862:, an academic study of mockumentaries, mentions that the film "parod both the archetypical narratives of acting generation and a wide range of British (and American) cinematic styles." The film is classified as a "critique and hoax" of the documentary format, ranging it among a class of films that "explicitly highlight their own fictionality, but generally do so in order to ask their audience to reflect upon the validity of the cultural or political position of their subjects." In an essay for
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231:, plays himself, visiting Sir Norbert at his home and encouraging him to reminisce about his past career. Bragg also talks with people who worked with Sir Norbert over the years. The interviews, scattered through the film, gradually reveal that although Sir Norbert is acclaimed as one of Britain's "Knights of the Theatre", a star Shakespearean actor in the mould of
487:, especially "Laurence Olivier: A Life", a 1982 episode hosted by Melvyn Bragg; Enfield, as the aged Sir Norbert, is made up to look very much like the aged Sir Laurence interviewed in the episode. The interviews are similarly satirical, and provide considerable additional humour with their implied revelations about Sir Norbert's general mediocrity.
845:, highlighted the film's placement in the distinguished PBS series: " sounds like just the sort of self-important biography of an upper crust British actor you'd expect to find on PBS' Great Performances … not only has Great Performances taken the highly unusual step of putting on something funny, it's actually poking fun at itself." In
239:, none of his contemporaries has anything particularly good to say about him, and that the elderly Sir Norbert himself has confused and unreliable memories about his past. The film's main focus, however, is to look back upon Sir Norbert's career as an actor, using interspersed clips featuring him various film roles.
358:
in which he and his fellow veteran cast members—Richard
Smashed, Dick Booze, Oliver Guinness, and Peter O'Pissed—drink heavily on set, even when the camera is rolling. (In a two-way dialogue scene his glass has been re-filled each time the camera returns to him.) Sir Norbert's next film is another
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essay, suggests that some of the film's humour may have been poorly received at the time because the broadcast occurred soon after Sir
Laurence Olivier's death. However, Enfield insisted that the Sir Norbert character was meant to poke fun at a type, rather than a specific individual.
332:(1962), in which he plays the father of a poor working class household, unable to exert any authority over his family, and over his rebellious adult son in particular: "If I find out who's taken my belt, I'll take my bloody belt to them". In a change of pace, he also appears in the
648:
famously unsettled his guests by asking deeply personal questions; in the spoof Cyril
Freebody throws insults rather than questions at Sir Norbert, e.g. "all the films you've been in have been total rubbish, and the last three made me physically vomit".
866:, Stephen Purcell notes that "the programme demystifies television's own conventions of mythologization," challenging the medium's traditional "sanctification of Shakespeare" by satirizing British Shakespearean actors in general and Olivier's film of
339:(1962), starring the popular singer Davey Throb. Sir Norbert plays Throb's father, unable to appreciate the new beat music performed by Throb and his friends, but he finally grows to love the music scene, and joins in. Sir Norbert also features in
291:". These works and his appearance in a much-lauded commercial for Sudso washing detergent, helped establish him as one of his generation's foremost actors. Smith marries Mazie Mitford and, in 1955, founds the Norbert Studios, which produce British
851:, Ray Loynd called the film "delicious, managing to be droll and pungent at the same time. Here's a show to tape and keep in your library and play back at parties." The film won the Popular Arts award at the
274:. However, due to the film censorship and prudishness prevalent at the time, he cannot convey any useful information at all; any reference to the disease is hidden behind euphemisms such as "unmentionables".
727:; the former is mentioned in the film, and when asked by Bragg why Sir Norbert cast himself in this role, despite public criticism, Sir Norbert replies "well, Sir Alec Guinness simply wasn't available".
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musical, and also pokes fun at
Hollywood's misinformed ideas about Britain (one lyric is "The Tower of London, where the President of England chopped off the heads of his wives").
254:(1937), in which he plays a petty criminal who, after a clip round the ear from a policeman, suddenly sees the error of his ways and is reformed. With the outbreak of
354:, however, it is implied that Sir Norbert's career is at its nadir and that he has a bad drink problem. This insinuation is confirmed by his next film,
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makeup for the title role. At 80, interviewed by Bragg, Sir
Norbert has no current projects, but remains a well-loved icon among British actors.
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called it a "scabrously funny, mock-reverent look at the life and career of a venerable old actor" and a "marvelous jape." Michael Hill, in
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sketches in
Enfield's subsequent TV sketch shows. Enfield also included an affectionate parody of Nelson Mandela in his sketch show
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193:(spoof documentary) television film, charting the life and career of the fictitious British actor Sir Norbert Smith. It stars
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Most notably, however, each of the "clips" from Sir
Norbert's career parodies a recognizable work, genre, or style.
