TheLittleSongbird I have started to become very fond of Norman Wisdom and his work. He has a very endearing wide-eyed innocence about him and his films are funny and quirky. On the Beat I do like a lot. I do think though it runs a little too long, and the story is on the simplistic side of things. However, I loved the luscious black and white photography and well-constructed sets and scenery. The score is suitably quirky, and the script I think is sublime with a nice balance of humour and poignancy. The comedy is quite standard and not always original, but it succeeded in being funny, I especially liked the parts with the stilts and nosey neighbours. Norman Wisdom himself is great as he always is too. All in all, very entertaining film if not quite a favourite. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Aaron Hassard The year is 1962, Norman Wisdom is already a major star in the world of comedy and this movie just really shows how funny this man is!In this Norman Wisdom outing, Norman is playing a police car washer who's life ambition is too become a policeman, but sadly doesn't meet the minimum height to become what he wants so he has to stick washing the cars, poor him :(But Normans fate does not get in his way and so dawns his fathers uniform (yes, his father was a policeman!) modifies it to fit his height and roll on one of the best on foot chase scene you will probably ever see, after Norman is found out he is chased all around town, through gardens and even through Normans house!He is finally cornered and sent to prison...Then Norman thinks out a scheme and with the help of some stilts and his fathers old uniform, heads to the police station to apply for his life long dream, but is found out and told to leave and without his fathers uniform.A while later, Norman is called on by the police to resemble an Italian Jewel Theft (very well played by Norman Wisdom, yes he did play him!) but Norman doesn't like the idea as he won't get a permanent place at the police but after much haggling they finally decide to give Norman a permanent place with the police squad after the Jewel Theft problem.After many hilarious things happening (Norman punching a mirror for example) he somehow manages to get his man and gets him put into custody, leaving the police station very happy and proud of Norman :DSo overall (as my score suggests) i really, really enjoyed this film and recommend it to anyone who's into comedy!

ianlouisiana Mr. Wisdom's pictures made a lot of money.In the 1950s he was England'smost popular entertainer,TV,movies,records,he did them all.Did he care that the critics hated him?Still do 50 years later and I daresay he probably still doesn't lose too much sleep over it. He is overdue for a reassessment.The concept of post-modern irony should see to that nicely."On the Beat" with it's moments of sublime stupidity and it's classic chase scene(Buster Keaton's "Cops" anyone?) is as good as anywhere to start. No sex,no violence,no obscene language - how come it was so funny. No sublety either,but lovely black and white photography,silly policemen,pomposity for Norman to burst and an accent for him to mangle. Bliss.

Theo Robertson How could anyone hate the comedy capers of Norman Wisdom ? Me for a start . Just how much mileage is there in a man with an ill fitting suit falling over while screeching " Mr Grimsdale " in a silly voice ? I wouldn't say it was mileage I would say it was inch-age . You have to forgive the unsophisticated slapstick approach of Wisdom comedies because they were produced in a far less sophisticated not to mention less cynical era but I'm never in a forgiving mood where Sir Norman Wisdom is concerned ON THE BEAT is - if not better than most of his comedies - certainly by no means Wisdom's worst comedy . Much of this may be down to the fact that Wisdom plays several roles : Tough , fearless Inspector Pitkin , criminal mastermind Giulio Napolitani and wannabe cop Norman Pitkin . Okay he's hardly going to win an Oscar but at least Wisdom doesn't pratfall about too much , and there is a sequence where Pitkin leads what must be the whole Lodon met on a wild goose chase which is almost charming in a surreal type of way . If we're going to be cynical then we have to ask when Pitkin applies to be a policeman why isn't he given a sarcasm test ? No doubt Wisdom fans ( Yes both of them ) will love this movie while everyone else will merely dislike it