Good concept, poorly executed.

Best movie ever!

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

"On the Beat" (1962) has one really hilarious scene in which Norman Wisdom, Raymond Huntley and a chauffeur play footsies with a hose. There may have been other highlights, but the sequences in which Norman tries on his dad's uniform, referees a football game and applies on stilts for his medical examination have been deleted from the current TV print. This installment certainly benefits from the contributions of a more deft director than was usually employed for this series. There are quite a few chuckles and for once only a few of the gags wholly misfire, although Wisdom's deliberate, over-heavy playing still manages to smother some of them. The climax is also a bit disappointing and the comic possibilities inherent in two lookalike Wisdoms darting around in secret passages are by no means fully explored. Jennifer Jayne makes an attractively spirited heroine. Production values are ordinary, to say the least.

On the Beat is a Norman Wisdom comedy film directed by Robert Asher. It's the tenth Wisdom picture where he was the lead actor. Plot sees Wisdom as Norman Pitkin who works at Scotland Yard as a car cleaner but harbours dreams of becoming a policeman like his late father. The problem Norman faces is that he is just too small to meet the height requirement to join the service. However, after managing to get himself fired from the car wash job, Norman is given a way into the force on account of his uncanny resemblance to a suspected Italian crime boss who is masquerading as a hair dresser. Thus Norman is required to go undercover as the crime boss. Can he pull it off?Norman Wisdom, he's Marmite isn't he? On The Beat, to this reviewer at least, is one of Wisdom's best film's. Some of his main collaborators such as Edward Chapman & Jerry Desmonde may be absent, but On the Beat has a real zest for life, an action comedy where at its core is the emotive based dreams of one man.On The Beat follows in the great traditions of British comedy film's involving the good old British Bobby. Trace a line from Will Hay's brilliant Ask A Policeman in 1939 to Hot Fuzz (2007) and you will find a number of "themed" movies involving the British copper. With film's such as On The Beat and Carry On Constable from two years previously, we get a glimpse of a time when respect and fear of the law was the order of the day. When the copper was there to aid and make the public feel safe, values that sadly today are ever diminishing. With that, as a Brit myself, it's hard not to get caught up with nostalgia; and maybe even feel those pangs of sadness of a time long past. My rating, in that context should be taken in to consideration.On The Beat is a very British film, it's also a rank and file Norman Wisdom film. One that's filled with the standard set pieces full of vim, vigour and chaos. With one medical on stilts sequence as mirthful as it is near genius. It's, however, unlikely to win over any sceptical older viewers who didn't get Wisdom back in the day. Nor is it a safe recommendation to those venturing for the first time into the works of Marylebone's famous son. But this does hold appeal for those in need of a light hearted pick me up. A harmless piece that zips along, gets in there, and gets the job done. Something that Wisdom, just like his character Pitkin, was want to do. 7/10

It has become fashionable in recent years to belittle (sorry!) the talents of Norman Wisdom - and I can't think why. In his day, the slight talents of many "superstars" of today would have resulted in them being shown the door.Back then, a "star" was expected to be multi-talented. And Norman WAS. If you don't believe me, check out the kinescope of the mid-sixties primetime live "Sunday Night At The London Palladium" where Norman and Bruce Forsyth wrote and did THE ENTIRE TWO-HOUR SHOW BY THEMSELVES.Huh? Well, S.N.A.T.L.P. was HUGE then and because of a strike, it looked like it would be canceled - even though the strike had been settled, who could POSSIBLY put together a two-hour show in THREE DAYS? Brucie and Norman, that's who. They did songs, dance sequences, comedy sketches and various bits of business they had written and rehearsed in Bruce's HOUSE. The MILLIONS who watched said it was one of the BEST S.N.A.T.L.P.s EVER.M'point is, in those days, to be a success you needed to be able to sing, dance, play instruments, act (comedy or straight) and it helped if you wrote - ALL of which Norman Wisdom DID.And in "On The Beat", he demonstrated his talents to the full. It's a film of set-pieces - the opening, which satirises the British cop-shows of the time, the car-washing sequence, the "tube" sequence, him and Eric Barker as the Police Doctor (those eye-charts with the sharps and flats were put back into props and surfaced in other films of the time!) the "briefing" where he is "coached" in the mannerisms of "Julio Napolitani", the scenes with him AS the afore-mentioned Julio, the sequence where hundreds of coppers run round the streets of Herts - SURREAL! - and of course, the back-garden "steeplechase".In its day, "On The Beat" was a tour-de-force, but today it stands as a work of GENIUS the like of which is rarely seen anymore.

Norman Wisdom surely is one of the best comedians of the 20th century. In this film he plays a double role as a would-be policeman and a gangster-hairdresser. The way he handles the sublimely script is perfect. The music adds much to the fun of watching this wonderful comedy.