brianl

In my early days I used to work in a bank and one of the managers was very much like the character that he plays. For me, the reason why Dad's Army is so good is that all the characters are so absolutely believable.
BrianL

Harleybloke

Nuff Said Marky B.!

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

stevie boy

I would agree, with the possible exception of Bilko.

Moor Larkin

I thought there were four actors that made Dad's Army so superior. The sublime John Le Mesurier, Arthur Lowe, the set-pieces for Arnold Ridley and the amazing John Laurie.

The rest of the cast were average, or makeweights. The ARP warden, vicar and his chum, were perfectly dreadful. Pike and the spiv played the straight-man quite well, but were otherwise nothing special.

I was always amazed that so many of the plots were led by a Mr. Pastry impersonation that was as over the top as it was out of date. The follow-up series about the French Resistance demonstrated to me, that without the afore-mentioned quartet, the shows would have been crass slapstick, with no hint of true genius, which Dad's Army still possesses today.

I watched Dad's Army -The Movie, recently on TV and it struck me how Arthur Lowe was overdoing the 'accent'. Trying too hard. Amazing how insecure actors are; he had that character absolutely perfect on television, but when he was making a movie, he obviously thought he had to try harder!

scholes

Agree Mr. Pastry was funny and Clive Dunn wasn't.
The only thing I couldn't stand about Dad's Army was Jones airing of 'don't panic'

scholes

I thought Men behaving badly was quite funny especially the episodes within which Neil Morrissey played Tony Smart. Both male leads rendered a healthy display of chauvanism, ignorance and a willingness to take part in pointless conversation.It backed up the whole point of the comedy.

I agree about 'my family' which wasn't even a comedy.

Windthrop

I think it was sometimes obvious that Clive Dunn was a youngish man trying to play older and this caused him to overact a bit. I don't think he is a disaster in it though.

That's the joke that killed the Music Hall

Tyke

I agree, the ARP warden was way over the top. He should have got an Oscar for over-acting !

Marky B

Which was copied by Marge in The Simpsons.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I once shot an elephant in my pyjamas - how he got in my pyjamas,I'll never know

Marky B

I was thinking of Bilko when I wrote that,but I'll keep flying the flag.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I once shot an elephant in my pyjamas - how he got in my pyjamas,I'll never know

batman

No way ... Bill Pertwee is like that in real life!

I wish I had claws.

Windthrop

Well he is half Brazillian !

That's the joke that killed the Music Hall

samkydd

Peruvian I think. I've got his auto-biog somewhere.

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

Jackdaw

Before he played Mainwaring, he played Leonard Swindley, a very similar character - a pompous, inept but decent man, who had difficulty in expressing emotion, but this time with a Northern accent.
A very clever and amusing actor for my money.