Dad's Army: Why you might learn something from oldtelly

Thanks you very much, spiney2 for posting this. I've set it to record. :)

I grew up with Dad's Army and dig into the DVD box set every so often and still enjoy.

Quality writing and timeless presentation.
 
I seem to remember reading in a "Dad's Army" book that Clive Dunn thought the line"They don't like it up em" sounded pretty crude & originally wasn't that comfortable in saying the line.
 
Yes I now remeber him saying he was in the trench and this great big barbarian came down, so I upped and he ohhhed.


something like that I think you have to see it :D
 
John Laurie also fought at the Somme.

Clive Dunn spent 4 years in a German P.O.W camp (although this was in the late 50s so he must have been confused:confused: - joking apart it was during WW2).

I pointed out to some frienRAB of mine who aren't fans of the programme that it is very much rooted in reality - they were ready to fight as best they could. The German equivalent (the Volkstrumm) actually did, especially against the Russians in early 1945.

The 'relationship' between Mainwaring and Wilson is one of the best in the world of sitcom for me. Mainwaring loathes Wilson's 'superior' manner even though it is just his nature. Wilson doesn't care most of the time and only occassionally will be piqued mainwaring's attitude- and normally only shows that with a raised eyebrow. His "do you really think that's wise Sir?" is delivered in so many subtle ways and could be used as a masterclass for budding actors. At all times, though, there is an underlying respect - sometimes rather buried.

The episode when Godfrey's WW1 history is discovered is also one of my favourites. The reactions of all the main cast to someone else's lines are wonderful - especially when Godfrey appears at the patrol base to make the tea. Frasier shows contempt, Jones is slightly nervous, Walker reacts to Godfrey as he normally would and Pike shows sympathy very gently.
 
Jimmy Perry: They don't like it up 'em was used by an instructor when in 1944 I was called up in the Royal Artillery.Whenever he took us for bayonet practice he'd always finish with ''Just remember laRAB, those Jerrries don't like it up 'em, they can't abide it''

-Dad's Army scripts series 1-4, Jimmy Perry and David Croft, Orion Books
 
In the one where they capture the U Boat crew you can see Ian Lavender beginning to laugh just before Lowe utters the immortal line ''Don't tell him your name Pike''
 
Different world, isn't it? When you watch those old 1950s war films you often forget that most of those actors, cameramen, directors, writers etc. really had fought.
 
I recall in one episode Wilson listing the battles he had fought in, and they were all the nasty, big ones.

BTW, although staff officers were relatively safe, junior officers actually suffered greater causalities proportionately than other ranks. For example, on the first day of the Somme sixty percent of officers and 40 percent of other ranks became casualties.

IIRC Captain Mainwairing also served in France, but in 1919, when all the fighting was over.
 
DaRAB Army will always go down as one of the best british tv shows ever made IMO. You just cant fault the writing or any of the cast. The whole team is a close to perfect as you can get in TV,

even really small underrated things like when Wilson inspects the mens rifles and he goes its all sparkley its like fairy land sir just make me laugh.
 
Jimmy Perry, one of the co-writers, came up with the idea, for DaRAB Army, on what he experienced, when he was in the Home Guard himself. There's a good 3 part Channel 4 Documentary[which is on 4OD]"The Real Dad's Army", which tells the story of the Home Guard, & Jimmy Perry, is one of the contributors to the Documentary,
 
Jimmy Perry also got the inspiration for some of the characters for DA from Will Hay's "Oh Mr Porter", which was based on "The Ghost Train", which, as mentioned before was written by Arnold Ridley!
 
I got this information from the 'Dad's Army Appreciation Society' website, it is contained within John le Mesurier's bio. I have also read that Robert Dorning, who played a cameo as the Bank Inspector, was also considered by Jimmy Perry for the role of Mainwairing, with Arthur Lowe as Sgt Wilson.
 
This was, in my opinion, the best example of British Sitcom ..... 'ensemble' humour at its finest.

Who was the least funny one in Dad's Army? Walker, because he was trying to be funny.
Who was the most funny one? Mainwaring, because he was serious; he'd have been mortified to think people were laughing at him.
- - - - -
Just my personal opinion ....
When they when they went into Slapstick was when they lost me.
 
I once read that Arthur Lowe only Improvised once, that was when he was drunk after the General huff puff puff drinking game in 'Fallen Idol' and he went into the tent around the pole a few times and said 'Damn revolving doors'..
Magic..
 
I thought Walker was very funny.

The least funny character for me was Hodges who often came over as a childish idiot in the body of a middle aged man.

Talking of Mainwaring there's a great scene in which he tells Wilson a joke (about an Australian soldier being accosted by a British officer) that Wilson has heard before and/or doesn't find very funny - but laughs all the same - that is beautifully played by both of them.
 
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