Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Some of the reviews here are from people who, having been told this is Norman's best film, might not watch any others. I'd not exactly say I don't like this, but I'd place it near the bottom of the list. Perhaps only Press for Time is worse. There's a certain style of comedy and pathos that's missing here, and strangely the colour does not help. The opening scenes are reminiscent of Morecambe and Wise, in their Breakfast sketch. Overall, there's a lack of sharpness to the comedy, so oddly the Norman Wisdom films from ten years earlier don't look so old fashioned as the ones made in the 1960's.Trouble in Store, Stitch in Time, Bulldog Breed, at least give those a try if The Early Bird was not your cup of tea, because those three are more representative of Norman Wisdom's comedy - not just silly slapstick, but true heart.

Mention the name Norman Wisdom to many and the chances are the first thing they think of is of him in that ill-fitting 'gump' suit, mugging frantically, falling over to the strangulated cry of 'Mr.Grimsdale!'. Comedy film fans may make the sign of the cross at his name, but the fact is he was the No.1 British box office star for well over a decade.There is nothing pretentious about him or his films. You do not need to be 'in' on the joke because there is nothing to be in on. Now it is very different - unfunny material can make millions for its creators as long as it is perceived to be 'cutting-edge'. Norman's brand of knockout comedy was old hat even in his hey-day, owing a debt to silent era comics such as Chaplin and Keaton. But he soon put on his own stamp on the genre, finding out what worked for him and what did not.His regular 'stooges' were Edward Chapman as his boss, the aforementioned 'Mr.Grimsdale', and long-faced Jerry Desmonde as the pompous authority figure whose side Norman becomes a thorn in.'The Early Bird' was the last time all three appeared together. It came along at a time when British film comedy was becoming less and less family oriented ( look at 1966's 'Doctor In Clover' and compare it with the earlier Dirk Bogarde ones ). Norman tried to move with the times by going into colour, and then parted company with his producer Hugh Stewart, who went on to make three pictures with Morecambe and Wise.Norman once more is 'Pitkin', this time a milkman for Grimsdale's Dairies, a small-town firm under threat from the much-bigger 'Consolidated Dairies'. When he finds broken bottles on his round, it amounts to a declaration of war.Consolidated Dairies's top milkman is 'Austin' ( Brian Pringle ), and when they confront one another in a deserted street it is like 'High Noon' all over again. "Little men like you do not stand a chance!", sneers Austin, before landing a nasty-looking punch to Pitkin's jaw. But when the 'little man' is Norman, he is in with more than just a chance. Right, that's the premise established. What about the slapstick? Well, Norman is dragged through Desmonde's garden on an out of control lawnmower, disguises himself as a vicar to gatecrash Desmonde's game of golf with 'The Colonel' ( John Le Mesurier ), eats doped apples intended for his horse Nellie ( a sequence more disturbing than all 75 minutes of Roger Corman's 'The Trip' ), falls downstairs goodness knows how many times, and manages to nearly demolish Consolidated Dairies's H.Q. No wonder Norman was offered the role of 'Frank Spencer' before Michael Crawford.Corny? Yes. But there's nothing wrong with corn. Despite the many fun moments, Norman's popularity was in rapid decline. His next picture - 'Press For Time' - combined the knockabout stuff with a half-hearted attempt at political satire, and his 1969 offering 'What's Good For The Goose' saw him shedding the cloth-cap ( along with everything else ) by jumping into bed with Sally Geeson of 'Bless This House'.Whether you like 'The Early Bird' depends on whether you like Norman, and to many he is simply is not funny. But he gave a lot of pleasure to an awful of people - including the entire population of Albania - and I suspect his cheap and cheerful movies will still be gracing Saturday afternoons long after the 'cutting-edge' stuff has been forgotten.

I've watched one of these now, so I won't have to watch the others, which I understand are much the same.I suppose there's a charm in these, but not enough for me. If you don't know Norman Wisdom, he's a small guy who plays something in the zone of Laurel Hardy and Charlie Chaplin with a hint of Jerry Lewis. The plot here is a small guy working for a small business who bests a big business (and its bosses). Some mild physical humor weighted toward falling down stairs.There is something interesting here though. The story takes us past quite a few men. Every one of them has a woman who gives little kisses and coos. All the bosses of course have cuties who act coy and chirp on cue. A working man has a more relaxed bird. All are pretty (after the fashion of the time). All have their breasts punched up and displayed as fully as possible.Except for one. The famous Mr Grimsdale, who is our comic hero's boss. At each crisis, Norman runs back to Mr. Grimsdale to repeatedly interrupt him in the embrace of his woman. The comic situation starts with her not being his wife — but none of these women are wives. What's comic here is her size. She must be 6 foot four. For many shots, she must be standing on a platform so that Norman's head is level with her breasts.I wonder why this is considered funny? Its clearly engineered. She's large but not bossy. She has no physical advantage. She's goods to be cuddled just like the other girlies we see. And its not a Margater Dumont deal. Her size alone is meant to be amusing.A visit to another world. I suppose it is no more puzzling than asking why we laugh when someone falls down stairs.Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

The Early Bird is the one where Norman Wisdom plays a Milkman. I found this quite funny.Wisdom works for the Grimsdale Dairy, a small family run concern. He uses a horse and cart as his float. A large modern dairy then opens up and its milkmen start taking the same round as Grimsdale's and this threatens the future of the small business. Plenty of chaos before the two bosses come to an agreement at the end, reprieving Wisdom's horse in the process.The Early Bird certainly has its moments and I've never seen this sort of thing happen with the milkman who comes round where I live (yet!). One part I thought which was a little too daft is where the horse sleeps in Wisdom's bed.Joining Wisdom in the cast are Edward Chapman as Mr Grimsdale, Dad's Army star John Le Measurer and Frank Thornton (Are You Being Served?, Last Of the Summer Wine).Have a good laugh with The Early Bird.Rating: 3 stars out of 5.