Watch The Early Bird For Free

The Worst Film Ever

Sorry, this movie sucks

A Disappointing Continuation

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

"The Early Bird" has a lot of slapstick. Slapstick is very funny. But it's humor is just as with any funny line of dialog or joke. Once told or seen, it's very funny. Twice seen may get a chuckle. But three times and the punch is gone. So, the opening scenario that one person found very funny, quickly became monotonous to me. The wake-up routine was novel and somewhat funny, But Norman Pitkin (played by Norman Wisdom) and Mr. Grimsdale (Edward Chapman) go through the identical mishaps (PJs caught on the banister knob, etc.) one after the other. After the third one I came to expect it so this pattern quickly lost its humor. The plot for this film wasn't that good. The subplot of Mr. Grimsdale trying to romance his landlady is an unnecessary distraction. The milk delivery competition is a series of time-consuming scenes with little or no humor. The film seems to be a collection of vignettes tided together around the milk delivery business and competition. Norman goes in disguise, his milk wagon floods a woman's flat, he has shenanigans on the golf course, and his horse gets sick. It loses many laughs with this broken thread of a plot. After the third "Mr. Grimsdale!" that line of dialog was humorless. Yet it repeated a number of times more. It's an OK film at best, mostly for Wisdom's versatility and antics and for funny and good roles by Bryan Pringle as Austin and John Le Mesurier as Colonel Foster. All of the reviewers who think this is a great film or one of Norman Wisdom's best are from the early years of the turn of the 21st century. I have seen several of his films, and agree with a couple later reviewers who think this definitely is not one of his best. One reviewer noted that it's too bad for such praise with few contrary views because that may discourage first time viewers of a Wisdom film from watching any more. They would miss some real gems. Among them are "A Stitch in Time," "The Square Peg," "The Bulldog Breed," and "On the Beat."

This is a great film, one of the very best Norman Wisdom films, the opening 10 minutes fantastic, how he makes a scene with no speech so funny, it takes a lot of work to make a scene like that funny if there is no speech but he does it so naturally, the falling down the stairs with the cup of tea and still having a full cup at the bottom, marvellous truly marvellous. Norman Wisdom is fantastic at physical comedy, the way he falls about, and still does it now in his 90's, thats a real comedy genius. He is one of my favourite comedy actors, i love him and think that he is truly a comedy great. The whole collection of Wisdoms films are brilliant but this one for me because of the fantastic clown mime sequence at the beginning of the film comes top.

now, everyone has their own opinion on movies and the comment above is fair if that is what he thinks, but, to me, this movie is still a great piece of work by the legendary, sir Norman wisdom. i admit, not my fav out of 13 films of his i've seen but its still good firm piece of British comedy which i, being British, am proud of. so, if you have enjoyed other classic movies of his such as one good turn, just my luck, up in the world,girl on the boat, the bulldog breed, follow a star and many, many others,then i suggest you give this a go and judge for yourself. "mr.grimsdale!" classic. i can honestly say, hand on hart, that sir Norman wisdom is a true legend and will always be a favourite actor of mine for the rest of my life.

My parents took me and my brother to see this at the "pictures". (I was 8 and my brother was 5 in 1965) I DO remember that this film made me laugh till I almost burst at the seams! :-) I've never forgotten the image of Norman, the horse, and "Mr. Grimsdale!?" I've tried to get this film at video stores without success. Shame. It's a classic!