Mark McCaighey - The Dads Army Movie Dossier: The Making of Jimmy Perry and David Crofts Classic Film

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THE DADS ARMY MOVIE DOSSIER

The Making of Jimmy Perry and David Crofts Classic Film

Mark McCaighey

Publisher Information

The Dads Army Movie Dossier

Published in 2015 by Andrews UK Limited

www.andrewsuk.com

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publishers prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published, and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Copyright 2015 Mark McCaighey

Cover design by John and Mark McCaighey.

Cover photo by Edward Wing/REX.

The right of Mark McCaighey to be identified as author of this book has been asserted in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyrights Designs and Patents Act 1988.

The Dads Army Movie Dossier

Jimmy Perry and David Crofts BBC sitcom about the wartime antics of a Home Guard unit located on the south coast of England, first marched onto our TV screens on July 31 st , 1968 with the episode The Man and the Hour . The show, just like the Walmington-on-Sea platoon, soon went from strength to strength. So much so that by the time Dads Army was demobbed in 1977, it had ran for an epic 80 episodes (67 of which were adapted for radio) across nine series. There had also been four mini TV episodes that featured as part of Christmas Night with the Stars from 1968 to 1972, a stage show and of course a movie.

Dads Army made the transition to the big screen early in the sitcoms history, with filming starting on August 10 th , 1970 after only twenty-six episodes from three series had been broadcasted on the small screen. Film production ran for about six and a half weeks finishing on September 25 th .

It starred Arthur Lowe as the pompous Captain George Mainwaring, John Le Mesurier as the vague Sergeant Arthur Wilson and Clive Dunn as the over-excited Corporal Jack Jones. Also featured were John Laurie as the pessimistic Private James Frazer, James Beck as the sprightly spiv Private Joe Walker, Arnold Ridley as the genteel Private Charles Godfrey and Ian Lavender as mummys boy Private Frank Pike. Others outside of the platoon reprising their roles from the series were Bill Pertwee as Chief Warden William Hodges, Frank Williams as the Reverend Timothy Farthing and Edward Sinclair as Maurice Yeatman the Verger. The only change from the regular line-up was the recasting of Janet Davies who played Franks mum Mrs Pike, her role in the movie went to Liz Fraser.

Set in Walmington-on-Sea, 1940. The first section of the movie covered familiar territory from the early TV episodes, as it followed the platoon from their humble beginnings into their formation as a formidable fighting unit. This included their various weaponry inventions to use in the battle against the enemy.

Later in the movie the platoon are ordered, along with other local Home Guard units to attend a war games and training weekend. Unfortunately their troop carrier (aka Lance-Corporal Jones newly gas-converted butchers van) breaks down a good distance from their destination. The men manage to commandeer a steam roller to tow the van to the camp. As a result they arrive late, but that proves to be the least of their concerns when the roller becomes separated from the van and Corporal Jones and Captain Mainwaring are unable to stop the machine from causing chaos. Eventually the two manage to bring the roller to rest, but not before they have flatten a dozen tents and a hundred sets of equipment which have all been laid out ready for the Majors inspection.

This less than auspicious start only serves to anger Major General Fullard who is in charge of the weekend exercises. Unfortunately, Mainwaring is already in the Majors bad books due to a couple of run-ins previously, one being when he refused to cash the Majors cheque at the bank six months earlier.

After a rough night sleeping without tents, the platoon awake late (except for Sgt Wilson) to find that they have missed breakfast. They are in time though to learn of their part in the days manoeuvres from the Major General - they must guard a pontoon bridge from a detachment of the Royal Marines. Later, when Corporal Jones section reach the bridge, Private Walker notices that a rope has been cut separating the middle section. As the men pull the rope to keep it all together, Major General Fullard arrives astride his white horse on the loose section. Unware of what the men are doing, he demands that they salute him. Left with no choice, they let go off the rope leaving the Major General and his horse to float down the river. They are both eventually rescued, but not before Corporal Jones complicates matters in his usual inept style.

Captain Mainwaring is summoned by the Major-General and told that in the light of what has happen since the platoon arrived at the camp, he will have to reconsider Mainwarings future as commanding officer of the Walmington-on-Sea platoon.

As the platoon make the long march back to Walmington, a Luftwaffe reconnaissance aircraft is shot down and its three man crew parachute to safety. They enter Walmington Church Hall, where a meeting is taking place to discuss the forthcoming War Weapons Week. They take all present as hostages, including the vicar and the mayor and demand a boat to France.

Mainwaring and his men arrive at the church hall and discover what has happened from Chief Warden Hodges. By this point the military have begun to arrive led by Major General Fullard who orders that Mainwaring and his platoon clear off and leave it to the regular army. To assist, the Major calls upon the Navy, who in turn call upon the Marines, who in turn call upon the Police, who in turn call upon the Fire Brigade.

Whilst all this is going on, the Home Guards give the situation some grave consideration as they rest in the cemetery. Suddenly an idea strikes Corporal Jones who suggests that they infiltrate the building through the church crypt. They do and the seven emerge in the hall dressed in choir surplices singing All Things Bright and Beautiful to the bemusement of the airmen.

Mainwaring approaches the Luftwaffe leader and takes a revolver concealed from under a cloth on a collection plate and confronts him with it, who in turn aims his Luger at him. Both officers agree they will shoot at the count of three. As the final number is spoken, the platoon suddenly draw and aim their rifles from beneath their robes leaving the three German intruders no choice but to reluctantly surrender. As the hostages applaud the brave actions of the platoon, Major General Fullard enters the hall to learn what is happening only to discover that Captain Mainwaring and his men have saved the day.The following morning, Wilson reveals to Mainwaring that the airmens gun wasnt loaded, only to learn from Mainwaring that neither was his.

Jimmy Perry and David Croft wrote the following synopsis for the film company:

Britain, 1940. As the Nazis mass their hordes in France for the final assault across the Channel, the British Government realises the situation demands drastic measures: it inaugurates the Local Defence Volunteers, an army of senior citizens and youths still wet behind the ears who train without manuals, march without uniforms, drill without weapons and generally muddle through, stoically enduring the jibes of the population.

Dads Army is about the LDV - later the Home Guard - in Walmington-on-Sea where the call is heard, the challenge accepted. Crisis throws up leaders from unexpected quarters - the Walmington Home Guard find themselves commanded by plump, balding Captain Mainwaring, the local bank manager. Ably supported by his office No 2, Sgt Wilson, and the High Street butcher, Lance Corporal Jones, Mainwaring begins to mould his squad of patriotic anarchists into some semblance of a fighting force.