Dad's Army
Comedy, War & Politics • 1968 • 30m
The Man and the Hour
After listening to a radio broadcast asking for men to form what has been named Local Defence Volunteers (later to be renamed the Home Guard), George Mainwaring, a local bank manager, decides to act and form the platoon of his own accord. He appoints himself as Captain and recruits his chief bank clerk Arthur Wilson as the platoon sergeant as well as enlisting the bank's office boy Frank Pike. Several of the local tradesmen - including James Frazer, a philatelist shopkeeper; retired shop worker Charles Godfrey; Jack Jones the butcher and black market businessman Joe Walker - also volunteer their service for 'King and Country.' And so, The Walmington-on-Sea LDV is born.
Museum Piece
With the shortage of weapons, Capt. Mainwaring goes to the local museum to see if any of the guns on display can be used by the platoon.
Command Decision
Capt. Mainwaring, worried about the lack of weapons, gets a visit from Col. Square, an old soldier who offers to donate some guns from his collection, providing he can take command of the platoon. Mainwaring agrees until he sees the state of the guns.
The Enemy Within the Gates
Capt. Mainwaring is giving a lecture on recognising enemy agents when he learns that for every Nazi captured there is a reward. Later on Jones and Walker capture two Luftwaffe airmen, although a Polish officer intends to claim the reward. Back at HQ the airmen escape on Godfrey's watch.
The Showing Up of Corporal Jones
Just when the platoon finally gets its uniforms, LCpl. Jones is told that unless he can complete the assault course in 15 minutes he will have to leave, so Mainwaring and the rest of the platoon think of a plan to help him.
Shooting Pains
When news that the Prime Minister is to pay a visit to the area a shooting contest is held to see which of the local platoons will form the Guard of Honour. Walker gets a crack shot from the theatre touring show (Barbara Windsor) to take part as a member of the platoon but a surprise is in store for everybody.
Cast
Reviews
Only the British, quite possibly only the BBC, could ever try to produce a television sitcom based on a bunch of old codgers, with barely a functioning limb between them, up for defending their little bit of the country from the opposing Nazis just a few miles across the channel - armed only with one gun and some broom handles. David Croft and Jimmy Perry are, not for the first time, divinely inspired with this charming comedy that puts Arthur Lowe "Capt. Mainwaring" (pronounced Mannering), the town's pompous bank manager in charge of a platoon that features his clerk, the rather weedy but intelligent "Sgt. Wilson" (John Le Mesurier); "Cpl. Jones" who fought in the last war (Clive Dunn); poor hen-pecked "Pte. Pike" - the youngster of the squad who is about as hapless as it possible to get, and the butt of most of the jokes (Ian Lavender) and, of course, for me the star of the series: the old, dour, Scots undertaker - the veteran John ("we're dooooomed") Laurie as "Pte. Frazer". The series' see a whole range of gently amusing, faintly ridiculous, scenarios played out as the squad of Home Guard have to deal with everything from a visit from the King to the capture of some enemy paratroopers - all of which give "Mainwaring" the opportunity to demonstrate his complete lack of leadership skills and judgement whilst the rest of the cast do all the heavy lifting... The scrips are poignant and witty, swiping not just at their foe, but at the last vestiges of a supercilious class system that was very much on it's last legs, whilst also swinging at the aspiring middle classes who were all too keen take their place. The casting is superb, and only gets better as the cast become more comfortable in the roles - and bounce off one another expertly. With people like this on our side - it's no real wonder we won the war!
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