Follow a Star (1959)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Robert Asher

Writers:

Henry Blyth (original screenplay)
Jack Davies (original screenplay)

Release Date:

1 February 1960 (Denmark)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Norman Truscott is a store worker who dreams of stardom. Vernon Carew is a singer who's star is fading...

Cast

Norman Wisdom	...	Norman Truscott
June Laverick	...	Judy
Jerry Desmonde	...	Vernon Carew
Hattie Jacques	...	Dymphna Dobson
Richard Wattis	...	Dr. Chatterway
Eddie Leslie	...	Harold Franklin
John Le Mesurier	...	Birkett
Sydney Tafler	...	Pendlebury
Fenella Fielding	...	Lady Finchington
Charles Heslop	...	The General
Joe Melia	...	Stage Manager
Ron Moody	...	Violinist

Runtime:

102 min | USA:93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Metropolitan Theatre, Edgware Road, Paddington, London, England, UK

Company:

Rank Organisation, The

Trivia:

First full length feature of Dick Emery

Piece of soap opera?

No, rather "rest in peace, my sorrow" extravaganza! I am not a fan of Mr Norman Wisdom. But I enjoy good and easy comedies which, however insane, never get vulgar. This is a perfect example of such thing. I can watch the majority of Charlie Chaplin's, Buster Keaton's, and Norman Wisdom's movies anytime. They are timeless. Very often, when I watch a modern comedy ("Meet the Parents", for instance), I get real angry and ask myself: "WTF? Is this supposed to be good and funny?" Whenever I watch the good old Norman Wisdom movies, I don't have to ask myself such questions - I just rejoice. When I start watching such a movie, I know beforehand that there won't be anything rude, annoying, dirty, and vulgar - this alone supplies me with pleasant feelings.

Again I'm impressed by the talent of Mr Norman Wisdom. The songs he performs are beautiful. There is something "jazzy" about them and I like it.

By the way, in our country the film goes under the title "Mister Pitkin na Estrade" ("Mr Pitkin on the Stage") though the main character is not Pitkin but Norman Truscott. It happens because for Russian audience Mr Norman Wisdom will always be Pitkin on the screen. But that is a sign of quality. Like "Apple" among computers.

"RoboCop", "Batoru Rowaiaru", "Long xiao ye", "Jeeves and Wooster", "Lyudi i manekeny", "Mad Max", and ... "Follow a Star" are all great. Does it look strange? It shouldn't. In my humble opinion, there is a high-quality movie behind each title.

Such comedies like this one are fading away in today's hectic cybernetic world but to me they are the best of the best, because they remain childish and amusing in a very pleasant way.

Again I give a very subjective mark - a 10 out of 10 - but I'm 100% sure that such comedies are of the highest artistic quality. Thank you for attention.