Norman Wisdom: My Story'', [[BBC Two]], 15 October 2010</ref> inAt 1929age 13 he walkedworked (bylong hisshifts ownin a hotel. A fellow boy worker convinced account)him to walk to [[Cardiff]], [[Wales]]and become a miner, wherehowever the boy’s family would not house him at which he became a [[cabin boy]] in the [[British Merchant Navy|Merchant Navy]]. He latersailed alsoto workedArgentina aslearning ato [[waitingbox staff|waiter]]on board. In Argentina he survived 3 rounds of boxing for prize money but was badly beaten and pagehad into hotelsfight whereoff roomsome sexual advances by a fellow sailor. On his return to Cardiff he had no job and boardreturned to London, where he was suppliedadvised forto join the staffBritish Army which took band recruits from age 14.<ref name="TelegraphObit"Though />knowing no music he turned on the tears to the recruiting officer and was successful.

Wisdom first enlisted into the [[King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)]], but his mother had him discharged as he was under age. He later re-enlisted as a [[drummer#In the military|drummer boy]]{{citation needed|date=December 2017}} in the [[10th Royal Hussars]]. In 1930, he was posted to [[Lucknow]], in the [[United Provinces of British India]],<ref name="TelegraphObit" /> as a band boy.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0936295/bio | title=Norman Wisdom | website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref>

Wisdom made his debut as a professional entertainer at the age of 31 still calling himself "The Successful Failure". In the anonymity of small suburban music halls he built an act out of his shyness, his ability to fall and his multi-instrumental music skills and singing talent where the theatre band constantly changed key and he could never keep up until pulling out his virtuosity and beating them at their own game. One outstanding review in August 1946 read, "An unusual and most versatile comedian, Norman Wisdom, contributes two remarkable turns. He is an accomplished pianist, a pleasing singer, a talented instrumentalist, a clever mimer, and withal, a true humoristhumourist.".<ref>{{cite journal |title=Hastings and St Leonards Observer |journal=Hastings and St Leonards Observer |date=24 August 1946 |page=3}}</ref> His rise to the top was relatively fast. A very successful run at the London Casino in April 1948,<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Stage |journal=The Stage |date=22 April 1948 |page=5}}</ref> led to a summer season in "Out of the Blue" in Scarborough. [[Magic (illusion)|Magician]] [[David Nixon (magician)|David Nixon]] was also part of the cast and the two worked together so well that they went on to continue the act on other variety stages starting at the London Casino in September 1948.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Stage |journal=The Stage |date=16 September 1948 |page=2}}</ref> Christmas 1948 saw him in the pantomime "Robinson Crusoe" at Birmingham's Alexandra Theatre.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Birmingham Daily Gazette |journal=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=17 January 1949 |page=2}}</ref> Wisdom had already adopted the costume that would remain his trademark: tweed [[flat cap]] askew, with peak turned up; a suit at least two sizes too tight; a crumpled collar and a mangled tie. The character that went with this costume — known as the Gump — was to dominate Wisdom's film career. A [[West End theatre]] star within two years, he honed his act into a star turn mainly between theatres in London and [[Brighton]]:<ref name=GuardWordsWis />

{{quoteblockquote|I spent virtually all of those years on the road. You could keep incredibly busy just performing in pantomimes and revues. There was a whole generation of performers who learned everything on the stage.}}

Wisdom was a window cleaner in ''[[Up in the World]]'' (1956) and worked in a jewellery store in ''[[Just My Luck (1957 film)|Just My Luck]]'' (1957). The box office receipts of these last few films had declined from previous Wisdom films but ''[[The Square Peg]]'' (1959), an army comedy, reversed the trend and was one of the year's biggest hits. The film was the 7th most popular movie at the British box office in 1959.<ref>{{cite news|title=Year Of Profitable British Films|work=The Times|location=London, England|date=1 January 1960|page=13|via=The Times Digital Archive}}</ref> Less successful was ''[[Follow a Star]]'' (1959). ''[[There Was a Crooked Man (1960 film)|There Was a Crooked Man]]'' (1960) was an attempt to change Wisdom's image away from Rank Organisation. ''[[The Bulldog Breed]]'' (1960) was more conventional. The film also starred a young [[Michael Caine]] who later recalled he did not enjoy working with Wisdom because he "wasn't very nice to support-part actors".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/michael-caine-interview-my-generation-venice-film-festival-films-london-a7928461.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220621/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/michael-caine-interview-my-generation-venice-film-festival-films-london-a7928461.html |archive-date=21 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Michael Caine interview: Every single person I knew became rich|newspaper=The Independent|access-date=9 November 2017| location=London, UK| date=4 September 2017}}</ref> Wisdom remained the 10th biggest star at the British box office.

