Absent Friends (Dad's Army episode)
Encyclopedia
Absent Friends is the sixth episode of the fourth series of the British
comedy series Dad's Army
that was originally transmitted on Friday 30 October 1970.
take part in a pub darts match against the ARP
wardens...
. He offers to inspect the men, but Wilson is a bit cagey.
Pike enters, not in uniform. He admits that his mother put it in the washtub. Mainwaring is annoyed, but agrees to let it pass this once. He tells Wilson to ask Jones to call the roll, which he does. However, most of them are not there... in fact, it's only Jones and Pike on parade! Mainwaring isn't very impressed, and asks Wilson where his men are. Wilson admits they are all in the pub, playing darts against Hodges' wardens. Mainwaring agrees to turn a blind eye, as long as Wilson brings the men back straight away.
Meanwhile, at the match, things are not going well for the Home Guard
. The wardens are clearly winning. Suddenly, Mrs Pike enters and Hodges offers her a drink. While he is at the bar, Wilson arrives and tries to persuade the men to return. He then spots Mrs Pike and wonders what she's doing there. He is accidentally bumped by Hodges, who quickly makes his excuses and scurries off. Wilson leaves in a daze.
Mainwaring receives a phone call from Elizabeth, asking him to get her some off-ration ox tail for him. He tries to explain it's against his principles, but Elizabeth refuses to listen. Mainwaring calls Jones into the office to ask him about the ox tail, and his wife's craving for it, but crossed wires result in Jones believing he will help to deliver Elizabeth's child!
Mainwaring is annoyed when Wilson returns, saying he thinks he's brought the men back, but he hasn't. He and Jones will go with Wilson back to the pub and if they fail to bring the men back, Wilson can consider himself under open arrest.
At the match, things are going from bad to worse for the platoon. Things are made worse when Mainwaring, Wilson and Jones enter. Mainwaring tries to persuade the men to return to the hall, with little success. Wilson also tries to persuade Mrs Pike to leave, but it's no use. Mainwaring leaves, very hurt and ashamed of his men. As they leave, Godfrey confides in Walker and Frazer that he doesn't think they've done the right thing, and leaves. Walker seems on the point of returning too, but Hodges persuades him to play darts.
Back at the church hall, Mainwaring confides in Wilson that the parade
is the highlight of his day. While he's having his tea, he can feel excitement mounting inside him, but not any more. Wilson is distracted by Mrs Pike's interest in Hodges, and doesn't listen. They receive a phone call from the police, informing that an Irish Republican Army suspect has been spotted in Ivy Crescent (because of its making humour of the IRA, the episode has generally been left out of repeat runs).
They meet the lone police constable outside the house of the suspect, and prepare to grab him. However, the man they grab claims to be the suspect's twin brother. Mainwaring isn't convinced, and marches him back to the church hall.
The ARP Wardens win the darts match, and Walker is reluctant to stay any longer. He would prefer to go back to the church hall, because he didn't like the look on Mainwaring's face when he left. Hodges decides to come too, taking Mrs Pike with him.
Not long after the small group return with the suspect, Godfrey returns to the hall, unbeknownst to the men, and falls asleep. Suddenly, a rough man grabs Godfrey by the collar, and asks him where Mainwaring's suspect has been taken. Godfrey bluffs the three men into believing that he and Mainwaring are in the dressing room.
Godfrey informs Mainwaring of the predicament, and Mainwaring orders Pike to fetch the rest of the men. Godfrey informs Mainwaring that he's locked all the doors. The Verger enters with an empty bottle, evidently panicking. In the heat of the moment, he ends up knocking out the suspect with the glass bottle!
The rest of the platoon return, and rush to attack the Irishmen, but with little success. Pike enters with a bleeding lip, and Mrs Pike persuades Wilson to sort them out. The door closes, and Mainwaring and Jones think that Wilson has received a good beating. They are, therefore, shocked when Wilson enters without a scratch on him! Hodges is terrified and leaves.
