A Stitch in Time is a 1963 Norman Wisdom comedy film set in a children's hospital. It was directed by Robert Asher and edited by Gerry Hambling. The cast includes Edward Chapman, Jeanette Sterke, Jerry Desmonde, Jill Melford, Glyn Houston, Vera Day, Patsy Rowlands, Peter Jones, Ernest Clark, Hazel Hughes, Lucy Appleby and Frank Williams. The film also features an early role for Johnny Briggs.[1]
A Stitch in Time | |
---|---|
Directed by | Robert Asher |
Written by | Jack Davies Norman Wisdom Henry Blyth Eddie Leslie |
Produced by | Hugh Stewart Earl St. John |
Starring | Norman Wisdom Edward Chapman Jeanette Sterke Jerry Desmonde |
Cinematography | Jack Asher |
Edited by | Gerry Hambling |
Music by | Philip Green |
Production company | Rank Organisation |
Distributed by | J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors |
Release date |
|
Running time | 89 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Norman Pitkin is an apprentice to Mr Grimsdale, an old fashioned butcher. When the shop is raided by a young thug (Johnny Briggs), Mr Grimsdale (at Norman's suggestion), puts his gold watch in his mouth for safe-keeping. This results in Mr Grimsdale accidentally swallowing the watch and being sent to hospital. Whilst visiting Mr Grimsdale, Norman (in his usual way) inadvertently causes chaos all over the hospital. He meets a girl called Lindy who hasn't spoken since her parents died in an aeroplane accident. Banned from the hospital, Norman is unable to visit Lindy so he and Mr Grimsdale join the St John Ambulance Brigade which gives him the opportunity to visit her. The usual pandemonium ensues. In the end Lindy visits him at a charity ball where the St John Ambulance Brigade Band are performing. The ball descends into the inevitable shambles, caused entirely by Norman. However, Norman redeems himself (and the reputation of the Brigade) who's ambulance drove of all by itself, when he addresses those attending the ball and everyone donates money for the charity. The next day Norman dreamed he's back in hospital .
The film was shot almost entirely at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire. Location filming was kept to a minimum.
A Stitch in Time represents Wisdom's most commercially successful title.[2] It was among the ten most popular films of the year at the British box office in 1964.[3]
The film was rereleased in 1984 in Chennai India. The film was a smash hit and ran for many weeks at the old Alankar Theatre (now demolished).