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On the Beat

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7.7/10 • 28

1962-12-111h 46m

Comedy

As the COPPER who comes a CROPPER!

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

Directors
Robert Asher

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Norman Wisdom

    Norman Wisdom

    Norman Pitkin

  2. Jennifer Jayne

    Jennifer Jayne

    Rosanna

  3. Raymond Huntley

    Raymond Huntley

    Sir Ronald Ackroyd

  4. Esma Cannon

    Esma Cannon

    Mrs. Stammers

  5. Eric Barker

    Eric Barker

    Doctor

  6. Wanda Ventham

    Wanda Ventham

    Outraged Hair-Salon Customer

  7. David Lodge

    David Lodge

    Insp. Hobson

  8. Eleanor Summerfield

    Eleanor Summerfield

    Sgt. Lucilla Wilkins

  9. Ronnie Stevens

    Ronnie Stevens

    Oberon

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Mar 25, 2023

6/10

Sometimes I forget just how charismatic and talented Norman Wisdom was. I was never a fan of slapstick humour, but somehow he always manages to inject the tiniest elements of class - even sophistication - into his performances. Here, he delivers one of his better and harder-working efforts as "Pitkin"; son of a decorated police officer who, it had been deemed, is too short to serve in the constabulary himself - so he gets a job cleaning their cars! Now cue for a fun water fight; the Commissioner gets soaked and he gets fired. Luckily for him, though, the police are under huge pressure to apprehend a jewel thief whom they think is masquerading as an high-end hairdresser. Guess what? "Neopolitani" is the spitting image of "Pitkin" and so back he is drafted to infiltrate the salon and hopefully bring down this criminal kingpin. This benefits strongly from an established cast of film and theatre actors who are no strangers to comedy: Terence Alexander, the scene-stealing Esme Cannon, David Lodge and Raymond Huntley (whom I could swear I saw struggling to contain his smiles at times). "Pitkin" even manages to find himself a little love interest in "Rosanna" (Jennifer Jayne) and, of course, there's not the merest doubt that Scotland Yard will get their man. It's a bit too long, and there is a decent smidgeon of stereotyping going on - but I think it fair to remember it's all pretty harmless and representative of British humour in the early 1960s and taken in that spirit is a good example of a star leading an enjoyable enough ensemble effort on a trail of mischief and mayhem.

Media

  • On the Beat poster
  • On the Beat poster
  • On the Beat poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
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