63. ‘Mum’s Army’, first broadcast on BBC1, 20 November 1970.
64. ‘A. Wilson (Manager)?’, first broadcast on BBC1, 4 December 1970.
65. David Croft, interview with the author, 23 May 2000.
66. Figure calculated from the percentage of the UK viewing public recorded in the BBC’s Dally Viewing Barometer for 27 December 1971.
67. BBC WAC: Audience Report (VR/72/585, 25 October 1972) on Dad’s Army, ‘Asleep in the Deep’.
68. David Croft, interview with the author, 23 May 2000.
69. Figures calculated from the percentages recorded in the relevant BBC Daily Viewing Barometers.
70. See Chapter 13.
THE CHARACTERS
1. Robb Wilton, ‘The Home Guard’.
2. William Shakespeare, Henry V (London: Penguin, 1968), line spoken by Bates, IV.1.215.
Chapter VII
1. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Representative Men (Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press, 1996), p. 4.
2. Walter Bagehot, The Best of Bagehot, ed. Ruth Dudley Edwards (London: Hamish Hamilton, 1993), p. 136.
3. Jimmy Perry and David Croft, Dad’s Army (London: Elm Tree, 1975).
4. Compiled from references in the following episodes: ‘The Man and the Hour’, ‘Mum’s Army’, ‘A. Wilson (Manager)?’, ‘If the Cap Fits …’, ‘The King Was In His Counting House’, ‘The Godiva Affair’ and ‘My Brother And I’. (See also the summary in Perry and Croft, Dad’s Army, pp. 28–9.)
5. Compiled from references in the following episodes: ‘The Man and the Hour’, ‘War Dance’, ‘A. Wilson (Manager)?’, ‘Getting the Bird’ and ‘The Honourable Man’. (See also Perry and Croft, Dad’s Army, p. 49.)
6. Benny Green, Punch, 23 November 1977, p. 1017.
7. Quoted by John Craven Hughes, The Greasepaint War (London: New English Library, 1976), p. 138.
8. John Le Mesurier, A Jobbing Actor, pp. 18–19.
9. Alec Guinness, Blessings in Disguise (London: Hamish Hamilton, 1985), p. 57.
10. John Le Mesurier, quoted by Hart, Dad’s Army, p. 21.
11. Details included in Roy Plomley (ed.), Desert Island Lists (London: Hutchinson, 1984), pp. 178 and 198.
12. Recalled by Barry Took, interview with the author, 17 May 2000.
13. See John Le Mesurier, A Jobbing Actor, pp. 38–44, 61–3.
14. Ibid., pp. 64–73, 85–100.
15. See Joan Le Mesurier, Lady Don’t Fall Backwards (London: Sidgwick, 1988), pp. 53–192.
16. John Le Mesurier, A Jobbing Actor, p. 111.
17. See Pertwee, Dad’s Army, p. 30, and Dunn, Permission to Speak, p. 205.
18. Recalled by Pertwee, The Story of Dad’s Army, Speaking Volumes audiotape (Polygram, 1995).
19. John Le Mesurier, A Jobbing Actor, p. 114. (See Joan Le Mesurier, Lady Don’t Fall Backwards, for a first-hand account of this period.)
20. John Le Mesurier, quoted by Joan Le Mesurier, Lady Don’t Fall Backwards, p. 176.
21. See Pertwee, Dad’s Army, p. 38.
22. Ian Lavender, interview with the author, 29 May 2000.
23. John Le Mesurier, A Jobbing Actor, p. 119.
24. Arthur Lowe, quoted by Hart, Dad’s Army, p. 18.
25. Ibid.
26. George and Weedon Grossmith, The Diary of a Nobody (London: The Folio Society, 1969), p.
27. Ibid.
28. Ibid., p. 44.
29. Ibid., p. 71.
30. Ibid., p. 29.
31. Ibid., p. 40.
32. Ibid., p. 34.
33. Ibid.
34. Ibid.
35. Ibid., p. 14.
36. See the Dad’s Army episodes ‘War Dance’, ‘Mum’s Army’, ‘A Soldier’s Farewell’ and ‘The Royal Train’.
37. ‘Absent Friends’, first broadcast on BBC1, 30 October 1970.
