On the Beat (1962 film)
Encyclopedia
On the Beat is a 1962 British comedy film
starring Norman Wisdom
, and directed by Robert Asher
.
as a car cleaner but dreams of becoming a policeman like his late father.
The police reject his request to join the force but recruit him to work undercover in disguise as the double of a suspected jewel thief, an Italian crime boss who looks just like him.
In addition to his criminal activities this man is a ladies' hairdresser. Norman disguises himself as the suspect and gains entry to his salon. Once inside, after some mishaps, he manages to find the stolen goods, knock out the suspect, wrap him up in a curtain/wall rug, and bring him to justice. As a reward, he is offered a permanent place in the police and marries his love who was the girlfriend of the man he brought to justice (who he rescued earlier in the film when she was attempting to commit suicide by jumping in the river).
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
starring Norman Wisdom
Norman Wisdom
Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, OBE was an English actor, comedian and singer-songwriter best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring his hapless onscreen character Norman Pitkin...
, and directed by Robert Asher
Robert Asher (Director)
Robert Asher was a British film and television director.-Film career:Asher began his career as an assistant director in 1934, working with Anthony Pelissier, Robert Hamer, Maurice Elvey and Roy Ward Baker among others...
.
Plot
Norman Pitkin (Wisdom) works at Scotland YardScotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
as a car cleaner but dreams of becoming a policeman like his late father.
The police reject his request to join the force but recruit him to work undercover in disguise as the double of a suspected jewel thief, an Italian crime boss who looks just like him.
In addition to his criminal activities this man is a ladies' hairdresser. Norman disguises himself as the suspect and gains entry to his salon. Once inside, after some mishaps, he manages to find the stolen goods, knock out the suspect, wrap him up in a curtain/wall rug, and bring him to justice. As a reward, he is offered a permanent place in the police and marries his love who was the girlfriend of the man he brought to justice (who he rescued earlier in the film when she was attempting to commit suicide by jumping in the river).
Main cast
- Norman WisdomNorman WisdomSir Norman Joseph Wisdom, OBE was an English actor, comedian and singer-songwriter best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring his hapless onscreen character Norman Pitkin...
as Norman Pitkin/Giulio Napolitani - Jennifer JayneJennifer JayneJennifer Jayne was an English film and television actress.Her name at birth was Jennifer Jones, which she altered in order to avoid confusion with Jennifer Jones, the Hollywood actress...
as Rosanna - Raymond HuntleyRaymond HuntleyRaymond Huntley was an English actor who appeared in dozens of British films from the 1930s through to the 1970s...
as Sir Ronald Ackroyd - David LodgeDavid Lodge (actor)David William Frederick Lodge was a British character actor.Before turning to acting he worked as a circus clown...
as Inspector Hobson - Esma CannonEsma CannonEsma Ellen Charlotte Cannon was a diminutive Australian-born character actress, who moved to England in the early 1930s.-Career:...
as Mrs. Stammers - Eric BarkerEric BarkerEric Leslie Barker born in Thornton Heath, Surrey, was an English comedy actor. He is most remembered for his roles in the popular British Carry On films.-Career:...
as Doctor - Eleanor SummerfieldEleanor SummerfieldEleanor Summerfield was a British actress.Summerfield was born in London in 1921. She received her acting training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. In the mid-1960s, she played P. G. Wodehouse' character Aunt Dahlia in the BBC One's World of Wooster. She was a team member on BBC Radio 4's...
as Sergeant Wilkins - Ronnie StevensRonnie Stevens (actor)Ronald Stevens was a London-born English actor known as Ronnie Stevens.He appeared in many television comedy series in regular roles, including May to December, Goodnight Sweetheart and A J Wentworth, BA. He also appeared as the "Minister of Pollution", in The Goodies pollution episode...
as Oberon - Terence AlexanderTerence AlexanderTerence Joseph Alexander was an English film and television actor, best known for his role as Charlie Hungerford in the British TV drama Bergerac.-Early life and career:...
as Chief Superintendent Belcher - Maurice KaufmannMaurice KaufmannMaurice Harington Kaufmann was a British actor of stage, TV and film, particularly well-utilized in whodunnits and horrors who acted from 1954 to 1981, when he retired....
as Vince - Dilys LayeDilys LayeDilys Laye was an English actress and screenwriter, best known for comedy roles. She died of cancer aged 74.- Early life :...
as American Lady - George PastellGeorge PastellGeorge Pastell was a Cypriot character actor in British films and television programmes. His real name was George Pastellides....
as Manzini - Jack WatsonJack Watson (actor)Jack Watson , was an English actor who appeared in many British films and television dramas from the 1950s onwards....
as Police Sergeant - Campbell SingerCampbell SingerCampbell Singer was a British character actor who featured in a number of film and television roles during his long career....
as Bollington - Lionel MurtonLionel MurtonWilliam Lionel Murton was a British-Canadian character actor. He most often played Americans/Canadians in numerous films and television series, from the late 1940s...
as Man in Underground Train - Robert Rietty as Italian Lawyer
- Marjie Lawrence as Crying Lady
- Peggy Ann CliffordPeggy Ann CliffordPeggy Ann Clifford is an English film and television actress with a lengthy career, including Kind Hearts and Coronets and The Time of His Life .-Selected filmography:* One Exciting Night...
as Guilio's Mother - Jean Aubrey as Lady Hinchingford
- Monte LandisMonte LandisMonte Landis is an American character actor best known for playing the comic foil in multiple episodes of The Monkees, most notably the Devil in "The Devil and Peter Tork".-Partial filmography:*The Mouse That Roared...
as Mr. Bassett - Mario FabriziMario FabriziMario Fabrizi was an English comedian and actor of Italian descent active in Britain in the 1950s and early 1960s....
as Newspaper Seller - Alfred BurkeAlfred BurkeAlfred Burke was a British actor, best known for his portrayal of Frank Marker in the drama series Public Eye, which ran on television for ten years.-Early life:...
as Trigger O'Flynn - John Blythe as Chauffeur (uncredited)
- Cyril ChamberlainCyril ChamberlainCyril Chamberlain was an English film and television actor. He appeared in a number of the early Carry On, Doctor in the House and St. Trinian's films....
as Cafe Proprietor (uncredited) - Tutte LemkowTutte LemkowTutte Lemkow was a Norwegian actor and dancer, who played mostly villainous roles in British television and films. His chief claims to mainstream familiarity were his roles as "the fiddler" in the film version of Fiddler on the Roof and the old man who translates for Indiana Jones in Raiders of...
as Billposter in Underground (uncredited) - Larry MartynLarry MartynLawrence "Larry" Martyn was an English actor known for his comedy performances.Martyn was born in London and was a former member of the Parachute Regiment. He was famous as Mr. Mash in the BBC comedy series Are You Being Served?, appearing in the first three series before being replaced by Arthur...
as Yob in Cafe (uncredited) - Julian OrchardJulian OrchardJulian Dean C. Orchard was an English comedy actor.-Biography:Orchard was educated at Shrewsbury School and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama...
as Wedding Photographer (uncredited) - Anita Sharp-Bolster as Hair-Salon Customer (uncredited)
- Alister WilliamsonAlister WilliamsonAlister Williamson was an Australian-born character actor, who appeared in many British films and television series of the 1960s and 1970s. A big, craggy-faced man, he would usually be found playing gruff police inspectors or henchmen in adventure series and police dramas of the period...
as Detective (uncredited)