Dad's Army (film)
Encyclopedia
Dad's Army is a 1971 feature film based on the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army
. Directed by Norman Cohen
, it was filmed between series three and four and was based upon material from the early episodes of the television series. The film tells the story of the Home Guard
platoon
's formation and their subsequent endeavours at a training exercise.
has just taken place. From the newly conquered French
coastline, a Wehrmacht
colonel looks out over the English Channel
with powerful binoculars. Surveying the white cliffs of Dover
, he spies Godfrey
emerging from a lavatory. Godfrey joins the rest of his platoon, who are defiantly waving the Union Flag
. The colonel fumes contemptuously, "How can the stupid British ever hope to win?!"
One morning, George Mainwaring
, the manager of the Walmington-on-Sea
branch of Martins Bank
and his chief clerk, Wilson
, listen to Anthony Eden
making a radio
broadcast about forming the LDV. (The talk was actually given in the evening, when most people would be listening to their radios). At the local police station, chaos ensues because there is nobody to organise the enrolment of the men, but Mainwaring takes charge, later commandeering the local church hall to register the volunteers.
The local platoon is eventually formed, with Mainwaring in command as Captain
and Wilson as his Sergeant
. With no weapons or training, the platoon is initially forced to improvise using home made devices invented by Jones which invariably backfire or malfunction with disastrous consequences - including an anti-aircraft rocket launcher which blows up a farmers' barn and a submarine
made from a cast iron bathtub which rolls into the river with Walker still inside. The platoon gain uniforms and eventually, weapons. Following Dunkirk, the LDV is renamed as the "Home Guard".
The platoon is ordered to take part in a war games/training weekend, but after Lance-Corporal Jones' newly gas-converted van breaks down, they are towed by a steam roller
. Out of control, the roller destroys the platoon's tents, as well as other equipment, angering Major-General Fullard, who is in charge of the weekend exercises.
After a night spent sleeping without tents, the platoon oversleep and are detailed to hold a pontoon bridge
during the day's exercise. The bridge has been sabotaged by the Royal Marines
, and the results are comically chaotic. Captain Mainwaring is summoned by the Major-General and told that due to the platoon's poor showing, he will recommend Mainwaring be replaced.
While the platoon are walking back to Walmington, a Luftwaffe
aircraft is shot down and the three crew parachute to safety. They enter Walmington church hall, where a meeting is taking place to raise money to fund a Spitfire, and hold the mayor
, vicar
and many people, hostage, demanding a boat back to France
. Mainwaring and his men arrive and realise what has happened. By this point the police and "regular" military have begun to arrive.
Whilst the former dither and discuss what should be done (with the repeated phrase "We'll have to be careful how we handle this"), the platoon infiltrate the building though the church crypt
. Dressed in choir surplices, they proceed into the church hall singing All Things Bright and Beautiful
with their own second verse. Mainwaring pulls a gun from under a collection plate and points it at the leader. They both say they will shoot after a count of three. The platoon pull out rifle
s and the Germans are forced to surrender. The following day, Mainwaring and his men are the pride of the town.
Mainwaring and the Home Guard are seen looking towards France from the cliff tops. The weather has changed for the worse and it seems unlikely that the Germans will invade.
, such as recasting Liz Fraser
as Mavis Pike instead of Janet Davies and filming outdoor scenes in Chalfont St Giles
rather than Thetford
. Also, the bank was now "Martin's" rather than "Swallow" Bank. In addition, with the increase in budget, the set interiors and the vehicles used were completely different, and the streets of Walmington had extras walking on them. As well as this, the audience saw the Germans preparing across the Channel
, rather than simply being an unseen threat. In addition to this, the events of the platoon's formation were revised in various ways for the big screen treatment.
Many of the changes, in particular the recasting of Mrs. Pike, met with criticism. Liz Fraser was chosen because director Norman Cohen wanted a less homely, more "sexy" actress for the role. Jimmy Perry has said "It was a mistake...not to cast Janet in the role because the viewing public has come to recognise her as Mrs. Pike. But that was a decision made by Columbia.".
