Square Peg, 1959

My first source of primary research is the 1959 film, 'Square Peg'. I have chosen this film because it was made at the peak of Norman's career. It also contains at least 2 scenes that would be great for discussing Norman as a British comedy icon. This is a reliable source that I will definitely be using in my investigation.

One scene I have looked at in particular is the one where Norman is impersonating a female officer (image 6). This is a typical trait of the character 'Norman Pitkin' that he often does to annoy people of higher authority. This is quite a reliable scene to discuss because this is often seen in his other films such as 'Stitch in Time' where he impersonates a femal nurse.

Not only does Norman pretend to be different people, he also plays multiple characters in his films. In the first image above, he plays a German Officer. Playing more than one character is typical of Norman's films such as 'On The Beat' or 'Press for Time' where he plays 3 different characters. Although this is a common trait of Norman Wisdom films, it doesn't really discuss him as a British comedy icon, so I may dismiss this scene from my investigation.

Another scene I have looked at is where the German soldiers kidnap the staff of a local Cafe. (image 7). I have chosen to look at this scene because it has more of a serious tone. This is another common feature of Norman's films as alot of them have a serious background story that contrasts with the humor. Again, I feel that this is probably not relevant to my investigation so I will most likely dismiss this scene also.

The next scene I have looked at is where the British Soldiers are on their way to war (image 2). The other men are feeling anxious and scared whereas Norman is the complete opposite. This scene is a great example of Norman's character - a confident little man who is completely unaware of what is going on around him. I think this is an excellent scene to discuss because it is a great example of Norman's 'Gump' character.