Dad's Army

Where is Colin Bean as Private Sponge band?

I'm going for "can I be excused, sir?" i.e. Godfrey.

Who incredibly managed to outlive all of the other cast members who have died thus far.

John Le Mesurier. His eyes couldn't withstand exposure to direct light, you know? That why he had his hand on his forehead so much.

Clive Dunn and Ian lavender are still alive.

Has to be Capt. Mainwaring. Never liked the Warden and the Verger and not especially fond of Jones or Pike but everyone basically great.

Private Fraser for the winner. Had the mad rolling eyes thing down pat.

Agreed, the whole show hangs on Arthur Lowe.

xpost

John Le M was married to Hattie Jacques, and told the press that he was to blame for their marriage breaking down even though it was actually her going off with some other chap. What a trouper!

Despite that though my vote goes to Walker. In the episode where they discover that Godfrey was a conscientious objector only Walker and Jonesy stick up for him, brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it.

Jon Pertwee was up for Mainwaring but turned it down. Difficult to imagine him (or anyone really) in that part as Lowe is so classic in it.

I have just read Graham McCann's excellent book on the series which is why I am full of useless information this morning.

John Le M was married to Hattie Jacques

Yes, and another of his wives ran away with Tony Hancock! Always jarring to me when you see JLM in pre-Dad's Army films, he generally was cast as a stern authority figure before Dad's Army, when you know he basically WAS Sgt. Wilson

But Sgt Wilson was the one having all the sex, wasn't he?

With Mrs. Pike, yes

Lowe was paid £210 an episode for the first series while John Le M got £262.

Le Mesurier is effortlessly cool in Dad's Army. I also have fond childhood memories of him playing Bilbo in the BBC LOTR radio adaptation (which also had Ian Holm as Frodo, oddly enough).

I also have fond childhood memories of him playing Bilbo in the BBC LOTR radio adaptation (which also had Ian Holm as Frodo, oddly enough).

Yes! The only Tolkien I could ever stand - we listened to it in English class in middle school when we were 10 or 11.

I think I have to vote for Le Mes.

Gotta be Jonesy

He's my least favourite character

All great really - I voted for Fraser.

clive dunn. of coure.

s

Who incredibly managed to outlive all of the other cast members who have died thus far.

and fought in both wars!

And ended up in sidesplitting BBC kids' series Grandad playing a character named "Charlie Quick."

From Wiki:

Dunn's strong Socialist beliefs often caused him to fall out with Arthur Lowe, who was a committed Conservative

See also Rising Damp and the fireworks between de la Tour and Rossiter.

Isn't that why Dunn moved to Portugal? His dislike of Thatch? He should get a vote for that alone.

Wow, I had no idea Dunn was still alive. Who'd've thought it? More surprising, he was only 48 when he first played Jones!

Playing old men was his schtick

I think Dingbod is confusing Dunn and Ridley? Which would explain his second post (nearly).

What bit of the phrase "thus far" don't you understand?

of the cast members who are dead, Ridley's death was the most recent, is I think the point being made. (xpost. yes, that)

John Le Mesurier seems to have been a terribly nice man.

Who incredibly managed to outlive all of the other cast members who have died thus far.

and fought in both wars!

-- DG, Thursday, 6 March 2008 13:01 (38 minutes ago) Bookmark Link And ended up in sidesplitting BBC kids' series Grandad playing a character named "Charlie Quick."

-- Dingbod Kesterson, Thursday, 6 March 2008 13:09 (29 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

Dunn was in Grandad.

That's all. Don't panic!

We're dooooomed!

Torn between Wilson and Frazer altho Godfrey might be number 1 lulzbringer.

Funny thing: Frazer, in early episodes, had a phobia of dead bodies.

In later series, he was an undertaker.

Will poor old Manwering get any votes?

Mispelt Mainwaring hideously there.

Eh? I'd be surprised if Mainwaring didn't win it!

No one seems to be repping for him so far.

Has to be Capt. Mainwaring. Never liked the Warden and the Verger and not especially fond of Jones or Pike but everyone basically great.

-- Tom D., Thursday, 6 March 2008 10:09 (3 hours ago) Bookmark Link

Agreed, the whole show hangs on Arthur Lowe.

xpost

-- Ed, Thursday, 6 March 2008 10:13 (3 hours ago) Bookmark Link

Worth voting for Le Mesurier just for this..

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7b/Lemesurier.png

I wonder how Sue and Paul got on cementing their good intentions?

John Laurie also obviously classic for "Wife-Beating Scottish Farmer" role in 39 Steps

lets face it all the cast members deserve a vote.