Another less notable change, was the vehicle portraying Jones' butcher's van. In the original TV series the van was an open cab style 1935 Thornycroft
, whereas an earlier, closed cab Ford Model AA
was used in the film.
and various locations. The film's UK premiere was on 12 March, 1971 at the Columbia Theatre in London
. Critical reviews were mixed, but it performed well at the UK box office
.
Discussions were held about a possible sequel, to be called Dad's Army and the Secret U-Boat Base, but the project never came to fruition.
The film still often appears on British terrestrial television over the Christmas period.
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...
. Directed by Norman Cohen
Norman Cohen
Norman Cohen was an Irish film director and producer, best known for directing a number of feature films based on television comedy programmes during the 1970s, including Till Death Us Do Part and Dad's Army , as well as Spike Milligan's Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall.He was also a...
, it was filmed between series three and four and was based upon material from the early episodes of the television series. The film tells the story of the Home Guard
British Home Guard
The Home Guard was a defence organisation of the British Army during the Second World War...
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 formation and their subsequent endeavours at a training exercise.
Plot
1940 - Operation DynamoOperation Dynamo
The Dunkirk evacuation, commonly known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, code-named Operation Dynamo by the British, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, France, between 26 May and the early hours of 3 June 1940, because the British, French and Belgian troops were...
has just taken place. From the newly conquered French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
coastline, a Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
colonel looks out over the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
with powerful binoculars. Surveying the white cliffs of Dover
White cliffs of Dover
The White Cliffs of Dover are cliffs which form part of the British coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliffs are part of the North Downs formation. The cliff face, which reaches up to , owes its striking façade to its composition of chalk accentuated by streaks of black flint...
, he spies Godfrey
Private Charles Godfrey
For the American football player see Charles Godfrey Private Charles Godfrey MM is a fictional Home Guard platoon member and retired shop assistant portrayed by Arnold Ridley on the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army.-Personality:Godfrey is a gentle, mild-mannered and kindly - though more complex...
emerging from a lavatory. Godfrey joins the rest of his platoon, who are defiantly waving the Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
. The colonel fumes contemptuously, "How can the stupid British ever hope to win?!"
One morning, George Mainwaring
Captain George Mainwaring
Captain George Mainwaring is the bank manager and Home Guard platoon commander portrayed by Arthur Lowe on the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army, set in the fictional seaside town of Walmington-on-Sea during the Second World War...
, the manager of the Walmington-on-Sea
Walmington-on-Sea
Walmington-on-Sea is a fictional seaside resort where the BBC Television sitcom, BBC radio series and film Dad's Army was based.Located on the channel coast of England in the county of Kent, the national "front line" following the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk during...
branch of Martins Bank
Martins Bank
Martins Bank Limited was a Liverpool-based British finanical services company that was taken over by Barclays Bank in 1969. The company has its origins in the 16th century and was said to have been founded by Sir Thomas Gresham, who began trading in Lombard Street under the sign of a grasshopper...
and his chief clerk, Wilson
Sergeant Arthur Wilson
Sergeant The Honourable Arthur Wilson is a fictional Home Guard platoon sergeant and bank clerk portrayed by John Le Mesurier on the BBC television situation comedy Dad's Army....
, listen to Anthony Eden
Anthony Eden
Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, KG, MC, PC was a British Conservative politician, who was Prime Minister from 1955 to 1957...
making a radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
broadcast about forming the LDV. (The talk was actually given in the evening, when most people would be listening to their radios). At the local police station, chaos ensues because there is nobody to organise the enrolment of the men, but Mainwaring takes charge, later commandeering the local church hall to register the volunteers.
The local platoon is eventually formed, with Mainwaring in command as Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
and Wilson as his Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
. With no weapons or training, the platoon is initially forced to improvise using home made devices invented by Jones which invariably backfire or malfunction with disastrous consequences - including an anti-aircraft rocket launcher which blows up a farmers' barn and a submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
made from a cast iron bathtub which rolls into the river with Walker still inside. The platoon gain uniforms and eventually, weapons. Following Dunkirk, the LDV is renamed as the "Home Guard".
