Norman Wisdom

Sir Norman Wisdom obituary

Knockabout clown in the music hall tradition who found enormous success in the cinema.

Wisdom's longevity was incredible

In today's comedy scene, Norman Wisdom's influence is felt most keenly in the performances of Lee Evans.

Sir Norman Wisdom: comedian's best quotes

Sir Norman Wisdom has died at the age of 95. Here are some of his best quotes.

Norman Wisdom: tributes to brilliant slapstic comedian

Sir Tim Rice has led the tributes to Sir Norman Wisdom, who died at the age of 95, describing the actor as a "brilliant slapstick comedian".

Veteran comic & Albania's favourite Norman Wisdom dies

Charlie Chaplin called him his "favourite clown," and generations of British filmgoers would have wholeheartedly agreed.

Video: Albania's love for Norman Wisdom

Comedy actor Sir Norman Wisdom has died at the age of 95, his son has confirmed.

Former BBC correspondent Bill Hamilton worked closely with him in Albanian children's charities, and says he was a "cult hero" there.

Norman Wisdom - a life in clips

Norman Wisdom, one of the Britain's best-loved comedy stars, has died aged 95. We look back over his career in clips.

Video: Comedian Sir Norman Wisdom dies

Comic actor Sir Norman Wisdom has died aged 95. The London-born comedian was famous for his slapstick film roles in the 1950s and 1960s, including the character Norman Pitkin.

Does watching Norman Wisdom get floored by a ladder tickle your fancy? Maybe the sight of Basil Fawlty belting his car with a branch has you helpless. Or perhaps it is the observational comedy of Richard Pryor that hits your funny bone. Whatever it is, it is jolly good for you: that laughter is the best medicine is now a proven medical fact. In her deconstruction of laughter, examining its psychology and physiology, Jerry Hall commands the highest quality contributors. Luminaries from the academic field are only outshone by the staggering assembly of comedic talent. Walliams, Lucas, Fry, Henry, Brand, Cleese, Noble and others talk about the styles of comedy that have influenced them and often made them become funny in the first place. She even has access to Hugh Grant, who talks about the challenges an actor faces in comedy films, usually by Richard Curtis. And yes, he's here too.

Keeping up with the Jones

What is it then that makes this female version of Mr Bean or Norman Wisdom so apparently appealing? It's partly because the audience knows that beneath the plump Bridget there is the svelte Renée Zellweger, an authentic Hollywood star putting on both weight and an English accent for our benefit.