Review of Trouble In Store / Up In The World

Introduction

Norman Wisdom is a bit like Marmite - you either love him or you hate him. He`s definitely one of Britain`s great post-war comic geniuses, but he has moments in his movies of such teeth-itching sentimentality that you find yourself shouting at the screen `Norman, what were you thinking???`

"Trouble In Store" is possibly the best known of Norman Wisdom`s comedies. It was his BAFTA-winning debut and the start of his partnerships with writer-director John Paddy Carstairs and his long-running nemesis Jerry Desmonde. He shares top billing with shameless scene-stealer Margaret Rutherford as a batty upper-class shoplifter. Various adventures lead him to his finest hour when he foils a plot to steal the store`s sale-day takings. He still has time to woo Lana Morris and sing a treacly song. That was another thing about Norman`s movies - the girls he pined after were always snooty Rank-Charm-School starlets who in real life wouldn`t have given him the time of day if he`d been dipped in gold dust.

"Up In The World" has Norman taking a job at a toff`s country pile as a windowcleaner. Befriending (if that`s the word) the young master, Norman foils a kidnap attempt on the youngster. Unfortunately he is collared as part of the gang when the young man does not remember him (due to a whack on the head). He then has to escape from prison and clear his name.

Video

"Trouble In Store" is in its original 4:3, while "Up In The World" is presented in non-anamorphic 1.66:1. Both movies are in black and white and the images are sharp and clear - although "Store" doesn`t score as high in the grain and contrast stakes.

Audio

Both movies carry DD2.0 copies of the original mono soundtrack. Some work has been done to warm up the normally quite tinny acoustics of a film of this era and the results are pleasing on the ear.

Features

Both films come with original theatrical trailers. The trailers are cringemaking, although there is a nice `fourth wall` gag at the start of the "Store" trailer where Norman mithers the striker off the Bombardier (the Rank Gongman) and belts the gong himself. There are full subtitles, and - joy of joys - both films carry special audio commentaries by Sir Norman Wisdom and Britcom expert Robert Ross.

Conclusion

For the price these are steals - if you`re a fan. Norman Wisdom is an acquired taste, but his films are a product of their time, a more innocent era when comics were expected to be the underdog and burst into song at every opportunity. Most of all, his films are wholesome - nobody ends up dead and everything turns out all right and Norman usually ends up chortling through the end title. Gormless fun for all the family.