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On the Beat

On the Beat (1963)

January. 01,1963
|
6.8
|
NR
| Comedy

Norman Pitkin wants to be a policeman like his father was, but he fails the height test (amongst others). One day he gets out his father's old uniform and "walks the beat". This leads to a level of chaos that only Pitkin could cause

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Reviews

Hellen
1963/01/01

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

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Senteur
1963/01/02

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

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Hadrina
1963/01/03

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

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Fleur
1963/01/04

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

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JohnHowardReid
1963/01/05

"On the Beat" (1962) has one really hilarious scene in which Norman Wisdom, Raymond Huntley and a chauffeur play footsies with a hose. There may have been other highlights, but the sequences in which Norman tries on his dad's uniform, referees a football game and applies on stilts for his medical examination have been deleted from the current TV print. This installment certainly benefits from the contributions of a more deft director than was usually employed for this series. There are quite a few chuckles and for once only a few of the gags wholly misfire, although Wisdom's deliberate, over-heavy playing still manages to smother some of them. The climax is also a bit disappointing and the comic possibilities inherent in two lookalike Wisdoms darting around in secret passages are by no means fully explored. Jennifer Jayne makes an attractively spirited heroine. Production values are ordinary, to say the least.

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Aaron Hassard
1963/01/06

The year is 1962, Norman Wisdom is already a major star in the world of comedy and this movie just really shows how funny this man is!In this Norman Wisdom outing, Norman is playing a police car washer who's life ambition is too become a policeman, but sadly doesn't meet the minimum height to become what he wants so he has to stick washing the cars, poor him :(But Normans fate does not get in his way and so dawns his fathers uniform (yes, his father was a policeman!) modifies it to fit his height and roll on one of the best on foot chase scene you will probably ever see, after Norman is found out he is chased all around town, through gardens and even through Normans house!He is finally cornered and sent to prison...Then Norman thinks out a scheme and with the help of some stilts and his fathers old uniform, heads to the police station to apply for his life long dream, but is found out and told to leave and without his fathers uniform.A while later, Norman is called on by the police to resemble an Italian Jewel Theft (very well played by Norman Wisdom, yes he did play him!) but Norman doesn't like the idea as he won't get a permanent place at the police but after much haggling they finally decide to give Norman a permanent place with the police squad after the Jewel Theft problem.After many hilarious things happening (Norman punching a mirror for example) he somehow manages to get his man and gets him put into custody, leaving the police station very happy and proud of Norman :DSo overall (as my score suggests) i really, really enjoyed this film and recommend it to anyone who's into comedy!

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Theo Robertson
1963/01/07

How could anyone hate the comedy capers of Norman Wisdom ? Me for a start . Just how much mileage is there in a man with an ill fitting suit falling over while screeching " Mr Grimsdale " in a silly voice ? I wouldn't say it was mileage I would say it was inch-age . You have to forgive the unsophisticated slapstick approach of Wisdom comedies because they were produced in a far less sophisticated not to mention less cynical era but I'm never in a forgiving mood where Sir Norman Wisdom is concerned ON THE BEAT is - if not better than most of his comedies - certainly by no means Wisdom's worst comedy . Much of this may be down to the fact that Wisdom plays several roles : Tough , fearless Inspector Pitkin , criminal mastermind Giulio Napolitani and wannabe cop Norman Pitkin . Okay he's hardly going to win an Oscar but at least Wisdom doesn't pratfall about too much , and there is a sequence where Pitkin leads what must be the whole Lodon met on a wild goose chase which is almost charming in a surreal type of way . If we're going to be cynical then we have to ask when Pitkin applies to be a policeman why isn't he given a sarcasm test ? No doubt Wisdom fans ( Yes both of them ) will love this movie while everyone else will merely dislike it

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alaneobrien
1963/01/08

Although Norman is often disparaged in the land of his birth there can be no doubt that this is a very funny and original film. If you have not seen this film I would like to advise you that it contains one of the funniest scenes on celluloid: Norman has always been turned down for the Police because of his height; he is much too short. Following an epiphanic moment in the street he goes along to his next medical - in stilts! Gags abound in the doctor's room ending with a quite hilarious punchline from the doctor. These old b&w films can be picked up fairly cheaply on video now. If you see this one get it - that scene alone is worth the money.

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