Some time later, Mainwaring forgives the men for their lapse in behaviour, and confirms to the platoon, that Jones was wrong about Mrs Mainwaring. They will not be having a child in the near future, and their marriage is quite blissful as it is.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy series Dad's Army
Dad's Army
Dad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...
that was originally transmitted on Friday 30 October 1970.
Synopsis
Taking advantage of Captain Mainwaring's absence, the platoonPlatoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
take part in a pub darts match against the ARP
Air Raid Precautions
Air Raid Precautions was an organisation in the United Kingdom set up as an aid in the prelude to the Second World War dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air-raids. It was created in 1924 as a response to the fears about the growing threat from the development of bomber...
wardens...
Plot
Wilson is singing to himself in Mainwaring's office. Suddenly, Mainwaring enters, which is a shock to Wilson, as Mainwaring had gone to a Lodge meeting for the weekend. Wilson asks if it was cancelled, but Mainwaring admits he didn't go after all. Elizabeth doesn't like being in the house on her own during air raidsAirstrike
An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...
. He offers to inspect the men, but Wilson is a bit cagey.
Pike enters, not in uniform. He admits that his mother put it in the washtub. Mainwaring is annoyed, but agrees to let it pass this once. He tells Wilson to ask Jones to call the roll, which he does. However, most of them are not there... in fact, it's only Jones and Pike on parade! Mainwaring isn't very impressed, and asks Wilson where his men are. Wilson admits they are all in the pub, playing darts against Hodges' wardens. Mainwaring agrees to turn a blind eye, as long as Wilson brings the men back straight away.
Meanwhile, at the match, things are not going well for the Home Guard
British Home Guard
The Home Guard was a defence organisation of the British Army during the Second World War...
. The wardens are clearly winning. Suddenly, Mrs Pike enters and Hodges offers her a drink. While he is at the bar, Wilson arrives and tries to persuade the men to return. He then spots Mrs Pike and wonders what she's doing there. He is accidentally bumped by Hodges, who quickly makes his excuses and scurries off. Wilson leaves in a daze.
Mainwaring receives a phone call from Elizabeth, asking him to get her some off-ration ox tail for him. He tries to explain it's against his principles, but Elizabeth refuses to listen. Mainwaring calls Jones into the office to ask him about the ox tail, and his wife's craving for it, but crossed wires result in Jones believing he will help to deliver Elizabeth's child!
Mainwaring is annoyed when Wilson returns, saying he thinks he's brought the men back, but he hasn't. He and Jones will go with Wilson back to the pub and if they fail to bring the men back, Wilson can consider himself under open arrest.
At the match, things are going from bad to worse for the platoon. Things are made worse when Mainwaring, Wilson and Jones enter. Mainwaring tries to persuade the men to return to the hall, with little success. Wilson also tries to persuade Mrs Pike to leave, but it's no use. Mainwaring leaves, very hurt and ashamed of his men. As they leave, Godfrey confides in Walker and Frazer that he doesn't think they've done the right thing, and leaves. Walker seems on the point of returning too, but Hodges persuades him to play darts.
Back at the church hall, Mainwaring confides in Wilson that the parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
is the highlight of his day. While he's having his tea, he can feel excitement mounting inside him, but not any more. Wilson is distracted by Mrs Pike's interest in Hodges, and doesn't listen. They receive a phone call from the police, informing that an Irish Republican Army suspect has been spotted in Ivy Crescent (because of its making humour of the IRA, the episode has generally been left out of repeat runs).
They meet the lone police constable outside the house of the suspect, and prepare to grab him. However, the man they grab claims to be the suspect's twin brother. Mainwaring isn't convinced, and marches him back to the church hall.
The ARP Wardens win the darts match, and Walker is reluctant to stay any longer. He would prefer to go back to the church hall, because he didn't like the look on Mainwaring's face when he left. Hodges decides to come too, taking Mrs Pike with him.