Yep, one of the greatest ensemble casts ever, unable to choose :-(

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTr6oLFHnK0

I love this thread for the fact that all the zing-happy uni students have stayed away because they don't know what the fuck this is about.

Yeah, take that students!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTr6oLFHnK0

Can I change my vote to Fraser.

The thing about Arthur Lowe is that, undeniably great an actor as he is, he plays the straight man most of the time. He's the engine of the show, but engines aren't generally crowd favourites.

It is scenes like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxTbr29EogM&feature=related

That should win it for arthur lowe.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Stupid Boy!

DON'T PANIC! DON'T PANIC!! (it's only a poll)

I considered voting for Pike, but then I considered voting for most of the cast. Went for Walker in the end.

Who were the "other" votes for?

Probably Philip Madoc as the nazi.

Classic x 400 billion:

U-Boat Commander: You up there - what is your name?
Mainwaring: Don't tell him Pike!

in fact, thanks to this thread I just ordered http://www.bbcshop.com/invt/bbcdvd2254 :-)

Ooh, that looks like a bargain.

Glad to see Walker up so high, James Beck was great. RIP dude.

Watching a couple of episodes last night I was amazed at how together they were despite the fact that most episodes only took a couple of hours to tape. I guess the fact that they're all supposed to be a bit doddery and therefore likely to forget what they're supposed to say helps.

Just watching series 1 (in black & white), which I'd never seen before, and Mainwaring's talking so fast he's misspeaking and having to resay words and parts of sentences the whole time :-/

R.I.P. Private Sponge
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45959000/jpg/_45959781_bean226.jpg

A theatre group staging a production of Dad's Army narrowly avoided the production going with a bang after using live grenades as props.

RIP Cpl. Jones :(

That leaves just Pike I think :(

Bill Pertwee still going strong.

I'm sad no one voted for Pike!

"Don't tell him, Pike."

rip jones :(

can't believe wilson beat mainwaring in this.

Bill Nighy, Sir Michael Gambon, Toby Jones and Sir Tom Courtenay are among the stars who will appear in a big-screen remake of classic sitcom Dad's Army.

Jones will star as Captain Mainwaring, Nighy will appear as Sergeant Wilson and Courtenay will play Corporal Jones.

Gambon will fill the role of Private Godfrey and there will also be roles for Catherine Zeta Jones, Sarah Lancashire and Mark Gatiss.

Nighy is perfect for Wilson but other than that I can't see how this can possibly be anything other than terrible.

of course if this 'works' we can expect a ton of them in the future. look forward to the Hi-De-Hi one etc..

Re the 1971 big screen adaptation of the TV series;

".. Liz Frazer was cast as Mrs Pike. This decision was made by the director, Norman Cohen, who wanted a less 'homely' actress for the role. The recasting was very controversial and one of the changes imposed by backers Columbia Pictures that added to the unhappiness of the cast. Co-writer of the television series, Jimmy Perry, has said "It was a mistake...not to cast Janet in the role because the viewing public has come to recognize her as Mrs. Pike. But that was a decision made by Columbia."

daft sods.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dad's_Army_(film)

trailer for this ere remake then. seems a bit daft to put out a trailer with no gags in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b0WxkWw86c&feature=youtu.be

I think there were several, whether they were remotely funny to many people I don't know.

Was just thinking about the early casting choice of Jon Pertwee as Mainwairing and wondering how that would have worked. Isn't he a bit too dynamic seeming or is that just having seen him doing Venusian Aikido in Dr Who? Don't think I've heard of other recastings in the series so wonder if there were any/ & to what extent the series was changed around casting.

Not sure how much of the 60s b+w series I've seen, did it change much as it went to colour?

not sure i've seen too many myself actually. most of the B+W episodes survived the BBC video wipings/culls but there were only 2 series before it went colour and.. it's basically the same show iirc. can't imagine anyone as Mainwaring other than Lowe tbh, especially not Pertwee! the episode where he played Mainwaring AND Mainwaring's drunken extrovert brother was a joy. i'd not seen Lowe in much else so it was a surprise that he could play 'other' types.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5UbqQP-gAI

Trying to think what the children's tv thing he narrated was. Wombles was Bernard Cribbins wasn't it? I just remember something vaguely like that had his voice though.

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/mrmen/images/7/73/Mr._forgetful.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090708000039

Yeah, wound up looking it up next time i was at a computer after that and there was a series of those in 1974. Really hadn't realised it was that early. I thought i knew he books way before i came across the tv show. maybe it was just that it was a Watch with Mother type lunchtime show and I would have been at school? Would have been like 7 years old at least when it started.