Norman , a lowly stock clerk at Burridge’s department store, has fallen in in love with another employee, Sally Wilson played by Lana Morris but he hasn’t been able to pluck up the courage to let her know how he feels. When he falls out with the new head of the store, Augustus Freeman played by his long time film straight man Jerry Desmonde he is promptly fired. As he is leaving the store he sees an older lady (Margaret Rutherford) seemingly struggling with a very lareg suitcase and he goes to help her . Freeman sees Norman assisting a “customer” and rehires him.
Meanwhile, Peggy Drew played by Moira Lister the store’s personnel manager is plotting to rob the store along with her boyfriend Gerald (Derek Bond) . Norman is fired and rehired again and again but his escapades somehow manage to benefit the store.
He thwarts the robbery in the end and wins the girl but not before some ‘intersting’ escapades.
Lana Morris
Lana Morris was described as a bright-eyed brunette who brought a refreshing liveliness and sense of humour to British films in the Fifties.
She was one of a group of Rank starlets that included Barbara Murray, Rona Anderson and Honor Blackman – she was the below-stairs maid snatching moments to read racy novels in Spring in Park Lane and Norman Wisdom’s girlfriend in Trouble in Store. Her marriage to the BBC radio and TV producer Ronnie Waldman was one of the happiest in show business. Later she was a star of television series such as The Forsyte Saga and Howard’s Way and was about to appear in a new stage production at the time of her death in 1998 at the age of 68. She married Ronnie Waldman at about the same time that this film came out. I seem to remember her being on Whats My Line and I certainly remember Ronnie Waldman in Puzzle Corner which must have been on Childrens TV – BBC of course – there wasn’t anything else in 1953 !!
Jerry Desmonde
His real name was James Robert Sadler.
Bob Hope referred to Jerry as ‘the best straight man in the business’
Jerry had been on stage from a the age of eleven and rose up to playing the theatre straight man to Sid Field – who in the forties was a very big Music Hall star. He appeared in the film Cardboard Cavalier with Margaret Lockwood which should have been a great success for Sid Field but for whatever reason – maybe just timing – it didn’t turn out that way.
He also appeared in films with many famous stars including Charlie Chaplin, Alec Guiness, Sid Field, Margaret Lockwood and the list just goes on. He was married to Peggy Duncan and they had two children, a daughter Jacqueline and son Gerald. After the second World War Jerry Desmonde and his family settled in London. In 1967 following bouts of depression after the death of his wife Jerry took his own life. Acording to Halliwells Film Book he had been driving a taxi to make end meet when his long career faltered in the sixties. I find this very sad for an actor who had been in so many roles and played with so many of the top stars of the era.
Above – Jerry Desmonde looking suitably exasperated in another Norman Wisdom film Up In The World.
Normal Wisdom used him in his films in much the same way that George Formby had with Garry Marsh. I have to say from a personal point of view I much preferred the George Formby films to any that Norman Wisdom ever did.
I do remember Jerry Desmonde being on Whats My Line as a panelist on a number of occasions. All in all I must say that I quite liked Jerry Desmonde – he played those parts opposite Norman Wisdom brilliantly.
Norman Wisdom
Well what can be said of Norman Wisdom that people don’t already know. He virtually saved Pinewood in the fifties with his extremely successful films. I haven’t been his biggest fan BUT I must say a work colleague of mine had seen a programme on his life starting from a very poor and ill treated childhood through his army career in India where he used to entertain his mates and in doing so learned to play many musical instruments, through to his film career and on to stage work, acting and on and on. A very long life and on hearing this story I have to say that I greatly admire him for the way he lived his life. Good man, Norman !!!
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