When Puckle views the Earth from the spaceship (c.
128 minutes) he sees lines of latitude and longitude, and countries marked in various colours, just as an inflatable plastic globe atlas usually has.
Norman takes on the Navy and its archaic judging system, there are a few laughs but nothing tremendous, Norman is still fun and accident prone, but not as funny as in other films.Look out for a droll John Le Mesurier and Frank Williams, both who found fame in Dads Army later, Liz Fraser who was in the Dad's Army film, David Lodge, Cyril Chamberlain, Michael Caine and Oliver Reed, there were also a few bit-role players who did a good few Carry On's.
Despite the advice of the scientists who built it, Admiral Ian Hunter insists that any idiot can run the controls for the first manned spaceship, so long as he has passed basic training for the Royal Naval. Unfortunately, the idiot chosen is Norman Wisdom.
There isn't a single one of Norman's films that I don't enjoy, and although The Bulldog Breed isn't a favourite, it's still a thoroughly enjoyable watch. The story sees Puckle, a Grocer spurned in love, and encouraged to join The Navy, along the way he's picked out for a special task.
Entertaining but disjointed star farce in which Norman joins the Navy after being jilted by the girl of his dreams; in fact, the plot takes in all of the following and more: a scuffle outside a cinema (one of the bullies who beat up Wisdom is none other than Oliver Reed!), several hilarious attempts at suicide (by far the best scenes in the film), the star doing conjuring tricks, some rather silly shipboard shenanigans (as when Norman throws the entire crew overboard), an amusing court-martial sequence (featuring John Le Mesurier as the Prosecutor), a lengthy mountain-climbing episode and even a climax which sends the star into outer space!
The Bulldog Breed is a Norman Wisdom vehicle that's directed by Robert Asher & co-written by Wisdom with Henry Blyth & Jack Davies. Plot sees Wisdom as Norman Puckle, a hapless grocer's assistant who is hopelessly in love with Marlene (Penny Morell).
I swore I would never watch another Norman Wisdom movie. They are all much the same and any are a waste of time unless your standards for amusement are dangerously low.
As time passes, the warmth and innocence of Norman Wisdom films becomes a rarer and rarer treat. This is one of his best and includes all of the trade-mark ingredients.
Norman Wisdom is- in all of his films- very human. The puppy-dog eagerness, willingness to do anything set before him, ability to make a mistake and then go on to make it worse- are, of course, the very stuff of the comic character that he sets up for us to laugh at.
Grocer delivery boy Norman Puckle is frustrated in his attempts to et a local girl and tries to kill himself. However he is saved at the last minute and told that to join the navy is to get all the girls he'll ever want.