The platoon is ordered to take part in a war games/training weekend, but after Lance-Corporal Jones' newly gas-converted van breaks down, they are towed by a steam roller
Steamroller
A steamroller is a form of road roller – a type of heavy construction machinery used for levelling surfaces, such as roads or airfields – that is powered by a steam engine...
. Out of control, the roller destroys the platoon's tents, as well as other equipment, angering Major-General Fullard, who is in charge of the weekend exercises.
After a night spent sleeping without tents, the platoon oversleep and are detailed to hold a pontoon bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
during the day's exercise. The bridge has been sabotaged by the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
, and the results are comically chaotic. Captain Mainwaring is summoned by the Major-General and told that due to the platoon's poor showing, he will recommend Mainwaring be replaced.
While the platoon are walking back to Walmington, a Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
aircraft is shot down and the three crew parachute to safety. They enter Walmington church hall, where a meeting is taking place to raise money to fund a Spitfire, and hold the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
and many people, hostage, demanding a boat back to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Mainwaring and his men arrive and realise what has happened. By this point the police and "regular" military have begun to arrive.
Whilst the former dither and discuss what should be done (with the repeated phrase "We'll have to be careful how we handle this"), the platoon infiltrate the building though the church crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
. Dressed in choir surplices, they proceed into the church hall singing All Things Bright and Beautiful
All Things Bright and Beautiful
All Things Bright and Beautiful is an Anglican hymn, also popular with other Christian denominations.The piece can be sung to several melodies, in particular the 17th-century English melody "Royal Oak", adapted by Martin Shaw, and "Bright and Beautiful" by William Henry Monk...
with their own second verse. Mainwaring pulls a gun from under a collection plate and points it at the leader. They both say they will shoot after a count of three. The platoon pull out rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s and the Germans are forced to surrender. The following day, Mainwaring and his men are the pride of the town.
Mainwaring and the Home Guard are seen looking towards France from the cliff tops. The weather has changed for the worse and it seems unlikely that the Germans will invade.
Cast
- Arthur LoweArthur LoweArthur 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:...
as Captain Mainwaring - John Le MesurierJohn Le MesurierJohn 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:...
as Sergeant Wilson - Clive DunnClive DunnClive 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:...
as Lance Corporal Jones - John LaurieJohn LaurieJohn 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...
as Private Frazer - James BeckJames BeckStanley 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...
as Private Walker - Arnold RidleyArnold RidleyMajor 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...
as Private Godfrey - Ian LavenderIan LavenderArthur 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:...
as Private Pike - Liz FraserLiz FraserLiz Fraser is an English actress, mainly in comedy roles.- Life and career :Her birthdate is usually attributed as 1933, the year she gave when auditioning for her role in I'm All Right Jack, as the Boulting Brothers wanted someone younger for the part...
as Mrs. Pike - Bernard ArchardBernard ArchardBernard Joseph Archard was an English actor.Born in Fulham, London, he was a tall, imposing actor with a distinctive face. He was a conscientious objector in the Second World War and worked on the land...
as Major General Fullard - Derek NewarkDerek NewarkDerek Newark was an English actor.He appeared in a large number of film and television roles, including The Baron , The Avengers , Z Cars , Barlow at Large in the recurring role of Det. Insp...
as Regimental Sergeant Major - Bill PertweeBill PertweeWilliam 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:...
as Hodges - Frank WilliamsFrank Williams (actor)Frank Williams is an English actor.Williams was educated at Ardingly College. He starred in The Army Game and as the Vicar in Dad's Army. In 1970, he starred in the short-lived sitcom As Good Cooks Go...
as Vicar - Edward SinclairEdward SinclairEdward "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...
