Norman Wisdom, cloth-cap comic, dies at 95

COMEDIAN and actor Sir Norman Wisdom, OBE, who became a global star playing the downtrodden little man in the cloth cap and the ill-fitting jacket, has died. He was 95.

• Early heroes: Norman Wisdom with Laurel and Hardy

Sir Norman's family said he died "peacefully" last night at a nursing home on the Isle of Man.

The actor was a 5ft 4in dynamo who clowned his way out of a poverty-stricken childhood, when he was forced to steal to eat, to become a legendary comedian, a multi-millionaire and a knight of the realm.

He even stole the show when he pretended to stumble when receiving his knighthood from the Queen in 2000.

In a statement, his family said: "Over the last six months Norman has sustained a series of strokes causing a general decline in both his physical and mental health.

• YouTube clips: The best of Norman Wisdom

"He had maintained a degree of independence until a few days ago. However, over the last few days his condition rapidly declined."

Phil Day, his publicist since 1969, said: "He never turned down any request. He never threw a tantrum. He was 100 per cent professional all of the time."

Sir Norman was best known for his comedy films featuring his onscreen "Grump" character Norman Pitkin, where he indulged his love of slapstick and making his character appear helpless.

His vulnerability appealed to women, and the films often featured a romantic subplot. His theme song was Don't Laugh at Me.

He appeared in 32 television comedy shows, 19 films and won royal approval with a string of command performances, the first in 1952.

He also earned international acclaim, winning fans from Albania to Argentina and China to the Soviet Union. He became one of the most mimicked comics in history.

Born Norman Wisden on 4 February, 1915, he had a tough upbringing in Marylebone, London. His parents divorced when he was nine and he was brought up by his father.

Money was short and his father was often away for long periods, either driving or in a drunken rage.

"We got very good at stealing from the shops and stalls," he once said.

Wisdom left school at 13 and took a job as an errand boy for Lipton's Teas for 50p a week. His first break into show business came in 1946 at a music hall in Islington, north London.

His first film, Trouble in Store, in 1953 earned him a Bafta award for Most Promising Newcomer to Film.

He became so popular that Charlie Chaplin said: "If anyone's going to replace me, it's Norman Wisdom."

In 1981, Sir Norman broke with the slapstick tradition and played a doomed cancer victim in a harrowing BBC television play.He won widespread acclaim for his portrayal of a retired salesman in Going Gently, alongside Fulton MacKay.

He married showgirl Freda Simpson when he was 27 but they divorced in 1969. The couple had two children, Nick and Jacqui.

He designed his own luxury 300,000 home on the Isle of Man, and filled it with antiques.