On one level The Square Peg is just a typical Norman Wisdom knock about comedy but dig a little deeper and its quite a clever satire on small town politics.Norman plays a cocky little road mender who makes himself a thorough nuisance outside an army camp with his stop go sign.He's been told by his boss Mr Grimsdale,played by the great Edward Chapman,"Pitkin,the war's going to be won on the home front keeping the arteries of the nation open" The exasperated military see it differently and call up the entire town hall staff (His Worship the Mayor will hear about this) There is a hilarious scene with Campbell Singer as an exasperated sergeant teaching Pitkin bayonet practice."Come on Pitkin buckets of blood" Forget about Pitkin's infatuation with Honor Blackman who plays a secret agent we will cut to the quick with Pitkin and Mr Grimsdale coming out of the pub,jumping into the wrong lorry which is full of paratroopers,and finding themselves landing in France where they start digging up the french roads causing more chaos.Pitkin goes into town to buy milk where it is discovered he is a dead ringer for the local German commandant.The French resistance persuade him to dig his way into the castle and release all the prisoners.The commandant is General Schreiber,a thoroughly nasty piece of work who has a weakness for a large female opera singer played by Hattie Jacques and enjoys singing duets with her. I can give no higher praise than to say that Danny Kaye in his prime could not have been funnier.The scene where Pitkin,disguised as the general duets with Miss Jacques is sublimely funny. Pitkin of course gets caught,is put up against a wall to be shot,then falls down the hole he dug to get into the castle,makes his escape,cue happy ending.The last scene sees him as the new Mayor with Mr Grimsdale as his obsequious minion. Yes the plot is absolutely ridiculous but there are so many funny scenes along the way who cares? Norman Wisdom of course became a knighted national treasure who ended his acting career making welcome guest appearances in the long running TV series Last of the Summer Wine.

Although this isn't my favourite Norman Wisdom film it has all the qualities that make his work so popular and has several laugh out loud moments.Norman shines in his everyman role of Pitkin and is well supported by Edward Chapman as the infamous Mr Grimsdale.The pairs comedic timing is perfect and the film moves along at a fast pace moving from one set piece to showcase Normans talent to the next.Although this film gets a little bogged down by it's plot it is a great piece of classic comedy that is just as funny now as it was upon release.

I've always liked Norman Wisdom's films - to a point - in every one there was something anarchic to laugh at but unfortunately something maudlin to squirm at too. This was the 6th of Wisdom's 12 "Norman" comedy films, and imho one of his best although I suspect every fan who has seen them all has their own favourites. However from experience there seem to be more perverse people who have seen every film and who hate the lot.Norman Pitkin as St. Godric's Council employee is digging up the road outside an Army camp during the War, takes the Mick of the soldiers once too often and he and his boss Mr. Grimsdale find themselves conscripted. The slapstick war between Pitkin and Sergeant Campbell Singer continues into his training, until Pitkin and Grimsdale end up in France and the second part of the story begins. Favourite bits: Pitkin ferociously bayoneting the dummies; his bravado pre-parachuting; the General Schreiber double scenes with Hattie Brunnhilde Jacques; marching out of step with his captors. Apart from one mawkish bit in the French café with Honor Blackman there was no romantic musical interlude – although he had a fine singing voice it's still a definite plus! Cheaply made but well disguised, and with a great cast of British stalwarts also on display - missed Jerry Desmonde though!It's a pleasant time-filler and maybe one of his more accessible films to a non-fan or non-kid which is perhaps one reason why it's probably shown on TV more often than his other black & white's.

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"!