as Verger - Anthony SagarAnthony SagarAnthony Sagar was an English character actor. Although rarely receiving top billing, he was regarded as a stalwart and appeared in many well-known films and in many television sitcoms and dramas such as The Moonstone, Dad's Army, The Avengers and Steptoe and Son.-Career:Sagar was born in...
as Police Sergeant - Pat CoombsPat CoombsPat Coombs was an English actress. Coombs was considered one of Britain's great character actresses, specialising in the portrayal of the eternal downtrodden female — comically under the thumb of stronger personalities. She was known for many roles on radio, film and television sitcoms...
as Mrs. Hall - Roger MaxwellRoger Maxwell (actor)Roger Maxwell was an English actor.In 1959, he was a member of the jury at the Venice Film Festival.Maxwell was born in London, England and died in London, England.-Selected filmography:* Save a Little Sunshine...
as Peppery Old Gent - Paul Dawkins as Nazi General
- Sam KyddSam KyddSam Kydd was an Ulster-born English actor. An army officer's son, he was born in Belfast, but moved to London, England when he was a child. He was educated at Dunstable Grammar School in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England....
as Nazi Orderly - Michael Knowles as Staff Captain
Differences from the television series
The film made a number of significant changes, imposed by Columbia PicturesColumbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
, such as recasting Liz Fraser
Liz Fraser
Liz Fraser is an English actress, mainly in comedy roles.- Life and career :Her birthdate is usually attributed as 1933, the year she gave when auditioning for her role in I'm All Right Jack, as the Boulting Brothers wanted someone younger for the part...
as Mavis Pike instead of Janet Davies and filming outdoor scenes in Chalfont St Giles
Chalfont St Giles
Chalfont St Giles is a village and civil parish within Chiltern district in south east Buckinghamshire, England, on the edge of the Chilterns, 25 miles from London, and near Seer Green, Jordans, Chalfont St Peter, Little Chalfont and Amersham....
rather than Thetford
Thetford
Thetford is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road between Norwich and London, just south of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, covering an area of , has a population of 21,588.-History:...
. Also, the bank was now "Martin's" rather than "Swallow" Bank. In addition, with the increase in budget, the set interiors and the vehicles used were completely different, and the streets of Walmington had extras walking on them. As well as this, the audience saw the Germans preparing across the Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, rather than simply being an unseen threat. In addition to this, the events of the platoon's formation were revised in various ways for the big screen treatment.
Many of the changes, in particular the recasting of Mrs. Pike, met with criticism. Liz Fraser was chosen because director Norman Cohen wanted a less homely, more "sexy" actress for the role. Jimmy Perry has said "It was a mistake...not to cast Janet in the role because the viewing public has come to recognise her as Mrs. Pike. But that was a decision made by Columbia.".
Another less notable change, was the vehicle portraying Jones' butcher's van. In the original TV series the van was an open cab style 1935 Thornycroft
Thornycroft
Thornycroft was a United Kingdom-based vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses, and trucks from 1896 until 1977.-History:Thornycroft started out with steam vans and lorries. John Isaac Thornycroft, the naval engineer, built his first steam lorry in 1896...
, whereas an earlier, closed cab Ford Model AA
Ford Model AA
Ford Model AA is a truck from Ford. As the Model T and TT became obsolete and needed to be replaced, Henry Ford began initial designs on the Model A and Model AA in 1926. Basic chassis layout was done rapidly and mechanical development was moved forward quickly. Body design and style was...
was used in the film.
Reception & possible sequel
Filming took place between 10 August and 25 September 1970, at Shepperton StudiosShepperton Studios
Shepperton Studios is a film studio in Shepperton, Surrey, England with a history dating back to 1931 since when many notable films have been made there...
and various locations. The film's UK premiere was on 12 March, 1971 at the Columbia Theatre in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Critical reviews were mixed, but it performed well at the UK box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
.
Discussions were held about a possible sequel, to be called Dad's Army and the Secret U-Boat Base, but the project never came to fruition.
The film still often appears on British terrestrial television over the Christmas period.