Wisdom was in ''[[The Girl on the Boat (film)|The Girl on the Boat]]'' (1961) from a novel by [[P. G. Wodehouse]], a second film away from the Rank formula. ''[[On the Beat (1962 film)|On the Beat]]'' (1962) as a car cleaner and ''[[A Stitch in Time (1963 film)|A Stitch in Time]]'' (1963), in which he was cast as an apprentice butcher, returned him to the regular format.

Whilst Wisdom's stage performances often involved musical numbers, although he wrote only a few of them. He has seven songs attributed to him in the [[ASCAP]] database, which are: "Beware", "Don't Laugh at Me ('cause I'm a Fool)", "Falling in Love", "Follow a Star", "I Love You", "Please Opportunity", and "Up in the World".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=9735600&search_in=c&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=25&start=1|title=Works Written by Wisdom Norman|work=The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers|access-date=11 October 2010}}</ref>

In October 2004, Wisdom announced he would retire from the entertainment industry on his 90th birthday (4 February 2005). He announced that he intended to spend more time with his family, playing golf and driving around the Isle of Man, where he was living.<ref name="BBC retires">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3735104.stm|title=Sir Norman Wisdom to retire at 90|date=11 October 2004|work=BBC News |access-date=10 October 2010}}</ref>

Wisdom resided in the Abbotswood [[nursing home]] in [[Ballasalla]], where he had been resident from 12 July 2007 to 4 October 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news?articleid=3107897 |title=Comic legend needs time to settle in home, says son |date=12 August 2007 |work=Isle of Man Today |publisher=Johnston Press Digital Publishing |access-date=11 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309092127/http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news?articleid=3107897 |archive-date=9 March 2012 }}</ref>

On 16 January 2008,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/isle_of_man/7191163.stm|title=Wisdom family makes care decision |work=BBC News |date=15 January 2008|access-date=16 January 2008}}</ref> [[BBC2]] aired ''Wonderland: The Secret Life Of Norman Wisdom Aged 92 and 3/4.''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/18483/wisdom-to-feature-in-bbc2-documentary|title=Wisdom to feature in BBC2 documentary|work=[[The Stage]] |first=Matthew |last=Hemley|date=9 October 2007|access-date=16 January 2008}}</ref> The documentary highlighted the dilemma of coping with an ageing parent. His family said thatstated Wisdom's memory loss had become so severe that he no longer recognised himself in his films.

In the six months prior to his death, Wisdom suffered a series of strokes, causing a decline in his physical and mental health. He died on 4 October 2010 at Abbotswood nursing home on the Isle of Man at the age of 95.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |title=Comedy actor Sir Norman Wisdom dies aged 95|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11473192 |work=BBC News |date=5 October 2010|access-date=12 October 2010}}</ref>

His funeral took place on 22 October 2010 in [[Douglas, Isle of Man]], and all of the island were invited.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.manxradio.com/newsread.aspx?id=47852|title=Open invitation to funeral service|date=7 October 2010|work=Manx Radio News|publisher=Manx Radio|access-date=12 October 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927100010/http://www.manxradio.com/newsread.aspx?id=47852|archive-date=27 September 2011}}</ref><ref name="Funeral">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-11602973|title=Manx residents honour Sir Norman Wisdom|date=22 October 2010|work=BBC News |access-date=22 October 2010}}</ref> His trademark cloth cap was placed on the coffin in the church.<ref name="Funeral" /> The funeral was attended by a large number of showbusiness personalities and, at Wisdom's request, [[Moira Anderson]] sang "Who Can I Turn To",<ref name="Funeral" /> which was specially arranged for the occasion by [[Gordon Cree]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gordoncree.co.uk/page2.htm|title=Gordon Cree – The Official Website – Biography|work=gordoncree.co.uk|access-date=19 October 2014|archive-date=23 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140823045046/http://www.gordoncree.co.uk/page2.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Wisdom's body was buried at Kirk Bride Churchyard, [[Bride (parish)|Bride]], Isle of Man.

*Wisdom is mentioned in the song [[The Things That Dreams Are Made Of]] by [[the Human League]], while the gatefold sleeve of their ''[[Hysteria (The Human League album)|Hysteria]]'' album shows the group in a large room with a scene from ''[[The Early Bird]]'' on the TV.

| 1948-1950 || ''Wit and Wisdom'' || || || TV series

* ''The Night They Raided Minsky's'' Motion Picture Soundtrack recording.

[[Category:MusiciansSingers from Marylebonethe City of Westminster]]

[[Category:ActorsMale actors from MaryleboneLondon]]

[[Category:Military personnel from Londonthe City of Westminster]]