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in 1984. Smith is knighted for his contributions to the
British stage and screen. As Sir Norbert, he appears in
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Born in South London in 1909, the young
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excerpt parodies pre-war
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hosts the film, recalling his similar role in the serious biography "Laurence Olivier: A Life"
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250:(1936), starring the beloved British comedian Will Silly. He climbs his way to stardom in
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films follow the clichés of historical costume drama and composer biographies.
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The film's format satirises the style of television arts biography typified by
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343:(1964), a film notable for one of the first cinematic appearances of
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A VHS video version was released by Polygram Video in July 1991.
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and was first broadcast on 3 November 1989. David Morrison, in a
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We Can Take It!: Britain and the Memory of the Second World War
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satirises low-budget British attempts at producing home-grown
599:. (Enfield noted in an interview that the popular later film
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Faking It: Mock-Documentary and the Subversion of Factuality
1194:"Great Performances pokes fun with the parody 'Sir Norbert'"
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Faking It: Mock-Documentary and the Subversion of Factuality
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imagines a poor British attempt at replicating the American
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The next few excerpts return to lampoons of general styles:
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The public information film spoof became the basis for the
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continued parodying old-fashioned media in his later works
689:, features three actors from the genuine Carry On series:
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films, and also pokes fun at the acting "versatility" of
299:(1955) as well as a series of British comedies including
287:(1949), with a screenplay "adapted in collaboration with
1243:, Manchester: Manchester University Press, p. 199
1012:, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, p. 536,
790:, in commemoration of the channel's 50th anniversary.
258:, Smith goes to Hollywood to star in musicals such as
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The film is presented as if it were an edition of the
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was done in the same style: "rainy British cinema.")
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of the 1980s. He then appears as a British butler in
246:. He launches into film playing a supporting role in
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The Edinburgh Companion to Shakespeare and the Arts
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The Edinburgh Companion to Shakespeare and the Arts
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1167:"Picks and Pans Review: Sir Norbert Smith: a Life"
780:to commission a new mockumentary from Enfield and
262:(1940), but returns to Britain in time to produce
1099:, Harlow, England: Pearson Longman, p. 244,
881:A DVD by Simply Media was released in July 2018.
701:. Sir Norbert's role as an impertinent butler in
197:in the title role. It was written by Enfield and
552:.) The Sudso commercial is a parody of the film
281:productions for the stage and screen, including
941:"Great Performances Sir Norbert Smith: A Life"
613:'s early 1960s rock musical films, especially
589:films of the early 1960s, with working class
502:in the originals). Though the title hints at
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705:mirrors Sir John Gielgud's role in the film
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1145:"Harry and Paul's Story of the Twos"
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801:on 16 November 1990, as part of the
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350:In the prestigious interview series
1237:Roscoe, Jane; Hight, Craig (2001),
1123:. B.T. Batsford. pp. 160–161.
558:, with Smith in the role played by
1192:Hill, Michael (16 November 1990),
793:In America, the film premiered as
787:Harry and Paul's Story of the Twos
365:Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp
307:. Smith also appears in the drama
14:
638:interview parodies the TV series
596:Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
16:1989 British TV mockumentary film
1220:"18th International Emmy Awards"
939:Tucker, Ken (16 November 1990),
833:". David Hiltbrand's review for
417:George Raistrick as Melvyn Merry
408:Stewart Harwood as Mr. Wilkinson
1298:British comedy television shows
974:Loynd, Ray (16 November 1990),
534:. The "Noël Coward" version of
530:is similarly general, spoofing
456:Gareth Vaughan as Western mayor
1303:Channel 4 original programming
1226:, p. 17, 24 November 1990
907:"Norbert Smith: A Life (1989)"
858:Jane Roscoe and Craig Hight's
853:18th International Emmy Awards
522:is produced in the style of a
429:Charles Pemberton as Policeman
379:, with Sir Norbert putting on
266:for the war effort, including
1:
544:1948 film version of the play
494:closely follows the style of
227:, the real-life presenter of
830:Monty Python's Flying Circus
272:sexually transmitted disease
1006:"Shakespeare on Television"
528:Venereal Disease: The Facts
453:David Henry as Harry Crabbe
405:Charles Simon as Old duffer
268:Venereal Disease: The Facts
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1308:British mockumentary films
162:16 November 1990
1004:Purcell, Stephen (2011),
795:Sir Norbert Smith: A Life
607:Keep Your Hair On, Daddio
337:Keep Your Hair On, Daddio
186:Sir Norbert Smith: A Life
152:3 November 1989
1313:1989 television specials
567:They Called Him Stranger
532:public information films
297:They Called Him Stranger
264:public information films
1093:Connelly, Mark (2004),
542:for Laurence Olivier's
371:(1983), and produces a
314:(1957), remaking it as
301:Passport to Puddlewitch
1121:The Carry On companion
917:British Film Institute
756:British Film Institute
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426:Simon Godley as Barney
1278:Norbert Smith: A Life
1260:Roscoe and Hight, p.
