''Follow a Star'' is a 1959 British black and white

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...

directed by Robert Asher and starring

Norman Wisdom Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010), was an English actor, comedian, musician, and singer, best known for his series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966, in which he portrayed the endearingly inept charact ...

, June Laverick and

Jerry Desmonde Jerry Desmonde (born James Robert Sadler; 20 July 1908 – 11 February 1967) was an English actor and presenter. He is perhaps best known for his work as a double act, comedic foil in duos with Norman Wisdom and Sid Field. Early life Jerry ...

. It was written by Henry Blyth, Jack Davies and Wisdom.

Plot

Norman Truscott works as a dry cleaner, but dreams of being a stage performer. To this end, he takes elocution and singing lessons with Miss Dobson, so far with little success. He is also in love with Judy, Miss Dobson's colleague, who teaches piano. Norman goes to the theatre to see singing star Vernon Carew and causes chaos when he tries to join in the performance. But Carew realises that Norman's untrained voice is better that his own voice, which is fading rapidly, as is his popularity. On the pretext of offering Norman singing lessons, he secretly records Norman singing in the bath, and passes the recordings off as his own - miming to the recording on television. They are a success and Carew is a star again. Miss Dobson realises what's happened and smuggles herself and Norman backstage during Carew's performance. She sees the record being played with Carew miming to it. She exposes him as a fake, again causing chaos onstage and backstage. Norman is persuaded to sing on stage and is acclaimed by the audience. But whilst they applaud him, he slips quietly away with Judy.

Cast

as Norman Truscott * June Laverick as Judy *

as Vernon Carew *

Hattie Jacques Hattie Jacques (; born Josephine Edwina Jaques; 7 February 1922 – 6 October 1980) was an English comedy actress of stage, radio and screen. She is best known as a regular of the ''Carry On'' films, where she typically played strict, no-no ...

as Dymphna Dobson *

Richard Wattis Richard Cameron Wattis (25 February 1912 – 1 February 1975) was an English actor, co-starring in many popular British comedies of the 1950s and 1960s. Early life Richard Cameron Wattis was born on 25 February 1912 in Wednesbury, Staffords ...

as Dr. Chatterway *

Eddie Leslie Frederick Leslie Whitaker (11 October 1903 – 27 June 1975), known as Eddie Leslie, was a British film actor and screenwriter. He often acted alongside Norman Wisdom, on stage and in his films '' Trouble in Store'' (1953); ''Up in the W ...

as Harold Franklin *

John Le Mesurier John Le Mesurier (, born John Elton Le Mesurier Halliley; 5 April 191215 November 1983) was an English actor. He is probably best remembered for his comedic role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the BBC television situation com ...

as Birkett *

Sydney Tafler Sydney Tafler (31 July 1916 – 8 November 1979) was an English actor who after having started his career on stage, was best remembered for numerous appearances in films and television from the 1940s to the 1970s. Personal life Tafler was bor ...

as Pendlebury *

Fenella Fielding Fenella Fielding (born Fenella Marion Feldman; 17 November 1927 – 11 September 2018) was an English stage, film and television actress who rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s, and was often referred to as "England's first lady of t ...

as Lady Finchington *

Charles Heslop Charles Heslop (8 June 1883 in Thames Ditton, England – 13 April 1966) was a British actor. His stage successes include a musical version of '' Tons of Money'', which toured Australia for Hugh J. Ward in 1924, co-starring Dot Brunton. ...

as The General *

Joe Melia Giovanni Philip William "Joe" Melia (23 January 1935, Camden, London – 20 October 2012, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire) was a British actor. Educated at the City of Leicester Boys' Grammar School and Downing College, Cambridge Downing ...

as stage manager *

Ron Moody Ron Moody (born Ronald Moodnick; 8 January 1924 – 11 June 2015) was an English actor, composer, singer and writer. He was best known for his portrayal of Fagin in '' Oliver!'' (1968) and its 1983 Broadway revival. Moody earned a Golden Glob ...

