Up in the World (1956)

Norman is a window cleaner who has to clean a manor house with hundreds of windows. He is distracted by the son of the house who persuades him to go into town. When some villains try and ... See full summary »

Director:

John Paddy Carstairs

Writers:

Jack Davies (screenplay), Henry Blyth (screenplay),

Stars:

Norman Wisdom, Maureen Swanson, Jerry Desmonde

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Norman Wisdom	...	Norman
Maureen Swanson	...	Jeannie Andrews
Jerry Desmonde	...	Maj. Willoughby
Michael Caridia	...	Sir Reginald
Colin Gordon	...	Fletcher Hethrington
Ambrosine Phillpotts	...	Lady Banderville
Michael Ward	...	Maurice
Jill Dixon	...	Sylvia
Edwin Styles	...	Conjuror
Hy Hazell	...	Yvonne
William Lucas	...	Mick Bellman
Lionel Jeffries	...	Wilson
Cyril Chamberlain	...	Harper
Michael Brennan	...	Prison Warder
Eddie Leslie	...	Max

Storyline

Norman is a window cleaner who has to clean a manor house with hundreds of windows. He is distracted by the son of the house who persuades him to go into town. When some villains try and kidnap the young heir Norman fights them off but the heir has banged his head and can't remember Norman's heroic stand.

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Plot Keywords:

window cleaner | manor house | hosepipe | clumsy | pig | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 1957 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Esta perra vida

Filming Locations:

Heatherden Hall, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rank Organisation, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Up in the World"
By Norman Wisdom
Performed by Norman Wisdom (uncredited)

User Reviews

A solid Wisdom film – does just what you'd expect

Out of work Norman goes to the labour exchange. The window cleaner of Lady Banderville has had an accident and they need a replacement. However a gang of criminals want the job to be able to gain access to the Banderville estate and kidnap the young son, Sir Reginald. Norman finds it difficult to get on with both staff and employers but within the staff there is a member of the gang plotting the kidnap of poor Reginald.

Norman Wisdom comedies all run to the same formula in different settings. This involves the working class lad being put down by the snobbish upper-classes as he accidentally makes them look foolish -–but always comes good in the end. Here we see him as a window cleaner to an upperclass family with all the various scrapes he gets into – but this has the kidnapping which gives it the feel of a reasonable plot to fall back on.

The comedy is as good as it got for Wisdom and this is one of his better films (although not his best). The various routines and pratfalls are standard but enjoyable. The fact that the plot is quite good too (despite the holes) is a bonus but not important. Happily Norman's wooing of the usual attractive lady is limited to one brief song. The majority consist of various funny scenes and a good, if totally unrealistic, football match.

Wisdom is on form and still looks as young and naïve as he makes himself out to be. Desmonde is as usual, every inch the upper class man looking for the fall. Swanson makes a pretty and unobtrusive love interest. The only bit of the cast I hated was Caridia who was really unpleasent as the spoilt brat. He did the role well but I felt that someone that spoilt and upper class should have some sort of comeuppance at the end of the film.

Overall this is good for all Wisdom fans and many first timers may be won over by this mix of gentle comedy and whimsy.