Dad's Army (1971)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Norman Cohen

Writers:

David Croft (screenplay)
Jimmy Perry (idea)

Release Date:

September 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | War

Tagline:

At last! Their epic story invades the Big Screen!

Plot Keywords:

WWII | Accident | Sequel | Based On TV Series | 1940s

Cast

Arthur Lowe	...	Capt. George Mainwaring
John Le Mesurier	...	Sgt. Arthur Wilson
Clive Dunn	...	LCpl. Jack Jones
John Laurie	...	Pte. James Frazer
James Beck	...	Pte. Joe Walker
Arnold Ridley	...	Pte. Charles Godfrey
Ian Lavender	...	Pte. Frank Pike
Liz Fraser	...	Mavis Pike
Bernard Archard	...	Maj. Gen. Fullard
Derek Newark	...	Regimental Sergeant-Major
Bill Pertwee	...	A.R.P. Warden Hodges
Frank Williams	...	Rev. Timothy Farthing - the Vicar
Edward Sinclair	...	Henry Yeatman - the Verger
Anthony Sagar	...	Police sergeant
Pat Coombs	...	Mrs. Hall

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Norway:11 | Sweden:Btl | USA:G | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The film reuses some of the parent TV series plots, most notably revisiting "The Man and the Hour" and "The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones".

Goofs:

Anachronisms: During the roadblock scene, cars contemporary with the year the film was made can be seen parked at the end of the street. The closest one is covered with a tarpaulin to disguise the fact it's "modern".

Quotes:

Cpt. George Mainwaring: What's that supposed to be?
Pvt. Frank Pike: You said if we hadn't got anything else, tie a carving knife to a broomstick.
Cpt. George Mainwaring: I didn't mean that you were to leave the broom at the end of the handle you stupid boy.

Movie Connections:

References Dracula (1931)

Soundtrack:

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square

slightly disappointing

Perhaps the TV show was just too good, or having the Germans land in Walmington was just too improbable. Whatever, this film version of the much-loved BBC classic doesn't quite work. Everyone in it is fine but it is less slapstick and silly than it was on the small screen, and suffers a bit in comparison. I do like the bit where the stuck up officer sails down river on a bit of broken bridge still sitting on his horse though, and the oil slick machine is pretty funny!