Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom,OBE (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010) was an English actor, comedian, and singer-songwriter best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring his hapless onscreen character Norman Pitkin. Wisdom gained celebrity status in lands as far apart as South America, Iran and many Eastern Bloc countries, particularly in Albania where his films were the only ones by Western actors permitted by dictator Enver Hoxha to be shown.Charlie Chaplin once referred to Wisdom as his "favourite clown".
Wisdom later forged a career on Broadway in New York and as a television actor, winning critical acclaim for his dramatic role of a dying cancer patient in the television play Going Gently in 1981. He toured Australia and South Africa. After the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, a hospice was named in his honour. In 1995 he was given the Freedom of the City of London and of Tirana. The same year he received an OBE.
Wisdom was knighted in 2000 and spent much of his later life on the Isle of Man. His later appearances included roles in Last of the Summer Wine and Coronation Street, and he retired from acting at the age of 90 after his health deteriorated.
"Indian Love Call" (first published as "The Call") is a song from Rose-Marie, a 1924 operetta-style Broadway musical with music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, and book and lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II. Originally written for Mary Ellis, the song achieved continued popularity under other artists and has been called Friml's best remembered work.
The play takes place in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and features the sonorous tune in the overture and in Act One while the love interests call to each other per a supposed Native Canadian legend about how men would call down into the valley to the girls they wished to marry. In most (or all) versions of Rose-Marie, including the best-known movie version, the tune is reprised several times throughout the narrative.
Popularity
The musical was the longest running musical of the 1920s, enjoyed international success, and became the basis of four films with the same title. As the musical's biggest hit, "Indian Love Call" outlived its origins. The New York Times described the song as being among those Rudolf Friml songs that became "household staples" in their era. The song was said to have been a favorite of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Podcasts:
Norman Wisdom
ALBUMS
- Original Hits - 50s released: 2010
- 1954 British Hit Parade: Britain's Greatest Hits, Volume 3 released: 2009
- Gaily, Gaily / The Night They Raided Minsky's released: 2009
- Second House with Those Wonderful Comedians released: 2005
- Best of the Fifties released: 2003
- 1000 Original Hits: 50's released: 2001
- Hits That Live Forever: 1950s released: 1996
- Sentimental Journey released: 1996
- Requests the Pleasure: The Best of Joyce Grenfell released: 1992
- Bring Me Sunshine released:
- A Time to Remember: 1957 released:
- Greatest Hits of the 50's released:
- British Comedy Classics released:
- Stars of the 50s released:
Original Hits - 50s
Released 2010- Bye Bye Love
- Wake Up Little Susie
- Wheel of Fortune
- Never Do a Tango With an Eskimo
- In the Cool Cool Cool of the Evening
- Why Do Fools Fall in Love
- Get Happy
- Zambezi
- Dragnet
- Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody (medley)
- Blue Tango
- Tom Dooley
- Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
- The Green Door
- Big Man
- Treasure of Love
- Sugar Bush (Songs From the Veldt)
- Cheek to Cheek
- From the Time You Say Goodbye
- Be My Girl
- The Clouds Will Soon Roll By
1954 British Hit Parade: Britain's Greatest Hits, Volume 3
Released 2009- Blowing Wild
- The Creep
- Oh Mein Papa
- The Happy Wanderer
- That's Amore
- Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
- Tennessee Wig Walk
- Woman (Uh-Huh)
- Man (Uh-Huh)
- Ebb Tibe
- Skin Deep
- Don't Laugh at Me
- Cuff of My Shirt
- The Book
- I See the Moon
- Sippin' Soda
- Skin Deep
- Moonlight Serenade
- Changing Partners
- Bell Bottom Blues
- Changing Partners
Gaily, Gaily / The Night They Raided Minsky's
Released 2009- Tomorrow Is My Friend
- Good Morning, Mr. Ranserhoff
- Sentimental Dream
- Christmas Eve on Skid Row
- There’s Enough to Go Around
- Tomorrow Is My Friend
- There’s Enough to Go Around (chorus version)
- Sentimental Dream
- Gaily, Gaily
- The Tango I Saved for You
- Tomorrow Is My Friend (chorus version)
- Overture and Introduction
- Take 10 Terrific Girls (But Only 9 Costumes)
- The Night They Raided Minsky’s
- Love Theme from The Night They Raided Minsky’s (Wait for Me)
- You Rat You
- How I Loved Her
- Medley: Perfect Gentleman / Take 10 Terrific Girls (But Only 9 Costumes)
- The Night They Raided Minsky’s
- Take 10 Terrific Girls (But Only 9 Costumes)
- Perfect Gentleman
- Penny Arcade
- The Night They Raided Minsky’s
Second House with Those Wonderful Comedians
Released 2005- With My Little Stick of Blackpool Rock
- At The Court of Good Queen Bess
- Art - Mr. Murgatroyd & Mr Winterbottom.
