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Norbert Smith, a Life (1989) (TV)
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Overview
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Release Date:
3 November 1989 (UK)
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Awards:
1 nomination
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What a life!
more (5 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Harry Enfield | ... | Sir Norbert Smith |
 | Melvyn Bragg | ... | Interviewer |
| Charles Simon | ... | Old duffer |
| Stewart Harwood | ... | Mr. Wilkinson |
| Peter Goodwright | ... | Will Silly |
| George Raistrick | ... | Melvyn Merry |
| Renée Asherson | ... | Lady Norbert |
| Simon Godley | ... | Barney |
| Charles Pemberton | ... | Policeman |
| Moray Watson | ... | Sir Donald Stuff |
| John Elmes | ... | Horatio |
| Felicity Montagu | ... | Cecilia Johanson |
| David Henry | ... | Harry Crabbe |
| Gareth Vaughan | ... | Western mayor |
| Jane Snowden | ... | Clementine |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Sir Norbert Smith, a Life (USA)
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Runtime:
50 min
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Spoofs Passport to Pimlico (1949)
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| IMDb UK section | Add this title to MyMovies |
Harry Enfield came to fame with his long running characters Stavros and Loadsofmoney on British TV's copy of Saturday Night Live. Subsequently, his own sketch show (with a host of new characters) ran successfully for many seasons. But in between he made this brilliant spoof documentary, about the life of the "legendary British actor", Sir Norbert Smith.
In just an hour, Enfield mercilessly parodies every genre of the much -maligned British film industry (my personal favourite being his take on the dour realist films of the early 60s, with the northern father asking his family: "When's that baby going to grow up and get himself a proper job?"). But it's all great stuff. In between the cod clips, he meanwhile paints a touching (and even more hilarious) portrait of senility. Perfectly judging the line between the sublime and ridiculous, "Norbert Smith" is a wonderful creation. This material could have run and run: instead, it ended where it started (though some of Enfield's later creations were clearly developed from ideas first tried here). A masterclass of comic creativity.