One Good Turn
A Riotous Round of Fun!
Norman is the oldest orphan at Greenwood Children's Home and now acts as their caretaker. All the orphans are very happy and well cared for. The adventures start when a nasty property developer who is also the chairman of the orphanage board wants to close the orphanage and build a factory on the site. The children are sent to Brighton for the day and Norman is very excited because he's "Never seen the Sea". When they get back they discover the plan to close the orphanage and have to decide what to do
Cast
Norman Wisdom
Norman
Joan Rice
Iris
Thora Hird
Cook
William Russell
Alec Bigley
Joan Ingram
Matron Sparrow
Richard Caldicot
Mr. Bigley
Noel Howlett
Jeweller
David Hurst
Professor Dofee
Harold Kasket
Ivor Petrovitch
Michael Balfour
Boxing Spectator (uncredited)
Jim Brady
Boxer (uncredited)
Kenneth Fortescue
Minor Role (uncredited)
Harold Goodwin
No. 2 in Walking Race (uncredited)
Fred Griffiths
Shouting Boxing Spectator (uncredited)
Lucy Griffiths
Nancy (uncredited)
Percy Herbert
"Seen Enough" Boxing Spectator (uncredited)
Frazer Hines
Minor Role (uncredited)
Arthur Mullard
Boxer (uncredited)
Guy Standeven
Man Entering Building (uncredited)
Graham Stark
Boxer (uncredited)
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Reviews
John Chard
Bullish Brighton Buffoonery!
One Good Turn is directed by John Paddy Carstairs and Carstairs co-writes the screenplay with Sid Colin, Maurice Cowan, Talbot Rothwell, Dorothy Whipple and Ted Willis. It stars Norman Wisdom, Joan Rice, Shirley Abicair, Thora Hird, William Russell, Joan Ingram and Richard Caldicot. Music is by John Addison and cinematography by Jack E. Cox.
Norman is the oldest orphan at Greenwood Children's Home and has slotted into the furniture as the unpaid caretaker. The happiness and tranquillity of The Orphanage is greatly disrupted when it comes to light that the Orphanage chairman wants to sell it and turn it into a factory. Can the staff, the kids and the biggest kid of them all - Norman - stop the scheming rotter?
A delight for Wisdom fans, this monochrome piece finds the jumping bean that is Wisdom on fine form. There's nothing new in the narrative threads, it's Norman causing chaos when he's trying to do good, and those around him are affected either physically or emotionally. So watch Norman with a wasp up his trousers, bringing the tears with onions, a child's motor car chase, a charity walk, taking control of an orchestra and more! The kids are great, as is the wonderful as usual Hird, and there's even a couple of musical numbers to ease the flow of the ebullience.
We know where we are heading, but really who cares? The fun is in getting there and finding Wisdom doing what he does best - lifting those blues. 7/10
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