38. ‘When Did You Last See Your Money?’, first broadcast on BBC1, 1 December 1972.
39. ‘No Spring For Frazer’, first broadcast on BBC1, 4 December 1969.
40. John Le Mesurier, A Jobbing Actor, p. 119.
41. ‘Wake Up Walmington’, first broadcast on BBC1, 2 October 1977.
42. ‘We Know Our Onions’, first broadcast on BBC1, 21 November 1973.
43. ‘Menace from the Deep’, first broadcast on BBC1, 13 November 1969.
44. ‘High Finance’, first broadcast on BBC1, 3 October 1975.
Chapter VIII
1. Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993), pp. 46–7.
2. Thomas Paine, Rights of Man (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1985), p. 236.
3. See Perry and Croft, Dad’s Army, p. 89.
4. No entry on Walker was included in Perry and Croft’s book, Dad’s Army, because James Beck, by this time, had died, but details about the character can be gleaned from such episodes as ‘The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker’, ‘Don’t Fence Me In’ and ‘Getting the Bird’.
5. See Perry and Croft, Dad’s Army, p. 89, and the episodes ‘The Deadly Attachment’, ‘When You’ve Got To Go’ and ‘The Making of Private Pike’.
6. John Laurie, quoted by John Le Mesurier, A Jobbing Actor, p. 120.
7. ‘Asleep in the Deep’, first broadcast on BBC1, 6 October 1972.
8. ‘If The Cap Fits …’, first broadcast on BBC1, 10 November 1972.
9. ‘Brain Versus Brawn’, first broadcast on BBC1, 8 December 1972.
10. ‘Is There Honey Still For Tea?’, first broadcast on BBC1, 19 September 1975.
Chapter IX
1. Goethe, ‘Prelude in the Theatre’, part 1 of Faust, translated by Philip Wayne (London: Penguin, 1949), p. 36.
2. Philip Larkin: ‘The old fools’, Collected Poems (London: Faber, 1988), p. 196.
3. Compiled from references in the following episodes: ‘The Man and the Hour’, ‘The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones’, ‘The Two and a Half Feathers’, ‘Battle of the Giants’, ‘When Did You Last See Your Money?’, ‘The Face on the Poster’ and ‘Never Too Old’. (See also Perry and Croft, Dad’s Army, p. 69.)
4. Compiled from references in the following episodes: ‘The Man and the Hour’, ‘Branded’, ‘The Test’, ‘All Is Safely Gathered In’ and ‘Is There Honey Still For Tea?’ (See also Perry and Croft, Dad’s Army, p. 89.)
5. Clive Dunn, Permission to Speak, p. 198.
6. Clive Dunn, speaking in part 1 of the documentary Laughter In the House, first broadcast on BBC1, 24 March 1999.
7. Clive Dunn, quoted by Hart, Dad’s Army, p. 28.
8. Dunn, Permission to Speak, p. 198.
9. Dunn, speaking in the Omnibus documentary, Perry and Croft – The Sit-Coms, first broadcast on BBC1, 18 April 1995.
10. Dunn, Permission to Speak, p. 199.
11. ‘Asleep in the Deep’, first broadcast on BBC1, 6 October 1972.
12. ‘Branded’, first broadcast on BBC1, 20 November 1969.
13. ‘Absent Friends’, first broadcast on BBC1, 30 October 1970.