- If it Wasn't For The 'Ouses in Between
- Double Damask
- Chloe
- The Voice of Inexperience
- Narcissus
- On Behalf of The Working Classes
- When I'm Cleaning Windows
- The Fire Station
- About Cruises
- Trains
- Mary from The Dairy
- The Laughing Policeman
- John and Marsha
- Cocktails For Two
Best of the Fifties
Released 2003- Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
- Just a Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody
- In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening
- Get Happy
- You Keep Me Swingin'
- Side by Side
- Bell Bottom Blues
- Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
- Mister Sandman
- Pickin' a Chicken
- A Blossom Fell
- All of You
- Two Sleepy People
- Because You're Mine
- Unchained Melody
- How Wonderful to Know (feat. The Geoff Love Orchestra)
- Look at That Girl
- Garden of Eden
1000 Original Hits: 50's
Released 2001- Because of You
- How High the Moon
- Shrimp Boats
- Down Yonder
- The Shotgun Boogie
- I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat
- My Heart Cries for You
- Slow Poke
- Whispering
- Beautiful Brown Eyes
- Good Morning, Mr. Echo
- Mockin' Bird Hill
- Come On-A My House
- September Song
- Rockin' Chair
- Tailor Made Woman
- Be My Love
- Bad Bad Whiskey
- I Love the Sunshine of Your Smile
- I've Got You Under My Skin
- Hot Rod Race
- Hey Good Lookin'
- If
- Lulu's Back in Town
Hits That Live Forever: 1950s
Released 1996- When I Fall in Love
- Blueberry Hill
- Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Back Seat
- Why Do Fools Fall in Love
- Sixteen Tons
- This Ole House
- Oh mein Papa
- Dreamboat
- C'mon Everybody
- Side Saddle
- Cry Me a River
- No Other Love
- True Love
- Comes A-Long A-Love
- That's Amore (That's Love)
- Lollipop
- Softly Softly
- Stairway of Love
- Kisses Sweeter Than Wine
- He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
- Witch Doctor
- Be My Girl
- Come Softly to Me
- Great Pretender
- Indian Love Call
Sentimental Journey
Released 1996- As Time Goes By
- What a Wonderful World
- Moon River
- That Ole Devil Called Love
- What Kind of Fool Am I?