1119:Ross, Robert (1996).
981:The Los Angeles Times
848:The Los Angeles Times
764:Mr Cholmondley-Warner
748:Hat Trick Productions
746:The film was made by
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731:Release and reception
505:Rebel Without a Cause
475:
444:John Elmes as Horatio
180:Norbert Smith: A Life
125:Hat Trick Productions
25:Norbert Smith: A Life
1041:"Home entertainment"
946:Entertainment Weekly
810:Entertainment Weekly
644:, where interviewer
587:kitchen sink realism
435:as Sir Donald Stuffy
396:as Sir Norbert Smith
90:Theme music composer
1338:1990s British films
1333:1980s British films
804:Masterpiece Theatre
510:Rebel Without a Tie
485:The South Bank Show
450:as Cecilia Johanson
324:Andrew Lloyd Webber
252:Rebel Without a Tie
229:The South Bank Show
220:The South Bank Show
1066:Parkinson, David,
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724:A Passage to India
621:Rover Returns Home
593:settings, such as
583:It’s Grim Up North
577:, and each of the
492:Oh, Mr Bankrobber!
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341:Rover Returns Home
330:It's Grim Up North
248:Oh, Mr Bankrobber!
121:Production company
1199:The Baltimore Sun
953:on 28 August 2007
905:Morrison, David,
842:The Baltimore Sun
656:Where Eagles Dare
520:Lullaby of London
260:Lullaby of London
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717:and that of
712:
706:
702:
695:Jack Douglas
682:
660:
654:
650:
646:John Freeman
641:Face to Face
639:
636:Head to Head
635:
633:
620:
614:
606:
600:
594:
582:
579:Man of Music
578:
566:
564:
553:
549:Radio Active
547:
535:
527:
519:
513:
509:
503:
491:
489:
484:
482:
477:Melvyn Bragg
433:Moray Watson
400:Melvyn Bragg
368:
360:
355:
352:Head to Head
351:
349:
340:
336:
334:rock musical
329:
322:
315:
308:
304:
300:
296:
282:
276:
267:
259:
256:World War II
251:
247:
241:
237:John Gielgud
228:
225:Melvyn Bragg
218:
212:
203:Geoff Posner
191:mockumentary
185:
184:
179:
178:
177:
113:Running time
93:David Firman
84:Melvyn Bragg
66:Geoff Posner
35:Mockumentary
24:
18:
1073:Radio Times
819:Woody Allen
675:Oliver Reed
585:spoofs the
575:Technicolor
460:Con O'Neill
289:Noël Coward
279:Shakespeare
80:Narrated by
62:Directed by
1328:1989 films
1323:1990 films
1292:Categories
885:References
874:Home media
815:Ken Tucker
244:music hall
166:1990-11-16
156:1989-11-03
116:52 minutes
98:Production
41:Written by
1205:20 August
1178:20 August
1079:20 August
1052:24 August
1025:20 August
987:20 August
957:20 August
922:20 August
855:in 1990.
784:in 2014,
752:Channel 4
609:parodies
381:blackface
317:Beethoven
140:Channel 4
813:review,
571:Westerns
496:Will Hay
468:Parodies
295:such as
293:Westerns
103:Producer
72:Starring
1224:Le Soir
1149:BBC Two
778:BBC Two
714:Othello
209:Summary
164: (
154: (
146:Release
136:Network
1127:
1103:
1016:
868:Hamlet
708:Arthur
703:Martha
625:Lassie
536:Hamlet
508:, the
373:biopic
369:Martha
310:Mozart
284:Hamlet
1247:7 May
824:Zelig
31:Genre
1283:IMDb
1249:2015
1207:2014
1180:2014
1125:ISBN
1101:ISBN
1081:2014
1054:2014
1027:2014
1014:ISBN
989:2014
959:2014
924:2014
827:and
750:for
697:and
677:and
659:and
634:The
387:Cast
1281:at
1262:131
821:'s
799:PBS
797:on
721:in
573:in
375:of
235:or
215:ITV
1294::
1222:,
1196:,
1169:,
1157:^
1147:,
1070:,
1043:,
996:^
978:,
966:^
943:,
931:^
915:,
909:,
893:^
693:,
681:.
673:,
669:,
619:.
562:.
518:.
347:.
205:.
1133:.
168:)
158:)
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