Entertainment

Dad’s army – BBC’s home guard comedy

Dad’s Army is a classic British comedy series that follows the adventures of a group of elderly volunteers who form a local defence unit during the Second World War. The show was created by Jimmy Perry, who based some of the characters and situations on his own experiences in the Home Guard. He co-wrote the scripts with David Croft, who also directed and produced the series.

The show features a memorable cast of characters, such as the pompous and patriotic Captain Mainwaring, the mild-mannered and upper-class Sergeant Wilson, the elderly and excitable Lance Corporal Jones, the gloomy and pessimistic Private Frazer, the cheerful and naive Private Pike, the dim-witted and loyal Private Godfrey, and the sarcastic and cynical ARP Warden Hodges. The show also has a catchy theme song, “Who Do You Think You Are Kidding, Mr Hitler?”, which was co-written by Perry and Derek Taverner.

Dad’s Army was a huge success, attracting millions of viewers and winning several awards. It is widely regarded as one of the best British sitcoms of all time, and has influenced many other comedies. It has also spawned a feature film, a stage show, a radio version, and a remake. The show is still popular today, and is regularly shown on television and online.

Arthur Lowe, Clive Dunn, and John Le Mesurier were three of the main actors who starred in the popular British comedy series Dad’s Army. They played the roles of Captain Mainwaring, Lance Corporal Jones, and Sergeant Wilson respectively. They had a long and successful career in television, film, and theatre, but they also had some personal and professional challenges along the way. Here is a brief summary of their story together:

  • Arthur Lowe and Clive Dunn first met in 1959, when they appeared in a play called The Bed-Sitting Room at the Royal Court Theatre. They became friends and worked together again in several radio and TV shows, such as The World of Beachcomber and Bootsie and Snudge. However, their friendship was strained by their political differences, as Lowe was a conservative and Dunn was a socialist. They also had a rivalry over who was the better actor and comedian1
  • John Le Mesurier and Clive Dunn had worked together before Dad’s Army, as they were both part of the cast of Hancock’s Half Hour, a radio and TV comedy show starring Tony Hancock. They played various supporting roles and developed a good rapport with each other. They also shared a similar sense of humour and a relaxed attitude towards their work
  • Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier did not know each other well before Dad’s Army, but they soon formed a close bond on the set. They had a mutual respect for each other’s acting skills and personalities. They also complemented each other’s characters, as Lowe’s pompous and authoritarian Mainwaring contrasted with Le Mesurier’s mild-mannered and upper-class Wilson. They often improvised their dialogue and added their own touches to the scripts
  • The three actors became famous for their roles in Dad’s Army, which ran from 1968 to 1977. The show was a huge hit with the public and the critics, and won several awards. It is widely regarded as one of the best British sitcoms of all time, and has influenced many other comedies. The show also spawned a feature film, a stage show, a radio version, and a remake
  • However, the success of Dad’s Army also brought some problems for the actors. Lowe felt jealous when Dunn received an OBE in 1975, while he did not. He also felt frustrated by being typecast as Mainwaring and wanted to pursue more serious roles. He suffered from depression and alcoholism in his later years. He died in 1982 from a stroke at the age of 66.
  • Dunn also faced some difficulties after Dad’s Army ended. He moved to Portugal with his wife Priscilla Pughe-Morgan in 1984, where he lived a quiet life away from the media spotlight. He wrote his autobiography Permission to Speak in 1986, in which he revealed some of his personal struggles and his views on his co-stars. He died in 2012 from complications following an operation at the age of 921
  • Le Mesurier had a turbulent personal life, as he was married three times and had several affairs. His second wife Hattie Jacques left him for another man in 1965, which caused him much distress. His third wife Joan Malin cheated on him with Tony Hancock, his former colleague and friend, which led to Hancock’s suicide in 1968. Le Mesurier remained loyal to Joan until his death in 1983 from liver cirrhosis at the age of 712
  • Despite their differences and difficulties, Lowe, Dunn, and Le Mesurier were three talented and beloved actors who made millions of people laugh with their performances in Dad’s Army. 

Arnold Ridley was a remarkable actor who played Private Charles Godfrey in the popular British sitcom Dad’s Army. But he was also a veteran of both World War One and World War Two, and his real-life war experiences were far from comical. Here are some facts about his military service and how it affected him: He volunteered for the Somerset Light Infantry in 1915, when he was 18 years old. He was wounded twice in France, once by shrapnel and once by a bayonet. He also suffered from shell shock and blackouts. He took part in the Battle of the Somme in 1916, where he saw many of his comrades killed or injured. He later said: “I didn’t go to France to murder people”.

He was discharged from the army in 1917, and resumed his acting career. He also wrote a successful play called The Ghost Train, which was adapted into several films. He re-joined the army in 1939, when World War Two broke out. He served as a captain in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, and was involved in the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940.

He suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after the war, and had nightmares and flashbacks. He refused to talk about his experiences, saying: “To recount events, I would have to relive them. I am too afraid”. He joined the Home Guard, which inspired the creation of Dad’s Army. He was cast as Private Godfrey, a gentle and timid medic who was a conscientious objector in World War One.

He died in 1984, at the age of 88. He was the great-uncle of Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley. Arnold Ridley was a brave and talented man who endured a lot of hardship and pain in his life. He is remembered as a beloved actor and a war hero by many fans of Dad’s Army.