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The Early Bird

"His Latest and Funniest and First Time in Colour"

Norman Pitkin is the assistant helping to run a small, old fashioned dairy which is threatened by a larger, modern organisation. Pitkin does his best to save the dairy (and his horse) and the usual chaos ensues

Top Cast

  • Norman Wisdom

    Norman Wisdom

    Norman Pitkin

  • Edward Chapman

    Edward Chapman

    Mr. Thomas Grimsdale

  • Jerry Desmonde

    Jerry Desmonde

    Mr. Walter Hunter

  • Paddie O'Neil

    Paddie O'Neil

    Mrs. Gladwys Hoskins

  • Bryan Pringle

    Bryan Pringle

    Austin

  • Richard Vernon

    Richard Vernon

    Sir Roger Wedgewood

  • John Le Mesurier

    John Le Mesurier

    Colonel Foster

  • Peter Jeffrey

    Peter Jeffrey

    Fire Chief

  • Penny Morrell

    Penny Morrell

    Miss Curry

Overview

Norman Pitkin is the assistant helping to run a small, old fashioned dairy which is threatened by a larger, modern organisation. Pitkin does his best to save the dairy (and his horse) and the usual chaos ensues

Rating

7.6 / 10
36 Reviews
0 Popular

2 Reviews

  • Finetunes
    Finetunes
    5 Feb 28, 2022

    I was not familiar with these comedians until now and this is the only movie I've seen in the series. I would have thoroughly enjoyed watching them in the 60's in my youth but the comedy is slapstick and more suitable for young kids and the nostalgia crowd. I will admit that there were some very amusing scenes even for someone like me in their golden years. Interestingly, the other reviews were mixed, some saying this was the best in the series and others saying it was the worst. I would classify this humor closest to Benny Hill.

  • CinemaSerf
    CinemaSerf
    6 Nov 14, 2022

    This is a fun vehicle for Norman Wisdom that starts out quite amiably. He works for his boss "Grimsdale" (Edward Chapman) delivering the milk from his horse-drawn float early each morning. One day, though, he discovers all their empties broken and a new supplier "Consolidated Dairies" taking over his patch. Thwarted at every turn by their supercilious general manager "Hunter" (Jerry Desmonde) and his peak-capped henchman "Austin" (Bryan Pringle) it falls to poor old "Pitkin" to save the day, the business and his job! The beginning works well with a sort of gunfight at OK corral scenario between the two milkmen that clears the street quicker than a thunderstorm. Thereafter, though, the joke wears a bit thin and the story resorts a little too much to slapstick - especially on the golf course - for my liking before descending a little too quickly into the preposterous where it loses much of it's charm and the horse starts to steal all the scenes! It's also a bit on the long side. Perhaps some more ruthless use of the razor blade in the cutting room could have tightened it up bit and kept the pace a bit better concentrated? Wisdom did have great comedy timing and a very expressive face, though, there are giggle moments here for us to enjoy and even a semblance of the Dunkirk spirit! I could just have done with a bit more of that!

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