Put That Light Out!
Encyclopedia
Put That Light Out! is the seventh episode of the fourth series of the British
comedy series Dad's Army
that was originally transmitted on Friday 6 November 1970.
Home Guard
are sent to guard the local lighthouse - and Corporal Jones is in charge.
has been fixed, no questions asked.
They arrive at the lighthouse and set themselves up. They have been asked to stand guard from 8:00 in the evening to 2:00 in the morning, much to Godfrey's disappointment. He is suddenly taken short and has to go downstairs, as the nearest convenience is right at the bottom.
Jones asks Frazer to check on Godfrey, but he refuses. He tells the story of his school friend Wally Reagan... He had been asked to watch over a lighthouse and, one night, he heard a slithering and a moaning from downstairs. He had gone downstairs to investigate, but had been scared back up because the slithery thing was following him up the stairs. He locked the door, but the slithery thing was trying to get in... Suddenly they hear a knocking on the door, and scream - but it's only Godfrey.
They try the telephone, but they've been cut off. Frazer panics, and Pike reckons it's the slithery thing coming to get them. Jones takes control, and pulls a switch. Suddenly, they hear a large moaning sound, and they realise they've turned the fog horn on. They attempt to turn it off, hoping there isn't an air raid
that evening; just as the air raid siren blares.
It is Wilson and Hodges who discover the light, and inform Mainwaring and Mr Alberts, another ARP Warden, respectively. They discuss how to put it out, and Mainwaring suggest rowing out there. Mr Alberts says they'll be dashed to pieces on the rocks, but Mainwaring doesn't care. Mr Alberts then comments that there's no boat in the first place. Walker arrives with the Lewis Gun, and Hodges suggests shooting it out, but Mainwaring says it will kill the men in the lighthouse.
They decide to put the transformer out of action via the fuses, but only succeed in fusing the whole of the Jolly Roger Pier, but not the lighthouse. A disgruntled lighthouse keeper appears and informs them that it's powered by its own generator. As the telephone line to the lighthouse is cut off, Mainwaring tries to ring the telephone exchange to try to get it reconnected, but struggles to make himself plain to the lady at the exchange.
Walker talks to her and asks her to reconnect the line. Mainwaring rings Jones, and tells him to go down to the generator room and turn off the lighthouse from there. However, they are taking a long time about it, and Hodges eventually persuades Mainwaring to shoot it with the Lewis Gun.
However, just as Mainwaring is about to fire, the generator is shut down just in time. Hodges remarks that they haven't heard the last of this, and Wilson adds that they'll all be a lot poorer once GHQ learns about it.
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 6 November 1970.
Synopsis
The Walmington-on-SeaWalmington-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...
Home Guard
British Home Guard
The Home Guard was a defence organisation of the British Army during the Second World War...
are sent to guard the local lighthouse - and Corporal Jones is in charge.
Plot
Captain Mainwaring recently sent a letter to GHQ requesting if they could use the local lighthouse as a guard house, and has just received permission to do so. Jones' section are the first to test this new guard house and prepare to move off that same evening. Walker can't attend because he's delivering some essential supplies, but the Lewis GunLewis Gun
The Lewis Gun is a World War I–era light machine gun of American design that was perfected and widely used by the British Empire. It was first used in combat in World War I, and continued in service with a number of armed forces through to the end of the Korean War...
has been fixed, no questions asked.
They arrive at the lighthouse and set themselves up. They have been asked to stand guard from 8:00 in the evening to 2:00 in the morning, much to Godfrey's disappointment. He is suddenly taken short and has to go downstairs, as the nearest convenience is right at the bottom.
Jones asks Frazer to check on Godfrey, but he refuses. He tells the story of his school friend Wally Reagan... He had been asked to watch over a lighthouse and, one night, he heard a slithering and a moaning from downstairs. He had gone downstairs to investigate, but had been scared back up because the slithery thing was following him up the stairs. He locked the door, but the slithery thing was trying to get in... Suddenly they hear a knocking on the door, and scream - but it's only Godfrey.
They try the telephone, but they've been cut off. Frazer panics, and Pike reckons it's the slithery thing coming to get them. Jones takes control, and pulls a switch. Suddenly, they hear a large moaning sound, and they realise they've turned the fog horn on. They attempt to turn it off, hoping there isn't an air raid
Airstrike
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...
that evening; just as the air raid siren blares.
It is Wilson and Hodges who discover the light, and inform Mainwaring and Mr Alberts, another ARP Warden, respectively. They discuss how to put it out, and Mainwaring suggest rowing out there. Mr Alberts says they'll be dashed to pieces on the rocks, but Mainwaring doesn't care. Mr Alberts then comments that there's no boat in the first place. Walker arrives with the Lewis Gun, and Hodges suggests shooting it out, but Mainwaring says it will kill the men in the lighthouse.
They decide to put the transformer out of action via the fuses, but only succeed in fusing the whole of the Jolly Roger Pier, but not the lighthouse. A disgruntled lighthouse keeper appears and informs them that it's powered by its own generator. As the telephone line to the lighthouse is cut off, Mainwaring tries to ring the telephone exchange to try to get it reconnected, but struggles to make himself plain to the lady at the exchange.
Walker talks to her and asks her to reconnect the line. Mainwaring rings Jones, and tells him to go down to the generator room and turn off the lighthouse from there. However, they are taking a long time about it, and Hodges eventually persuades Mainwaring to shoot it with the Lewis Gun.
However, just as Mainwaring is about to fire, the generator is shut down just in time. Hodges remarks that they haven't heard the last of this, and Wilson adds that they'll all be a lot poorer once GHQ learns about it.
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 |
| Stuart Sherwin | Mr Alberts, the 2nd ARP Warden |
| Gordon Peters Gordon Peters Gordon Peters is a British television actor.Peters starred in a BBC TV comedy series in 1973 called The Gordon Peters Show. It was a situation comedy where he played a character with his own name... |
Lighthouse Keeper |
| Avril Angers Avril Angers Avril Florence Angers was an English stand up comedienne and actress.- Life :Angers was born in Liverpool. She danced with the Tiller Girls before joining ENSA during the Second World War, becoming a Forces' sweetheart. She never married or had children... |
Freda, the Telephone Operator |