Boots Boots Boots
Encyclopedia
Boots, Boots, Boots is the third episode of the fourth series of the British
comedy series Dad's Army
that was originally transmitted on Friday 9 October 1970.
Mainwaring proceeds to inspect everyone's feet, despite having a slight problem in his back that eventually results in him using a chair to inspect the platoon
's feet. After he has finished, he concludes that everyone's feet are fine, but he decides to impose some long route marches to get their feet up to scratch.
After a fifteen-mile march, Mainwaring asks the men to have their feet ready for inspection in five minutes, while he and Wilson have a chat in the office. Mainwaring confides in Wilson that he knows that he's a shy and sensitive man who handles the men quietly and subtly. So he offers to inspect Wilson's feet in private. Wilson protests by asking Mainwaring who will inspect his feet. Mainwaring agrees, and proposes that he'll show Wilson his if he shows Mainwaring his.
Meanwhile, Walker proposes some foot salve for Pike and Frazer. Frazer is none too keen on the idea, but when Walker announces that they don't have to pay for it if they don't like, he assents. Mainwaring and Wilson reappear and inspect the men's feet, and it is revealed that the foot salve is in fact a felt tip pen. Mainwaring isn't impressed with the men's feet and proposes route marches and games of football in bare feet.
After a few days, it is beginning to take its toll on the platoon, especially Pike, who has a nightmare about marching in bare feet, which were all swollen and blistered. The next morning, Mrs Pike confronts Wilson in Mainwaring's office about Pike's feet, and asks him to ask Mainwaring to not let Pike go on any more marches. After she storms off, Pike tells Wilson his plan to avoid a twenty-mile march on Saturday: swap Mainwaring's boots over for a half a size smaller. Wilson thinks this is a good idea, not realising that the rest of Jones' section have had the same idea.
Jones' section enter Sedgewick's Shoe Shop, where Mainwaring buys his boots, and ask Mr Sedgewick for a pair of size 7 boots for Jones, but they must be the same sort that Mainwaring has. While he's looking for a pair, Godfrey pretends to feel faint, and Mr Sedgewick goes out back to get a glass of water, leaving the pair of boots on the stool. Jones scrambles up the ladder to try and find a pair of shoes half a size smaller than Mainwaring's, but then realises he doesn't know Mainwaring's size in the first place.
Sedgewick returns and gives Godfrey the water. He says it is not enough, and Sedgewick reluctantly goes to fetch another one, but the men have forgotten to ask about Mainwaring's boots, and are shocked when Sedgewick comes back with a full jug. Jones asks about Mainwaring's shoe size and he comments that he takes a 6½. Between the four of them, Jones' section finish the jug and ask for some more. As Sedgewick trudges out, Jones searches desperately for a size 6, eventually finding one. When Sedgewick returns, they blame the mess on a mouse, and quickly make their escape.
Later, Pike and Wilson arrive and initiate the same plan, with every detail exactly the same. Wilson is therefore surprised when Sedgewick knows that he's feeling faint and goes out to get a glass of water.
The next morning, Mainwaring arrives stiffly, wearing the pair of size 6 shoes. He hobbles into the office, just as Mr Sedgewick arrives with the pair of boots he left for repair last week: a 6½. The men joke with Mainwaring, not realising the truth, even when Mainwaring jovially tells Jones to lead the men off on their twenty-mile march.
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 9 October 1970.
Synopsis
Captain Mainwaring implements an unpopular series of lengthy marches to achieve the three Fs - fast feet, functional feet and fit feet.Plot
Mainwaring is giving a lecture on transportation, and tells the men that whatever mode of transport they use, it all comes down to the same thing: the three Fs - fast feet, functional feet, and fit feet. Producing two diagrams, he gives one to Wilson. Mainwaring unrolls his diagram, which displays a human foot in perfect working order, which is what everyone's foot should look like in a nicely fitting shoe. Wilson unrolls his diagram to show a ravaged foot, covered in bruises, corns and bunions, which has been in an ill-fitting shoe.Mainwaring proceeds to inspect everyone's feet, despite having a slight problem in his back that eventually results in him using a chair to inspect the platoon
Platoon
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...
's feet. After he has finished, he concludes that everyone's feet are fine, but he decides to impose some long route marches to get their feet up to scratch.
After a fifteen-mile march, Mainwaring asks the men to have their feet ready for inspection in five minutes, while he and Wilson have a chat in the office. Mainwaring confides in Wilson that he knows that he's a shy and sensitive man who handles the men quietly and subtly. So he offers to inspect Wilson's feet in private. Wilson protests by asking Mainwaring who will inspect his feet. Mainwaring agrees, and proposes that he'll show Wilson his if he shows Mainwaring his.
Meanwhile, Walker proposes some foot salve for Pike and Frazer. Frazer is none too keen on the idea, but when Walker announces that they don't have to pay for it if they don't like, he assents. Mainwaring and Wilson reappear and inspect the men's feet, and it is revealed that the foot salve is in fact a felt tip pen. Mainwaring isn't impressed with the men's feet and proposes route marches and games of football in bare feet.
After a few days, it is beginning to take its toll on the platoon, especially Pike, who has a nightmare about marching in bare feet, which were all swollen and blistered. The next morning, Mrs Pike confronts Wilson in Mainwaring's office about Pike's feet, and asks him to ask Mainwaring to not let Pike go on any more marches. After she storms off, Pike tells Wilson his plan to avoid a twenty-mile march on Saturday: swap Mainwaring's boots over for a half a size smaller. Wilson thinks this is a good idea, not realising that the rest of Jones' section have had the same idea.
Jones' section enter Sedgewick's Shoe Shop, where Mainwaring buys his boots, and ask Mr Sedgewick for a pair of size 7 boots for Jones, but they must be the same sort that Mainwaring has. While he's looking for a pair, Godfrey pretends to feel faint, and Mr Sedgewick goes out back to get a glass of water, leaving the pair of boots on the stool. Jones scrambles up the ladder to try and find a pair of shoes half a size smaller than Mainwaring's, but then realises he doesn't know Mainwaring's size in the first place.
Sedgewick returns and gives Godfrey the water. He says it is not enough, and Sedgewick reluctantly goes to fetch another one, but the men have forgotten to ask about Mainwaring's boots, and are shocked when Sedgewick comes back with a full jug. Jones asks about Mainwaring's shoe size and he comments that he takes a 6½. Between the four of them, Jones' section finish the jug and ask for some more. As Sedgewick trudges out, Jones searches desperately for a size 6, eventually finding one. When Sedgewick returns, they blame the mess on a mouse, and quickly make their escape.
Later, Pike and Wilson arrive and initiate the same plan, with every detail exactly the same. Wilson is therefore surprised when Sedgewick knows that he's feeling faint and goes out to get a glass of water.
The next morning, Mainwaring arrives stiffly, wearing the pair of size 6 shoes. He hobbles into the office, just as Mr Sedgewick arrives with the pair of boots he left for repair last week: a 6½. The men joke with Mainwaring, not realising the truth, even when Mainwaring jovially tells Jones to lead the men off on their twenty-mile march.
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 |
| Erik Chitty Erik Chitty Erik Chitty , was an English film and television actor.-Early life:Chitty was the son of a flour miller. He attended Dover College and Jesus College, Cambridge where he was one of the founders of the Cambridge University Mummers, before training at RADA and becoming a professional actor... |
Mr Sedgewick |