as violinist *

Dick Emery Richard Gilbert Emery (19 February 19152 January 1983) was an English comedian and comic actor. His broadcasting career began on radio in the 1950s, and his self-titled television series ran from 1963 to 1981. Life and career Richard Gilbert Emer ...

as party drunk * Charles Gray as party guest *

Dilys Laye Dilys Laye (born Dilys Lay; 11 March 1934 – 13 February 2009) was an English actress and singer, best known for her comedy roles, in which she was seen in the West End and on Broadway for more than fifty years, beginning in 1951. Althou ...

as girl in park *

Peggy Anne Clifford Peggy Ann Clifford (23 March 1921 in Poole, Dorset – 26 May 1986, in Kensington), was an English film, stage, and television character actress. She was born Peggy Anne Hamley Champion. Her mother's maiden name was Clifford. She appeared in tw ...

as offended lady at party (uncredited)

Production

Norman Wisdom had a falling out with his regular director John Paddy Carstairs so was replaced on this by Bob Asher. According to producer Hugh Stewart:

Over some childish thing, which I can't possibly go into, Norman and Paddy had a split. There was something which Norman queried and Paddy was flashing eyes, mad with anger you see, "He should trust me! I won't do this, will never tolerate him again," and so on. So there wasn't anything to do - I had to find another director. So I did, and I got Bob Asher. I was very sorry about the business about Paddy but there was no other way.

Filming started 13 July 1959.

Reception

Box office

In January 1960 ''Kinematograph Weekly'' reported the movie "shot meteor-like into the big money and has never looked back. Cleank uninhibited fun, lightly laced with popular sentiment and titivated by tunes, it’s delighting all comers." In December 1960 the same magazine listed the film as a "money maker" at the British box office for 1960. The movie was a hit in Hungary where by 1961 it had been seen by 1.8 million people.

Critical

''Variety'' wrote "this picture, sticking largely to the fun-and-sentiment formula at which Norman Wisdom is adept, should prove a happy b.o. proposition. Not since the hey-day of “Lassie” have films been so carefully tailored to suit a star personality as these of Wisdom. He's the little fellow, constantly put upen, who suddenly rebels and strikes back at pomposity. He evokes sympathy, invariably gets the girl, falls down, sings some songs and most certainly in Britain, raises the yocks." ''

The Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' wrote: "The potential that Norman Wisdom once undoubtedly possessed is quite obscured by this film – with its silly, tawdry script and the inept direction of Robert Asher .... The comedian is permitted to indulge his taste for mawkish sentimentality and for 'shame-dream' situations which involve him in unfunny humiliations. Such comedy as there is is mostly muffed by the lack of any sense of comic timing in the direction and editing. The reassuring professionalism of Jerry Desmonde, Hattie Jacques and Richard Wattis, and beguiling glimpses of Ron Moody and Fenella Fielding, are not compensation enough for the rest." ''The

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...

Guide to Films'' gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "If you can follow the plot of this Norman Wisdom comedy, you'll find faint echoes of ''

Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds, and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell, Rita Moreno a ...

''. ...Norman's humour knows no restraint or timing, which makes him schmaltzily tedious, especially as he can only sing in the presence of his wheelchair-bound girlfriend June Laverick."

Leslie Halliwell Robert James Leslie Halliwell (23 February 1929 – 21 January 1989) was a British film critic, encyclopaedist and television rights buyer for ITV, the British commercial network, and Channel 4. He is best known for his reference guides, '' Fi ...

said: "Star comedy with an antique plot and a superfluity of pathos."

References

External links

* *
''Follow a Star'' at BFI Screenonline
* 1959 films 1959 comedy films British black-and-white films British comedy films Films directed by Robert Asher Films shot at Pinewood Studios 1959 directorial debut films 1960s English-language films 1950s English-language films 1950s British films 1960s British films Films scored by Philip Green {{1950s-UK-comedy-film-stub