Follow a Star

Follow a Star
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Robert Asher
Written by	Henry Blyth Jack Davies Norman Wisdom
Produced by	Hugh Stewart
Starring	Norman Wisdom June Laverick Jerry Desmonde
Cinematography	Jack Asher
Edited by	Roger Cherrill
Music by	Philip Green
Production company	Rank Organisation
Distributed by	J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors
Release dates	15 December 1959 (1959-12-15) (UK) 25 April 1961 (1961-04-25) (US)
Running time	102 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Follow a Star is a 1959 British black and white comedy musical film directed by Robert Asher and starring Norman Wisdom, June Laverick and Jerry Desmonde. It was written by Henry Blyth, Jack Davies and Wisdom.

Plot

Norman Truscott works as a dry cleaner, but dreams of being a stage performer. To this end, he takes elocution and singing lessons with Miss Dobson, so far with little success. He is also in love with Judy, Miss Dobson's colleague, who teaches piano.

Norman goes to the theatre to see singing star Vernon Carew and causes chaos when he tries to join in the performance. But Carew realises that Norman's untrained voice is better that his own voice, which is fading rapidly, as is his popularity. On the pretext of offering Norman singing lessons, he secretly records Norman singing in the bath, and passes the recordings off as his own - miming to the recording on television. They are a success and Carew is a star again.

Miss Dobson realises what's happened and smuggles herself and Norman backstage during Carew's performance. She sees the record being played with Carew miming to it. She exposes him as a fake, again causing chaos onstage and backstage. Norman is persuaded to sing on stage and is acclaimed by the audience. But whilst they applaud him, he slips quietly away with Judy.

Cast

• Norman Wisdom as Norman Truscott
• June Laverick as Judy
• Jerry Desmonde as Vernon Carew
• Hattie Jacques as Dymphna Dobson
• Richard Wattis as Dr. Chatterway
• Eddie Leslie as Harold Franklin
• John Le Mesurier as Birkett
• Sydney Tafler as Pendlebury
• Fenella Fielding as Lady Finchington
• Charles Heslop as The General
• Joe Melia as stage manager
• Ron Moody as violinist
• Dick Emery as party drunk
• Charles Gray as party guest
• Dilys Laye as girl in park
• Peggy Anne Clifford as offended lady at party (uncredited)

Production

Norman Wisdom had a falling out with his regular director John Paddy Carstairs so was replaced on this by Bob Asher.

Reception

Box office

The film was popular at the British box office.

Critical

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The potential that Norman Wisdom once undoubtedly possessed is quite obscured by this film – with its silly, tawdry script and the inept direction of Robert Asher .... The comedian is permitted to indulge his taste for mawkish sentimentality and for 'shame-dream' situations which involve him in unfunny humiliations. Such comedy as there is is mostly muffed by the lack of any sense of comic timing in the direction and editing. The reassuring professionalism of Jerry Desmonde, Hattie Jacques and Richard Wattis, and beguiling glimpses of Ron Moody and Fenella Fielding, are not compensation enough for the rest."

The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "If you can follow the plot of this Norman Wisdom comedy, you'll find faint echoes of Singin' in the Rain. ...Norman's humour knows no restraint or timing, which makes him schmaltzily tedious, especially as he can only sing in the presence of his wheelchair-bound girlfriend June Laverick."

Leslie Halliwell said: "Star comedy with an antique plot and a superfluity of pathos."

External links

• Follow a Star at IMDb
• Follow a Star at the TCM Movie Database
• Follow a Star at BFI Screenonline
• "Follow a Star. 1959 British comedy film". British Comedy Guide (comedy.co.uk). Retrieved 20 February 2021.