Product Details

• Actors: Norman Wisdom, Ian Hunter, David Lodge, Robert Urquhart, Edward Chapman
• Directors: Robert Asher
• Writers: Norman Wisdom, Henry Blyth, Jack Davies
• Producers: Earl St. John, Hugh Stewart
• Format: PAL
• Region: Region 2 (Read more about DVD formats.)
• Number of discs: 1
• Run Time: 184 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B00005Q57M
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #659,370 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Bulldog Breed / One Good Turn [Region 2]" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

[NON-U.S. FORMAT (PAL) Region 2 U.K. Import - This will not play on U.S./Canada DVD players or those from most other countries outside of Europe. You would need a "multi-region" or "region-free" PAL compatible DVD player or computer.] In 1960, Norman Wisdom was left all at sea in The Bulldog Breed. He had already made a farce of the army in The Square Peg (1958), so what better than to join the navy? Back in the real world, the Russians had kick-started the space race putting Sputnik into orbit, so Norman rapidly finds himself selected to be the first Brit in space. Playing to type, the result is excellent physical comedy and copious tomfoolery at the expense of the upper ranks. With support from John Le Mesurier and Edward Chapman (the legendary "Mr Grimsdale") and uncredited appearances from Oliver Reed and Michael Caine, this is a notable British comedy, with an unusually direct reference to the risqué Carry On movies. For his second starring role Norman Wisdom played the oldest orphan of Greenwood Children's Home in 1954's One Good Turn. Not only does he have to find the money to buy one of the orphans a model car, but after a visit to Brighton he discovers Greenwood is due to be closed down by the home's own unscrupulous chairman, a property developer with plans to build a factory on the site. Also starring Thora Hird, One Good Turn was surely a film with a personal resonance for Wisdom who was himself brought-up in an orphanage after his mother died and his father was unable to raise him. As would become a tradition, he contributes a song, "Please Opportunity", and the movie, though produced by Rank, now sits easily in that classic Ealing era where the ordinary man took on the big guys and won. The innocent knockabout humour remains appealing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Norman vs. the British Navy !, July 3, 2009

By 

peterfromkanata (Kanata, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

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WHAM!USA has now released a number of Norman Wisdom comedies that were so popular in the 50s and 60s, starting with the hilarious "Trouble in Store". These films made Norman Wisdom--now Sir Norman--a comedy icon all over the globe. He was small in stature--5'2"--very athletic and acrobatic, and had a downtrodden, everyman, working class image, accompanied by ill-fitting clothes and a cloth cap. Some critics were not kind to his brand of slapstick comedy, but with legions of fans buying tickets to his movies and laughing at his antics, Sir Norman could safely ignore the snobbish "intellectuals" who derided his talent. You can be sure that the J. Arthur Rank Studios were happy with his success too !

Here we have "The Bulldog Breed" from 1960 where Sir Norman plays Norman Puckle, a poor young fellow who has just been rejected by the girl of his dreams. Clearly suicide is the only answer ! After various attempts to "end it all", Norman is rescued by a sailor who persuades him that there are many other beautiful women all over the world who are mad about men in uniform--especially a naval uniform. So young Puckle joins the Navy and--you guessed it--causes one riotous disaster after another. He is soon viewed with deep disapproval by the "brass". However, there is also the feeling that he might be the right man to send into space in the Navy's new experimental rocket. Perhaps they are hoping that the rocket might not return to Earth ? !

There are a number of funny scenes where Sir Norman does what he does best--innocently cause total mayhem ! He is ably supported by a solid British cast--Ian Hunter, David Lodge, Robert Urquhart, Edward Chapman( stalwart in several Wisdom comedies )and Eddie Byrne. Sexy Liz Fraser has a great scene where she tries to seduce our hero with the expected comical results. Finally there is an early scene with two unknown actors who don't even receive credit--Michael Caine and Oliver Reed. I wonder if Sir Michael remembers his brief encounter with Sir Norman ?

The DVD is black and white--full screen--decent quality--and includes the trailer. The price is a bit steep, but Sir Norman's fans will still be pleased to see his classic comedies released in North America.

As of this writing, Sir Norman is still with us--at 94 years young--and, I understand, still working ! What an amazing man ! Thank you Sir Norman for all the smiles and chuckles--this crazy world can never have enough of those priceless gifts !