British slapstick comedian Norman Wisdom was the only Western entertainer shown on Albanian television during the grim years under paranoid dictator Enver Hoxha, who ruled Albania from 1941 to 1985. The acrobatic funnyman — who apparently amused Communist authorities with his portrayal of the downtrodden Englishman — died in Britain at the age of 95 on Monday after suffering a series of strokes.
Albanians, from the country's current leader to ordinary citizens who lived under Communism, paid tribute to the man who made them laugh. Prime Minister Sali Berisha said he was "deeply saddened" at Wisdom's death, describing the actor on Tuesday as the nation's "most beloved entertainer."Wisdom was known in Albania for his role as Norman Pitkin, a clumsy underdog battling adversity, with his trademark cloth cap worn sideways.
