The Little Guys

Tony Curtis and Norman Wisdom are both with us no more. The world's just lost 2 of its greatest little guys. While both were big stars in their day, it was through their characters that I remember them.

When we were kids, Tony Curtis was Danny Wilde in The Persuaders alongside Roger Moore's Lord Brett Sinclair. In what has to be one of the greatest opening credits ever made on TV with a great John Barry theme, Tony Curtis's character, Danny Wilde, was shown as the street fighter who had to battle his way all through life in stark contrast to his lofty offsider.

Norman Wisdom was from an even earlier era and while we certainly didn't understand any of the social satire, as kids you couldn't help but identify with the beleaguered Pitkin as he struggled his way against the odds with nothing but his good intentions to get him through.

In a world where stardom and fame are everything and yet which still feels all the more fleeting for it, the characters played by Tony Curtis and Norman Wisdom leave us with a sense of longing for a time that seemed more innocent and genuine. It's illusory of course but then that's what actors do. May they both rest in peace.