On the Beat (1962 film)
| On the Beat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Robert Asher |
| Produced by |
Hugh Stewart Earl St. John (executive producer) |
| Starring | Norman Wisdom |
| Music by | Philip Green |
| Cinematography | Geoffrey Faithfull |
| Edited by | Bill Lewthwaite |
Release dates | 1962 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
On the Beat is a 1962 British comedy film starring Norman Wisdom, and directed by Robert Asher.
Plot
Norman Pitkin (Norman Wisdom) works at Scotland Yard 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, the ex-girlfriend of the man he brought to justice (whom had he rescued earlier in the film when she was attempting to commit suicide by jumping in the river).
Main cast
- Norman Wisdom as Norman Pitkin/Giulio Napolitani
- Jennifer Jayne as Rosanna
- Raymond Huntley as Sir Ronald Ackroyd
- David Lodge as Superintendent Hobson
- Esma Cannon as Mrs. Stammers
- Eric Barker as Doctor
- Eleanor Summerfield as Sergeant Wilkins
- Ronnie Stevens as Oberon
- Terence Alexander as Chief Superintendent Belcher
- Maurice Kaufmann as Vince
- Dilys Laye as American Lady
- George Pastell as Manzini
- Jack Watson as Police Sergeant
- Campbell Singer as Bollington
- Lionel Murton as Man in Underground Train
- Robert Rietti as Italian Lawyer
- Marjie Lawrence as Crying Lady
- Peggy Ann Clifford as Giulio's Mother
- Jean Aubrey as Lady Hinchingford
- Monte Landis as Mr. Bassett
- Mario Fabrizi as Newspaper Seller
- Alfred Burke as Trigger O'Flynn
- John Blythe as Chauffeur (uncredited)
- Cyril Chamberlain as Cafe Proprietor (uncredited)
- Tutte Lemkow as Billposter in Underground (uncredited)
- Larry Martyn as Yob in Cafe (uncredited)
- Julian Orchard as Wedding Photographer (uncredited)
- Anita Sharp-Bolster as Hair-Salon Customer (uncredited)
- Alister Williamson as Detective (uncredited)
Reception
The film was one of the 12 most popular movies at the British box office in 1963.[1]
Reception
- ↑ "Most Popular Films Of 1963." Times [London, England] 3 Jan. 1964: 4. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 11 July 2012.
Music
A slightly different arrangement of the film's title theme, by composer Philip Green, was recorded for a production music library, and may be heard in many US animated cartoons of the early 1960s, particularly those of Hanna-Barbera Productions.