- It's Only Make Believe
- Who's Sorry Now
- Unchained Melody
- (I Left My Heart) In San Francisco
- On the Street Where You Live
- Night and Day
- Sweet Dreams
- Raining in My Heart
- Mad About the Boy
- Memories Are Made of This
- I Wanna Be Loved by You
- Sh-Boom (Life Could Be a Dream)
- Blue Velvet
- Marty Robbins
- Mr. Sandman
Requests the Pleasure: The Best of Joyce Grenfell
Released 1992- I'm Going to See You Today
- Nursery School: Flowers
- Learn to Loosen (The Music's Message)
- Visitor
- Old Tyme Dancing (Stately as a Galleon)
- I Wouldn't Go Back
- Committee
- Green Summer (In the Green Time of Moon Daisies)
- The Wedding Is on Saturday
- Narcissus (The Laughing Record)
- The Old Girls' School Reunion
- Wrong Songs for Wrong Singers (or Songs to Make You Sick)
- Shirley's Girlfriend: "Fun Fair"
- Dear Francois
- Nicodemus
- Drifting
- Nursery School: Sing Song Time
- Ballad
- Hostess
- Artists' Room
- Lullaby
Bring Me Sunshine
- Cigareetes, Whusky and Wild Wild Women
- Woody Woodpecker Song
- Spaniard That Blighted My Life
- Open the Door, Richard
- Your Feets Too Big
- All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
- Dry Bones
- One Meat Ball
- I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts
- Mairzy Doats
- The Hut-Hut Song
- She Had to Go and Lose It at the Astor
- The Stately Homes of England
- Three Little Fishes
- Siegfried Line
- Walter, Walter Lead Me to the Alter
- My Little Stick of Blackpool Rock
- With Her Head Tucked Under Her Arm
- Mary From the Dairy
A Time to Remember: 1957
- When I Fall in Love
- Young Love
- Kisses Sweeter Than Wine
- Wisdom of a Fool
- Party Doll
- My Special Angel
- Wonderful! Wonderful!
- Be My Girl
- You Me and Us
- Ma He's Making Eyes at Me (live) (feat. Esther Phillips)
- Blue Monday
- A White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation
- Dark Moon
- I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent
- Any Old Iron
- Cumberland Gap
- He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
- The Man That Plays the Mandolino
- School Day
- I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen
Greatest Hits of the 50's
- Somethin' Else
- Be Bop a Lula
- Please Don't Touch
- A Teenager in Love
- That'll Be the Day
- What Do You Want?
- It's Late
- I'm Walkin'
- Book of Love
- Wake Up Little Susie
- This Ole House
- Big Man
- Bell Bottom Blues
- Party Doll
- Zambesi
- Baby Baby
- Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O
- Guitar Boogie Shuffle
- Tears on My Pillow
- Vaya con Dios
- I'm in Love Again
- Pickin' a Chicken
- Ragtime Cowboy Joe
- Cloudburst
- Splish Splash
British Comedy Classics
- Boom Oo Yatta Ta Ta
- Notice to Quit
- Old Girls School Reunion
- Funny Game Politics
- Moscow Radio Commerical
- Ballad of the Woggler's Moulie
- Take a Pew
- You Gotta Go Oww!
- Indians
- Ice Cream Commercial
- The Q5 Piano Tune
- Fly Buttons
- The Hole in the Ground
- The Hippo Song
- Sitting on the Bench
- Narcissus
- The Horse Show
- Madeira M'Dear
- A Drop of the Hard Stuff
- And the Same to You, Colonel Bogey
Stars of the 50s
- Softly Softly
- My Special Angel
- Stairway of Love
- Dreamboat
- Around the World
- Wake Up Little Susie
- My Thanks to You
- Zambesi
- The Clouds Will Soon Roll By
- Pickin' a Chicken
- Lollipop
- Tammy
- Be My Girl
- Starry Eyed
- Never Do a Tango With an Eskimo
- China Tea
- A White Sports Coat (And a Pink Carnation)
- Heartbeat
- Mandy
- Cindy Oh Cindy
- Ev'ry Day of My Life
- The World Outside (Theme From the Warsaw Concerto)
- Blue Star
- Only Sixteen
- Don't Laugh at Me (Cause I'm a Fool)
Born: 1915-02-04
Died: 2010-10-04
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by Ray Stevens
-
by The Browns
-
by Browns
-
by Maurice Winnick & His Orchestra
-
by Slim Whitman
-
by Hank Snow
Indian Love Call
by: Ray StevensWhen I'm calling you, ooh
If you answer too, ooh
That means that I offer my love to you
To be your own
If you refuse me, I will be blue
And waiting all alone
But, if when you hear
My love call, ringing clear, ooh
And I hear you're
Answering a call so dear, ooh
Then I will know
That our love will be true
You belong to me