ianlouisiana Review of Follow a Star

Follow a Star (1959)

"you deserve a medal for that",,yes indeed he did........

[10/10 · 2 January 2013]

After a brilliant start satirising innumerable Britsh war films,"Follow a star" settles down to a more orthodox path with the highly - talented Mr Wisdom using bits of his Palladium act which first brought him fame and fortune in an era which coincided with the birth - pangs of post - war British television. He is teamed with the sublime Mr Jerry Desmonde the capo di capo of stooges,a man who,like Mr Wisdom was seldom off our flickering black and white tellies. Mr Desmonde plays a fading singer who is thrown a much - needed lifeline when he records Norman's voice(on a "Grundig",no less,about 75 guineas at the time) and mimes to his self - penned ballads. With a wheelchair - bound girlfriend needing an operation(the lovely Miss June Laverick)Norman agrees to work with his erstwhile idol Mr Desmonde as a major - domo,all unknowing that his voice is being "sampled" as they would call it nowadays. He suffers from stage - fright and has to be hypnotised before he can perform in public,a ploy that offers excellent opportunities for Mr Wisdom to perform his idiot - savant act. Amidst the fairly anodyne songs there is a very fine and well - choreographed full blown musical number "You deserve a medal for that" which is good enough to be Lerner and Loewe.To top it all,the great Mr John le Mesurier get his face pushed into a cake.Sheer bliss. Miss Hattie Jacques is oustanding as Norman's elocution teacher. Co - writer of this and many other fine British comedies,Mr Henry Blythe lived near me in Sussex and was captain of the village cricket team. About the time "Follow a star" came out he arranged a game with Freddie Brown(ex England captain)and a select X1 of Test Players on a beautiful ground set in a dip in the downs. As Squire Henry went out to bat shielding his eyes from the sun a deep sigh of anticipation ran round the crowd.England's current fast - bowling hero thundered up to the crease and Henry glanced the first ball for four runs to leg."Life doesn't get any better than this", I thought,sipping my cold ginger beer...and it hasn't.