The Square Peg

1958
6.8| 1h29m| en| More Info
Released: 04 December 1958 Released
Producted By: The Rank Organisation
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

Norman Pitkin and Mr Grimsdale are council workmen mending the road outside an Army base when they come into conflict with the military. Shortly afterwards, they get drafted and fall into the clutches of the Sergeant they have just bested. They are sent to France to repair roads in front of the Allied advance but get captured. Pitkin takes advantage of a useful similarity to impersonate General Schreiber and manages to return a hero

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Reviews

Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined
Kidskycom It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.
Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
Justina The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Leofwine_draca THE SQUARE PEG is a Norman Wisdom vehicle that sees him once more playing the part of Norman Pitkin, employee of gruff Yorkshireman Mr Grimsdale (Edward Chapman). The film is set during WW2 and sees the hapless pair become involved with a local army base, eventually finding themselves in occupied France of all places.This is the first Norman Wisdom film I've watched. I was inspired to watch it after getting into the CARRY ON films made during the same era. Like those, it has dated quite a lot since it first came out, with the comic hijinks feeling very genteel in the modern era of gross-out comedy. Although I found few laugh-out-loud moments, much of the film is gently amusing.Wisdom and Chapman share an excellent rapport and their scenes together are obvious highlights within the movie, although an elaborate, late-on sequence involving Pitkin, his doppelganger and a German opera singer (the delightful Hattie Jacques) marks the film's highlight. Until then there's plenty of mugging, slapstick and jokes at the expense of stiff-upper-lipped army superiors (including BERGERAC's Terence Alexander). Honor Blackman shows up as a memorably feisty female agent. I didn't find it quite as funny as I'd hoped, but I'm inspired to check out more of Wisdom's work.
Spondonman I've always liked Norman Wisdom's films - to a point - in every one there was something anarchic to laugh at but unfortunately something maudlin to squirm at too. This was the 6th of Wisdom's 12 "Norman" comedy films, and imho one of his best although I suspect every fan who has seen them all has their own favourites. However from experience there seem to be more perverse people who have seen every film and who hate the lot.Norman Pitkin as St. Godric's Council employee is digging up the road outside an Army camp during the War, takes the Mick of the soldiers once too often and he and his boss Mr. Grimsdale find themselves conscripted. The slapstick war between Pitkin and Sergeant Campbell Singer continues into his training, until Pitkin and Grimsdale end up in France and the second part of the story begins. Favourite bits: Pitkin ferociously bayoneting the dummies; his bravado pre-parachuting; the General Schreiber double scenes with Hattie Brunnhilde Jacques; marching out of step with his captors. Apart from one mawkish bit in the French café with Honor Blackman there was no romantic musical interlude – although he had a fine singing voice it's still a definite plus! Cheaply made but well disguised, and with a great cast of British stalwarts also on display - missed Jerry Desmonde though!It's a pleasant time-filler and maybe one of his more accessible films to a non-fan or non-kid which is perhaps one reason why it's probably shown on TV more often than his other black & white's.
Arthur Kay Although we don't roar with laughter now , there are some 'classic¬ scenes:- 1. changing step when arrested and the others copy and lose step - quite clever. 2. best of all - the performance of the German lieder with the exaggerated German " Dein ist mein Hertz " - some professional singers roll about at that ! What a fantastic wide mouth. 3. During the scene with Hattie Jacques there is a fine touch of sexual innuendo for brief seconds. 4. No sentimental songs to interrupt the action. 5. His infatuation with Honor Blackman is not over done or carried though to the point of implausibility. So, although this is not his best film, it has one or two memorable, even "classic" moments. Worth watching - if only every 5 years !
bob the moo When Council employees make live hard for the soldiers on a local military base, the army drafts them to treat them badly. However Mr Grimsdale and Pitkin accidentally get on the wrong truck and are parachuted behind enemy lines. When Mr Grimsdale is captured by the Nazi's the resistance decide to use Pitkin's uncanny resemblance to Nazi General Schreiber to effect a rescue.In stead of Norman Wisdom's usual plot of `working class lad showing up the rich', we have `working class lad showing up the military and the Nazis'. Here the plot allows several funny set ups before eventually falling back on the old `lookalike' chestnut. However it's still quite funny – it's not Wisdom's best, but it has it's moments and happily there is very little of his usual `dreaming of unattainable girl' stuff that he usually does.The cast is better than usual. Wisdom still has his innocent `salt of the earth' thing going on and is funny and charming. Chapman fits well with him as Grimsdale, although the two have had better films together. A very young Honor Blackman (her voice hasn't changed a bit!) is good if fleeting and even Hattie Jacques turns up. The army officers are filled out with familiar faces and everyone tries hard.Overall this isn't Wisdom's best – but the working class Council worker triumphs over the Germans and upperclasses as a whole – who can't get some enjoyment out of that?!