Not long after the small group return with the suspect, Godfrey returns to the hall, unbeknownst to the men, and falls asleep. Suddenly, a rough man grabs Godfrey by the collar, and asks him where Mainwaring's suspect has been taken. Godfrey bluffs the three men into believing that he and Mainwaring are in the dressing room.
Godfrey informs Mainwaring of the predicament, and Mainwaring orders Pike to fetch the rest of the men. Godfrey informs Mainwaring that he's locked all the doors. The Verger enters with an empty bottle, evidently panicking. In the heat of the moment, he ends up knocking out the suspect with the glass bottle!
The rest of the platoon return, and rush to attack the Irishmen, but with little success. Pike enters with a bleeding lip, and Mrs Pike persuades Wilson to sort them out. The door closes, and Mainwaring and Jones think that Wilson has received a good beating. They are, therefore, shocked when Wilson enters without a scratch on him! Hodges is terrified and leaves.
Some time later, Mainwaring forgives the men for their lapse in behaviour, and confirms to the platoon, that Jones was wrong about Mrs Mainwaring. They will not be having a child in the near future, and their marriage is quite blissful as it is.
Cast
| Cast | Characters |
|---|---|
| Arthur Lowe Arthur Lowe Arthur Lowe was a BAFTA Award winning English actor. He was best known for playing Captain George Mainwaring in the popular British sitcom Dad's Army from 1968 until 1977.-Early life:... |
Captain Mainwaring |
| John Le Mesurier John Le Mesurier John Le Mesurier was a BAFTA Award-winning English actor. He is most famous for his role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the popular 1970s BBC comedy Dad's Army.-Career:... |
Sergeant Wilson |
| Clive Dunn Clive Dunn Clive Robert Benjamin Dunn OBE is a retired English actor, comedian and author, best known for his role as Lance-Corporal Jack Jones in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army.-Early life:... |
Lance Corporal Jones |
| John Laurie John Laurie John Paton Laurie was a British actor born in Dumfries, Scotland. Although he is now probably most recognised for his role as Private James Frazer in the sitcom Dad's Army , he appeared in hundreds of feature films, including films by Alfred Hitchcock, Michael Powell and Laurence Olivier... |
Private Frazer |
| James Beck James Beck Stanley James Carroll Beck was a British actor best remembered for his role as Private Joe Walker, the cockney spiv in the popular BBC sitcom Dad's Army. The cast was mainly composed of older actors, but Beck was one of the younger members.-Early life:Beck was born in Islington, North London and... |
Private Walker |
| Arnold Ridley Arnold Ridley Major William Arnold Ridley, OBE was an English playwright and actor, first notable as the author of the play The Ghost Train and later in life for portraying the elderly Private Charles Godfrey in the popular British sitcom Dad's Army .-Early life:Ridley was born in Walcot, Bath, England where... |
Private Godfrey |
| Ian Lavender Ian Lavender Arthur Ian Lavender , better known as Ian Lavender, is an English stage, film and television actor, best known for his role as Private Frank Pike in the BBC comedy series Dad's Army.-Early life and career:... |
Private Pike |
| Bill Pertwee Bill Pertwee William Desmond Anthony Pertwee MBE is a British comedy actor. He is best known for playing the part of antagonist ARP Warden Hodges in the popular sitcom Dad's Army.-Early and personal life:... |
ARP Warden Hodges |
| Janet Davies | Mrs Pike |
| Edward Sinclair Edward Sinclair Edward "Teddy" Sinclair was a British actor most famous for his role as the verger Maurice Yeatman in Dad's Army. He also made appearances in Z Cars and Danger Man.Edward's father was the son of a stage actor who died when he was 14... |
Verger |
| J. G. Devlin | Regan |
| Arthur English Arthur English Arthur Leslie Norman English was an English actor and comedian from the music hall tradition.English was born in Aldershot, Hampshire. After serving in the army in World War II, reaching the rank of sergeant, English worked as a painter and decorator in his native town... |
Policeman |
| Patrick Connor | Shamus |
| Verne Morgan | Landlord |
| Michael Lomax | 2nd ARP Warden |