THE COMPANY
1. Ian Lavender, interview with the author, 29 May 2000.
Chapter X
1. Maj. John Langdon-Davies, Home Guard Training Manual, 6th edn (London: John Murray and Pilot Press, 1942), p. 23.
2. Harold Snoad, Directing Situation Comedy (Borehamwood: BBC Television Training, 1988), p. 27.
3. Recalled by Ian Lavender, interview with the author, 29 May 2000.
4. Arthur Lowe, quoted by Stephen Lowe, Arthur Lowe, p. 143.
5. Ibid., p. 105.
6. Arthur Lowe, quoted by Jimmy Perry, interview with the author, 21 June 2001.
7. Arthur Lowe, quoted by Stephen Lowe, Arthur Lowe, p. 144.
8. Ian Lavender, interview with the author, 29 May 2000.
9. Ibid.
10. David Croft, interview with the author, 23 May 2000.
11. Snoad took over from Sydney Lotterby as the producer-director of Ever Decreasing Circles for Series 3 (1986), 4 (1987) and an 80-minute Christmas special (1989).
He produced and directed all five series of Keeping Up Appearances (1990–95).
12. Harold Snoad, correspondence with the author, 1 March 2000.
13. Harold Snoad, quoted by Pertwee, Dad’s Army: The Making of a Television Legend, pp. 102 and 104.
14. Ibid., p. 98.
15. Ibid., p. 100.
16. In 1971, Arnold Ridley was 75, John Laurie 74, John Le Mesurier 59, Edward Sinclair 57, Arthur Lowe 56, Clive Dunn 51, Bill Pertwee 45, James Beck 42, Frank Williams 40 and Ian Lavender 25.
17. Pertwee, Dad’s Army, p. 56.
18. Ian Lavender, interview with the author, 29 May 2000.
19. Ibid.
20. David Croft, interview with the author, 23 May 2000.
21. Clive Dunn, speaking in The Arthur Lowe Story, first broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 28 December 1993.
