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Norman Wisdom RIP

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 9:33 pm
by D-Rider
Just heard that Norman Wisdom has died aged 95.

A funny guy and keen motorcycle rider - he'll be missed.

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 9:37 pm
by Falken
:smt001

R I P Norman. He'll be missed.

Not just for his comedy, but also the fund raising he did for children in some rough part of the world. ( think it was in Africa)

One of the best, i can still get a good belly laugh from his old films.

I know i've got some belly to laugh with.

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 9:45 pm
by Aladinsaneuk
a classic comedian - RIP

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 9:53 pm
by Willopotomas
Tis a sad day. He'll be fondly remembered. On the bright side, the TV people will probably play a few of his films as a tribute.. Hope they do anyway.

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 11:20 pm
by fastasfcuk
rip norman, a classic comedian.

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 6:20 am
by kiwi_rsvr
R.I.P Norman

British comedians of his era and beyond are/were the best.

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:42 pm
by HowardQ
Totally agree with what has been said!
I grew up watching people like him on telly.
He was also one of the best "falling down blokes" on telly, with no stunt doubles involved, ............. and he loved bikes!
RIP Norman.

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 4:36 pm
by TC
I was fortunate enough to meet him a few times, genuinely nice guy with no airs and graces and a fantatical motorcyclist. He had an original Gold Wing 1000 and an assortment of other bikes, and one of the reasons he moved to the Isle of Man was so that he coild be close to the TT and enjoy his riding.

One of the few comedians who was funny without the need to be rude or smutty

RIP Norm :smt010

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 6:03 pm
by Falken
:smt001
Sorry about the drivel before about his charity work in Africa.

He supported an orphanage in Albania, and his were the only western films allowed in the country.

Saw a programme about it a few months back, but the brain cells keep letting go at my age.

He is a superstar over there, and a superstar in my mind.

He'll take a lot of replacing, with the quality of the comics now.

RIP Norman :smt010

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 8:36 pm
by Nooj
Never found him the remotest bit funny. RIP all the same. Didn't know he was into bikes.

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 9:28 pm
by HowardQ
I can understand some of the "younger" members on the forum, not liking him, his type of comedy did go out of fashion a bit, (but when you re-examine, it was always pure comedy). This was also the case with some other comedians who followed him including two of my favourites, Marty Feldman and Tony Hancock, the latter being possibly the best ever in my view.
I could watch sketches like the "Blood Doner" over and over and know exactly what is coming, but it always creases me up.

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 9:32 pm
by D-Rider
Dunno whether he wouldn't have appealed to a younger generation - Lee Evans has a lot of similarities in his act.

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 9:54 pm
by fastasfcuk
D-Rider wrote:Dunno whether he wouldn't have appealed to a younger generation - Lee Evans has a lot of similarities in his act.
lee evans reminds me of him alot.future generations probably won't find him funny.

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 10:01 pm
by HowardQ
I totally agree, he even looks like Norman, but there has been a very long gap, and fashion was a very big thing in many ways in the later part of Norman's classic period.
Fashion was always changing and not just clothes. Suddenly groups who you had really liked, overnight became yesterday's people following a few popular chart hits and worse when your mother started singing to their records.
Eventually you ended up hiding all their records when friends came to your house for a party.
Bikes went that way as well when almost everybody eventualy became MODS.
If you chatted to a nice young lady in a club on a night out, and mentioned that you had a bike, it was a case of ....

What are you then?
A Rocker? (exit the building quick if you replied YES).

A Greaser? (Could sometimes get away with this if you claimed to be part of Joe Cocker's Grease Band, always a possibility if you had a Sheffield accent and actually knew them!)

Or a Hell's Angel? (You could try claiming that you helped to "Police" Woodstock, it could give you some cred')
But the final question was always the killer.......
If you are any of the above, what are you doing in this gig trying to chat me up?

Get your coat, you ain't pulled!

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:21 pm
by BikerGran
Nooj wrote:Never found him the remotest bit funny. RIP all the same. Didn't know he was into bikes.
Same here.

And by the way Nooj - I'm one of - if not the - oldest members!