Dads Army

Dads Army ( Ford BB Box Van ) 1935

Dads Army ( Ford BB Box Van ) 1935

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Dad’s Army

Dad’s Army is a BBC television sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television from 1968 to 1977. The sitcom ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total,. The series regularly gained audiences of 18 million viewers and is still repeated worldwide.

Theme Tune

Bud Flanagan – ‘Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Hitler?

Who do you think you are kidding, Mr. Hitler?
If you think we’re on the run…
We are the boys who will stop your little game!
We are the boys who will make you think again!
‘Cause, who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hitler
If you think old England’s done?
Mr Brown goes off to town on the 8.21,
But he comes home each evening and he’s ready with his gun.
‘Cause, who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hitler
If you think old England’s done?

[The following verse was omitted from the broadcast theme tune.]
So watch out, Mr. Hitler
You have met your match in us.
If you think you can crush us.
We’re afraid you’ve missed the bus.
‘Cause who do you think you are kidding, Mr. Hitler
If you think old England’s done?

Cast

Arthur Lowe … Capt. Mainwaring
John Le Mesurier …  Sgt. Arthur Wilson
Clive Dunn …  LCpl. Jack Jones
John Laurie …  Pte. James Frazer
Arnold Ridley …  Pte. Charles Godfrey
Ian Lavender …  Pte. Frank Pike 
James Beck … Pte. Joe Walker
Bill Pertwee … Chief Warden Hodges

Trivia

In June 2010, a statue of Captain George Mainwaring was erected in the Norfolk town of Thetford where most of the exteriors for the TV series were filmed. The statue features Captain Mainwaring sitting to attention on a simple bench in Home Guard uniform, with his swagger stick across his knees. The statue is mounted at the end of winding brick pathway with a Union Flag patterned arrow head to reflect the opening credits of the TV series, and the sculpture has been designed so that members of the public can sit alongside Captain Mainwaring for the purpose of having their photograph taken.

Trivia

Arthur Lowe had a clause written into his contract which stated that he would never appear without his trousers on. This is why Sgt. Wilson is leading the platoon during the platoon’s changeover march (when the platoon change from civvies to uniform via their long-johns) instead of Captain Mainwaring. (Incidentally, this is also the reason why Jones gets the grenade down the trousers in the U Boat crew episode – it was originally going to be Captain Mainwaring).

Introduced as early as 1857, when the Victorian Railways took over the defunct Geelong and Melbourne railway company, the most common type of box van used by the Victorian Railways was known as the H van. From then to 1897 roughly 1,000 wagons were constructed. When an H van was not available or if the load was too tall to fit inside the wagon, the alternative was to obtain an open wagon and fit a tarpaulin over the top.

Trivia

The first two series were recorded and screened in black and white; but Series 3 to 9 were recorded and screened in colour. Even so, one episode in Series 3, Room at the Bottom, formerly only survived in black and white, and remains on the official DVDs in this form. This episode has benefited from colour recovery technology, using a buried colour signal (chroma dots) in the black-and-white telerecording to restore the programme, and was transmitted on 13 December 2008 on BBC Two

Dad’s Army is less affected than most from the wiping of videotape, but three second-series episodes remain missing. Two further Series 2 episodes were believed lost until 2001. Two of the three missing episodes have since been performed as part of the latest stage show.

In 2008 soundtracks of the missing episode ‘A Stripe for Frazer’ and the 1968 Christmas Special ‘Present Arms’ were recovered

Quote

[repeated line]
Jones: Don’t panic! Don’t panic!

[repeated line]
Frazer: We’re doomed!

[repeated line]
Mainwaring: Stupid boy.

Trivia

The show’s theme tune, ‘Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Hitler?’ was Jimmy Perry’s idea, intended as a gentle pastiche of wartime songs. It was the only pastiche in the series, as the other music used was contemporary to the 1940s. Perry wrote the lyric himself, and composed the music with Derek Taverner. Perry persuaded one of his childhood idols, wartime entertainer Bud Flanagan, to sing the theme for 100 guineas. Flanagan died less than a year after the recording.

Quote

Frazer: Captain Mainwaring. Did I ever tell you the story about the old, empty barn.
Mainwaring: Um. No.
Frazer: Would you like to hear the story about the old, empty barn?
Mainwaring: Um. Yes. Listen everybody. Frazer’s going to tell us the story about the old empty barn.
Frazer: Right. The story of the old empty barn. Well. There was nothing in it.

Info

Opening theme Bud Flanagan
“Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Hitler?”
Country of origin United Kingdom
No. of series 9
No. of episodes 80 (3 missing) 
Production
Producer David Croft
Running time 30 minutes
Distributor

BBC Worldwide

2entertain

Release
Original network BBC 1
Original release 31 July 1968 –
13 November 1977

Trivia

In the series, Jones’ van was a 1935 Ford BB (still registered as BUC852), whereas a closed cab Ford Model AA was used for the film.

QUIZ 1

Which Character Said  ‘Would you mind awfully forming three neat ranks’ ?

A. Pike
B. Corporal Jones
C. Captain Mainwaring
D. Sergeant Wilson

Press for Answer

D. Sergeant Wilson

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QUIZ 2

What was Capt. Mainwaring’s first name?

A. Arthur
B. Cyril
C. George
D. Charles

Press for Answer

C. George

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Dads Army CARS 5

QUIZ 1

Which Character Said  ‘Would you mind awfully forming three neat ranks’ ?

A. Pike
B. Corporal Jones
C. Captain Mainwaring
D. Sergeant Wilson

Wilson, played by John Le Mesurier, was a diffident, upper-class bank clerk and Mainwaring’s inferior in the bank and on parade.
Nevertheless, his suave, understated social superiority, public school education and handsome looks led to a certain amount of jealousy on Mainwaring’s part, which Wilson was never particularly bothered by.
He would also subtly question Mainwaring’s judgement by asking ‘do you think that’s wise, Sir?’

Dads Army CARS 6 (5)

QUIZ 2

What was Capt. Mainwaring’s first name?

A. Arthur
B. Cyril
C. George
D. Charles

Mainwaring was played by Arthur Lowe. He was the pompous – if essentially brave and unerringly patriotic – local bank manager.
Mainwaring appointed himself leader of his town’s contingent of Local Defence Volunteers. Of the platoon, he and Joe Walker were the only adult members with no prior combat experience, and therefore had no medals.

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