22. Pertwee, Dad’s Army, p. 102, and A Funny Way to Make a Living, p. 256.
Chapter XI
1. Dad’s Army, ‘Ring Dem Bells’, first broadcast on BBC1, 5 September 1975.
2. David Mamet, Some Freaks (London: Faber, 1990), p. 134.
3. David Croft, interview with the author, 23 May 2000.
4. Norman Cohen, quoted by Iain F. McAsh, ‘On manoeuvres with Dad’s Army’, ABC Film Review, January 1971, p. 9.
5. Ian Lavender, interview with the author, 29 May 2000.
6. Information gathered from conversations with David Croft, Jimmy Perry, Ian Lavender, Bill Pertwee and Frank Williams.
7. Ian Lavender, interview with the author, 29 May 2000.
8. See my Cary Grant: A Class Apart (London: Fourth Estate, 1996), pp. 109–16.
9. David Croft, interview with the author, 23 May 2000.
10. Jimmy Perry, interview with the author, 27 August 2000.
11. Dunn, Permission to Speak, p. 207.
12. John Le Mesurier, A Jobbing Actor, p. 129.
13. Bill Pertwee, interview with the author, 27 May 2000.
14. Ian Lavender, interview with the author, 29 May 2000.
15. Ibid.
16. Bean, Who Do You Think You Are Kidding!, p. 188.
17. See John Le Mesurier, A Jobbing Actor, p. 130. (The reason for Lowe’s ‘Kitty’ nickname has yet to be revealed.)
18. Ibid., p. 130.
19. Arthur Lowe, quoted by Pertwee, Dad’s Army, p. 143.
20. See Stephen Lowe, Arthur Lowe, p. 115.
21. John Le Mesurier, A Jobbing Actor, p. 130.
22. Information gathered from conversations with the cast and crew.
23. Dad’s Army: The Movie (Norcon/Columbia, 1971), screenplay by Jimmy Perry and David Croft.
24. Ian Lavender, interview with the author, 29 May 2000.
25. Bill Pertwee, interview with the author, 27 May 2000.
26. David Croft, interview with the author, 23 May 2000.
27. Jimmy Perry, interview with the author, 27 August 2000.
28. Dunn, Permission to Speak, pp. 207–8.
29. John Le Mesurier, A Jobbing Actor, p. 130.
30. Ibid., p. 129.
31. Ian Lavender, interview with the author, 29 May 2000.
32. Dick Richards, Daily Mirror, 15 March 1971, p. 5.
33. Ian Christie, Daily Express, 15 March 1971, p. 12.
34. Derek Malcolm, Guardian, 19 March 1971, p. 12.
35. Alexander Walker, London Evening Standard, 17 March 1971, p. 16.
36. Sylvia Millar, Monthly Film Bulletin, April 1971, p. 70.
37. Variety, 24 March 1971, p. 19.
38. See Pertwee, Dad’s Army, p. 143.
39. Source: BBC Daily Viewing Barometer, 5 May 1979. (The exact figure was 13,050,000).
40. David Croft, interview with the author, 23 May 2000.
Chapter XII
1. Max Beerbohm, ‘The older and better music hall’, in Around Theatres (London: Rupert Hart-Davis, 1953), p. 300.
2. George Mainwaring, ‘The Godiva Affair’ (original script), by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, in Dad’s Army, p. 52.
3. Quoted by Pertwee, Dad’s Army, p. 151.
4. Dunn, Permission to Speak, p. 208.
5. Richard Stone, You Should Have Been In Last Night (Sussex: The Book Guild, 2000), p. 117.
6. Hamish Roughead’s television credits included episodes of Doctor Finlay’s Casebook and The Borderers.
7. John Bardon appeared as ‘Harold Forster’ in one episode of Dad’s Army (‘Ring Dem Bells’, first broadcast on BBC1, 5 September 1975), but he went on to play ‘Jim Branning’ in the BBC1 soap opera EastEnders.
8. Ian Lavender, interview with the author, 29 May 2000.
9. Jeffrey Holland went on to be a regular member of Croft and Perry’s comic ensemble, appearing, for example, as ‘Spike’ in Hi-de-Hi! (BBC1, 1980–88) and ‘James Twelvetrees’ in You Rang, M’Lord? (BBC1, 1988–93).
10. Roger Redfarn, quoted by Webber, Dad’s Army: A Celebration, p. 178.
11. John Le Mesurier, quoted by Bill Pertwee, Dad’s Army, p. 38.
12. Ibid., p. 153.
13. Bill Pertwee, interview with the author, 23 May 2000.
14. Pertwee, Dad’s Army, p. 154.
15. Dunn, Permission to Speak, p. 208.
16. Stone, You Should Have Been In Last Night, p. 117.
17. Ibid.
18. Dunn, Permission to Speak, p. 209.
19. Stone, You Should Have Been In Last Night, p. 117.
20. John Le Mesurier, A Jobbing Actor, p. 139.
21. Stone, You Should Have Been In Last Night, p. 118.
22. Captain Mainwaring, quoted by Pertwee, Dad’s Army, p. 167.
23. John Elsom, The Listener, 9 October 1975, p. 481.
24. Harold Hobson, Sunday Times (review section), 5 October 1975, p. 37.
25. B. A. Young, Financial Times, 3 October 1975, p. 3.
26. Ian Lavender, interview with the author, 29 May 2000.
27. The Royal Variety Performance took place on Monday, 10 November 1975; the recording was broadcast on ITV on Sunday, 16 November.
28. Dad’s Army – Original Cast Recording was released on Warner Bros (K561196) in 1976.
29. What Is Going To Become Of Us All? was released on Warner Bros (K54080) in 1976. (See John Le Mesurier’s account in A Jobbing Actor, pp. 140–1.)
30. Norman MacLeod, formerly the lead singer with the Canadian group The Maple Leaf Four, was one of the company’s principal vocalists. The single ‘Hooligans!’/‘Get Out and Get Under the Moon’ was released on EMI in 1975.
