Norbert Smith: A Life

Lore & Background

The film depicts Sir Norbert Smith, born in South London in 1909, who visits the Peckham Empire theatre and grows fond of music hall. He begins his film career with a supporting role in Oh, Mr Bankrobber! (1936) and rises to stardom in Rebel Without a Tie (1937). During World War II, he goes to Hollywood for musicals like Lullaby of London (1940) and returns to produce public information films, including Venereal Disease: The Facts (1941). He later directs and stars in Shakespeare productions, including Hamlet (1949), and appears in a Sudso detergent commercial. Smith marries Mazie Mitford and founds Norbert Studios in 1955, producing British Westerns and comedies. He is knighted and appears in films such as It's Grim Up North (1962) and Keep Your Hair On, Daddio (1962). His later career includes Dogs of Death, Carry On Banging, Martha (1983), and a biopic of Nelson Mandela in blackface.

Reader's Guide

Norbert Smith: A Life is significant as a satirical mockumentary that parodies the style of television arts biography, particularly The South Bank Show and its 1982 episode on Laurence Olivier. The film's humor derives from clips that spoof recognizable works and genres, such as pre-war British films, Busby Berkeley musicals, public information films, kitchen sink realism, and rock musicals. It also mocks the hard-drinking behavior of veteran actors and the format of the interview series Face to Face. The film was made by Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4 and first broadcast on 3 November 1989. David Morrison, in a British Film Institute essay, suggests some humor may have been poorly received due to the broadcast occurring soon after Sir Laurence Olivier's death.

Did You Know?

• The film parodies the 1982 episode 'Laurence Olivier: A Life' hosted by Melvyn Bragg.
• The spoof of Hamlet (1949) had previously appeared in producer Geoffrey Perkins' radio comedy series Radio Active.
• The film features three actors from the genuine Carry On series: Barbara Windsor, Jack Douglas, and Kenneth Connor.
• Sir Norbert's role as a butler in Martha mirrors Sir John Gielgud's role in the film Arthur.