Dad's Army

Dad's Army is a british sitcom focussing on the Home Guard during the Second World War. It also contains one of the funniest incidental sitcom characters of all time, Mr. Blewitt, played by Harold Bennett.

Dad's Army was an ensemble piece, unusual in sitcom its finished product was even better than it appeared on paper. It is certainly the oldest sitcom to be consistently repeated on the BBC and achieve good ratings. Between 1968 and 1977 there were 80 episodes, there were also radio episodes (many were rerecordings of TV shows), a touring stage show and a feature film.
The characters were the driving force of the show, each one had their own unique mannerism or catchphrase that enhanced the plot.

At the head of the platoon was bank manager Captain George Mainwaring played by Arthur Lowe. Lowe had been in another long running role as Arthur Swindley in Coronation Street, one time love of Emily Nugent (now Emily Bishop). His stage acting saw him appearing at The National Theatre alongside John Gielgud at the request of Laurence Olivier. He also did the voice over for The Mr. Men cartoons (not that they were cartoons as such, but that's for another day). Lowe's portrayal as Mainwaring was a masterpiece in characterisation, where other actors would have just shown the pompous side, Lowe made him more real. With Lowe's portrayal Mainwaring was occasionally insecure and sometimes brave. His relationship with his upper class deputy bank manager and platoon sergeant Arthur Wilson inspired some of the series funniest moments.

Wilson was played by John Le Mesurier, an experienced stage and screen actor, appearing in over 200 films and TV series. Sergeant Wilson was the calm and polite English gentleman, his pauses and looks of despair were worthy of Oliver Hardy or Jack Benny. Le Mesurier had worked with Clive Dunn previously and took the role as Wilson when he heard Dunn was to play Corporal Jones.

Clive Dunn played the veteran Jack Jones who by day helped the people of Walmington on Sea with their meat ration. He also managed to secure the position of Corporal due to owning the platoon's transport, his butcher's van. As one of the youngest in the cast Dunn played the oldest member of the platoon having fought in the Sudan under General Kitchener. Dunn also provided many of the series more memorable catchphrases, "They don't like it up 'em" and "Don't panic, don't panic".

Dunn played the oldest character in the show, the oldest actor was Arnold Ridley who played Private Godfrey. Born in 1896, Ridley had been a successful playwright and actor. The character of Godfrey was beautifully portrayed as the charming and humble Englishman. Wilson and Godfrey would quite happily have talked the Germans out of the war with tea and cucumber sandwiches.

John Laurie was the classical actor who believed that Dad's Army was a little beneath him artistically, he would occasionally complain that of all the great Shakespeare he had performed he would be "remembered for this bloody rubbish". The character he played was Private Frazer, a stereotypical dour and stingy Scotsman, again the character and the humour were heightened by the expert portrayal of the actor. The darker side of his character, who was also an undertaker, would not have been out of place in the earlier Hitchcock films in which Laurie appeared.

Jimmy Beck played the spiv, Private Walker, with a little nod to George Cole's Flash Harry of the St Trinian's films. Beck was seemingly indifferent to the war, except when it earnt him a few bob and this didn't endear him to Mainwaring. Beck died (aged 44) during filming of the sixth series in 1973.

Ian Lavender played Arthur Wilson's 'nephew' (writer Jimmy Perry says that he was indeed Wilson's illegitimate son).

The seven above were the core of the series, they were the "Dad's Army", Walmington On Sea also had the Vicar and his verger and the Chief Air Raid Patrol Warden/greengrocer Hodges, probably a bigger enemy to Mainwaring than Hitler. There were also funny women folk too, notably Mavis Pike, "friend" of Arthur Wilson and Mrs Fox who was married to Jack Jones in the final episode.

The series was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, once the cast was in place it may look as though it would have been easy to write. In some ways I'd say that was true, but I wouldn't like to take anything from the writers, the plots and dialogue were perfectly crafted. Perry was in the Home Guard (the character of Pike was based on himself) and had also written the part of Walker to play himself (he was later talked out of it).

The theme tune was recorded by Bud Flanagan, who's voice was recognisable as a singer of many wartime tunes, Run Rabbit Run, Hang All Your Washing On The Siegfried Line and British music hall classics such as Underneath the Arches, which he sang with his partner Chesney Allen. The Dad''s Army theme was not an old song however but a newer one co-written by Jimmy Perry especially for the show. Flanagan died shortly after the airing of the last episode of the first series.

Dad's Army is a pretty good insight into the British life, with the snobbery and insecurities of class and age brought to the fore. Even a little ahead of it's time, it wasn't until 1990 that a poorly educated former bank manager from a working class background made it to Prime Minister, though John Major was never quite as pompous as Captain Mainwaring, I could quite easily see Michael Portillo standing alongside him, "The ERM? do you think that's wise Prime Minister?".