31. Arthur Lowe, quoted by Pertwee, Dad’s Army, p. 158.
32. Arnold Ridley, quoted by Ted Hart, Dad’s Army, p. 33.
33. Frank Williams, interview with the author, 4 October 2000.
34. Bean, Who Do You Think You Are Kidding!, p. 220.
35. Ibid., p. 241.
36. Ian Lavender, interview with the author, 29 May 2000.
37. Pertwee, Dad’s Army, p. 162.
38. John Le Mesurier, A Jobbing Actor, p. 142.
39. The letter of invitation, from Neville Chamberlain (the sixteen-year-old grandson of the Prime Minister), is reproduced in Stephen Lowe’s Arthur Lowe, pp. 150–1.
40. Dunn, Permission to Speak, p. 208.
THE CLASSIC
1. Penelope Gilliatt, To Wit (London: Weidenfeld, 1990), p. 293.
Chapter XIII
1. James Thurber, Collecting Himself, ed. Michael Rosen (London: Hamish Hamilton, 1989), p. 218.
2. Wheldon, The Achievement of Television, p. 12.
3. Quoted by Jimmy Perry in Hart (ed.), Dad’s Army, p. 4. (See also Dunn, Permission to Speak, p. 217.)
4. Bill Cotton, The BBC as an Entertainer (London: BBC, 1977), p. 49.
5. The radio version of Dad’s Army consisted of previously broadcast television scripts adapted by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles. The first series of 26 episodes was recorded during June and July 1973 and broadcast on BBC Radio 2 from 28 January to 18 June 1974. A Christmas special went out on 25 December 1974, followed by a second series of 2
0 episodes between 11 February to 24 June 1975, and a third series of 26 episodes between 16 March and 7 September 1976.
6. Dunn, Permission to Speak, p. 202.
7. Romany Jones – created by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney – featured two gypsy couples who lived on a rundown caravan site (Beck played Bert Jones, Jo Rowbottom played his wife, Arthur Milliard was Wally Briggs and Queenie Watts was his wife). The pilot was broadcast by Thames on 15 February 1972, followed, on London Weekend Television, by Series 1 (25 May – 6 July 1973) and Series 2 (14 September – 21 October 1973). The show continued for two more series after Beck’s death, with two new characters taking the place of the Joneses. Most critics regarded the programme as one of the worst situation-comedies ever broadcast on British television.
8. Bunclarke With An ‘E’ was commissioned by the BBC in 1972 and a pilot was recorded early in 1973. Beck’s death caused both the pilot and the project to be shelved, and, it seems, no tape of the half-hour performance remains. (See Stephen Lowe, Arthur Lowe, pp. 131–2.)
9. Bill Pertwee, interview with the author, 27 May 2000.
10. Ian Lavender, interview with the author, 29 May 2000.
11. Quoted in the Sun, 20 July 1973, p. 7.
12. ‘The Recruit’, recorded 22 July 1973; first broadcast on BBC1, 12 December 1973.
13. Death certificate, dated 7 August 1973.
14. Daily Mail, 7 August 1973, p. 11.
15. Clive Dunn, speaking in Don’t Panic! The Dad’s Army Story, first broadcast on BBC1, 28 May 2000.
16. David Croft, interview with the author, 23 May 2000.
17. BBC WAC: Audience Research Report (VR/73/628, 22 November 1973) on Dad’s Army, ‘The Deadly Attachment’. The Reaction Index was 64.
18. ‘The Deadly Attachment’ was watched by an estimated 12,928,000 people; the average audience for episodes during the fifth series had been 16.3 million (source: BBC Daily Viewing Barometers).
19. The edition of Crossroads that went out on 31 October 1973 attracted an audience of 6,413,500 (source: BBC Daily Viewing Barometer, 31 October 1973).
20. According to the BBC’s Daily Viewing Barometer for 12 December 1973, This Is Your Life was watched by 12,827,000 people.
21. David Croft, interview with the author, 23 May 2000. (World In Action was ITV’s principal current affairs programme.)
22. BBC Daily Viewing Barometer, 31 October 1973.
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