Norman Wisdom big in Albania??

[Sgt Sunshine]

Apparently Norman Wisdom is / was big news in Albania...??

Now I'm just as big a fan of old Normans B & W comedies as the next man......but can someone enlighten me on why the Albanians love him so much.............

Cheers

[SirOllyBolly]

Apparently during the communist era Norm's films were one of the few things allowed on Albanian TV...

[CaptainWaggett]

Sir Norman Wisdom - Clown Prince of Albania

[Sgt Sunshine]

name='CaptainWaggett']Sir Norman Wisdom - Clown Prince of Albania

Thanks for that link Captain...........most informative......esp the bit about Enver Hoxha disagreeing with cabinet colleague so shooting him dead...........They knew how to deal with people in the old days............

Funny to think that Sir Norman was more popular with the crowd at the stadium than David Beckham....

Long live Norman

[narabdela]

name='CaptainWaggett']Sir Norman Wisdom - Clown Prince of Albania

From that article:



"You see," explains Sir Norman, "there was no sex, no bad language, no car crashes or crime, so the authorities used to let them watch."



Mmmm, I wonder what they would have made of "What's Good for the Goose"?

[Steve Crook]

name='narabdela']From that article:



"You see," explains Sir Norman, "there was no sex, no bad language, no car crashes or crime, so the authorities used to let them watch."



Mmmm, I wonder what they would have made of "What's Good for the Goose"?

The same as the rest of us probably



Steve

[CliveT]

"What's Good for the Goose" in Albania? Perhaps the authorities should let the public have a "gander" at Norm?

[GRAEME]

I think Norman's films got under the communist radar because on the surface the authorities could see a suitably safely Marxist sub-test - the little worker who triumphs over the suited bowler hat wearing upper classes. However, the people would have liked the little everyman who triumphs over stifling rigid authoritarian control. Keeps everyone happy doesn't it?



Much the same as Invasion of the Body Snatchers can be read as anti-McCarthyite satire or reds-under-the-beds paranoia. Depends on your point of view.



Personally, I find Norman's fims powerfully erotic - I get sweaty palms just thinking of them! "Mr Grimsdale!" Oo-er. Pure slapstick Viagra!



Except What's Good for the Goose, of course, which does nothing for me...