Trouble In Store, 1953

My second focus film in 'Trouble In Store' which was made in 1953. This was Norman's first film. I have chosen to look at his film in particular because it was the start of his career as a British Comedy icon. Also, I have chosen it because it contains many scenes that would be great to discuss in my essay. Norman also made a commentary for this film which is very useful to me as it helps me to understand the film from Norman's own personal point of view. This is a very reliable source.

The first scene I have chosen to look at is where Norman fools about in the cheifs new office (image on left). I have picked this scene because it is a great example of Norman's slapstick comedy style. Also, I have selected it because it is one of Norman's favourite scenes from this film (according to his autobiography). This is useful because it helps me to better understand him as a comedian and how he liked to perform.

The next scene I have chosen to look at is the opening scene. According to his autobiography, this is another one of Norman's favourite scenes from this film. This scene is a great example of Norman's 'gump' character. In many of his films, Norman's character views himself as equal to others even if they are of a higher authority. This is a trait of his films that audiences came to love, especially Albanian audiences. Therefore, this is a good example of where the trait started and how Norman developed the character.                                 


                        

The next scene I have looked at is where Norman performs his song 'Don't Laugh At Me'. This is one of the most well known scenes from all of his films. It is particularly important for me to look at this scene because this song was incredibly popular with audiences and was in the top ten in the charts for 9 months. This is a relevant scene for me to look at because it shows how Norman's popularity grew after the films release.

The final scene I have looked at is the window dressing scene. This scene is a good choice for my project because Norman and the director had a dispute about the way Norman should act in this scene. They decided to let Norman perform the way he wanted and see if audiences liked it. When the scene was a huge success, the director appologised to Norman. This is important for me to look at because it shows how Norman put his own stamp on his performance.