General Chat

Malcolm :-D

And me declaring my love for Wendy Richard. We are a couple of old codgers. Still like the ladies, but can't remember why ;-)

Think many of the actors will be remembered for many many years for the parts they played in Dad's Army. It will still be classic comedy long after our day. :-D And - permission to speak - Jonesey will never be forgotten.

The film is a bit of a Mish Mash of other episodes but with a lot of new material added. What I always like about Dad's Army is that there is a strong thread of respect in the writing which was invariably brought out in the endings. The LDV or Home Guard was real and it would have become the basis of an Underground movement if the British Isles had been invaded.

As for Ms Frazer...i've always had a soft spot for her...which is not always soft even at my age. ;-) <3

Never seen the film - might ask for that for Xmas :-D

Seen a recent play with Peter Martin off Emmerdale as Captain Mainwaring. Not a very rivetting play at all, but David Warwick as Sgt Wilson played a good part.

"The film's UK premiere was on 12 March, 1971 at the Columbia Theatre in London. Critical reviews were mixed, but it performed well at the UK box office, being the fifth most popular movie of the year." (Wiki)

The cast was all intact except for Janet Davies. The decision to cast Liz Frazer was criticised by writer Jimmy Perry.

I suppose they wanted a bit more glamour, but Walker's girlfriends and Mrs Mainwaring's appearance played by Sophia Loren would have done the trick, surely :-D ;-)

Malcolm - we get reruns of a lot of the old comedies here in Australia on our satellite channels. Are You Being Served, It Ain't Half Hot Mum, Dad's Army, 'Allo 'Allo etc. - all a good laugh although some are not very PC these days :-D

Ah! That explains it then. Very glad to hear Liz Frazer is still with us. Yes Suemaid...I have an old Videotape (yep, still use them) of the Film and the only other bits I see are onYoutube where Mrs Pike doesn't appear very often.

Spanish telly doesn't do Dads Army re-runs and I don't have SKY so am consequently out of touch as you can see!

I think Liz Fraser was Mrs. Pike in the movie Dad's Army.

Malcolm What were you watching? Janet Davies was great in that part, but hardly a coo-er like Babs Windsor and Liz Frazer. Some attractive ladies in Dad's Army - Wendy Richard, for example. She was first Edith Parrish, and later Private Walker's girlfriend Shirley).

I fell in love with Wendy in "Newcomers" - but that is dating me a bit.

According to my daughter, who works at a place where Ms. Frazer visits regularly, she is very much alive, kicking and making her presence felt!

Unless there has been very recent news to the contrary, Liz Frazer is still alive.

Janet Davies was Mrs Pike not Liz Frazer

I didn't know Liz Frazer (Mrs Pike) had died. So sexy. She was in a lot of Hancocks half hours and also some of the Carry on's..Carry on Regardless - modelling underwear and negligees. Barbara Windsor?? You can keep her. Liz was much more huggable. Phooarr. :-)

Jill :-) John Laurie was actually born in Dumfries, which surprised me. I would have thought he was born on a wild island in the Outer Hebrides.

They were all so good. One of my favourites was the Vicar (Frank Williams).

Was watching an episode a couple of nights ago when Godfrey had asked for leave to help an old girl friend (now a widow) with her threshing. The "old girl friend" has only just died (Brenda Cowling who played Mrs Prentice). A wonderful actress - shame we didn't see more of her.

Read today that the record "Granddad" was released in 1971 and sold so many copies in just one day that Clive Dunn bought a house with the proceeds :-D :-D

John. I also remember Philip Madoc in The Life and Times of David Lloyd George. It also had beautiful music Chi Mai by Ennio Morricone.

I loved the gentleness of Private Godfrey too. John Laurie who played Private Fraser was lovely. My own grandfather who was extremely dour and had a serious doom-attitude, along the lines of Private Fraser also looked very like him; so much that they could have been close kin. Given their origins I suspect that they were related. But that was where the similarity ended. I never remember my grandfather having a twinkle in his eye or showing any signs of happiness at all. I loved to hear Fraser saying "We're doomed. Doomed".

It's hard to believe just how long ago that series was made.

Jill Have taped a programme tonight about "Welsh Greats". It is Philip Madoc.

For all his wonderful acting, Madoc will always be best remembered for "Your name will also go on ze list. Vat is is?"

And I still love to see Dunn doing his drill. Exactly a second behind the others. They were all out of step apart from Cpl Jones. :-D

My daughter has just learnt that. as a lad, her OH of 3 months sang the chorus of 'Grandad' with Clive Dunn when he was at the De la Warr theatre in Bexhill :-D

"They don't like it up 'em" will always be my favourite phrase.

Every year when we travel down to Dorset and I see the signs for Warminster (and I know it's not he same) I can hear "They don't like it up 'em Mr Mainwaring".

Not long before he died, I had the chance to talk to Phillip Madoc about 'that' Dad's Army episode. Brilliant. The best comedy never goes out of date.

Wend OH will be pleased there are 4 cast still living. And co-writer Jimmy Perry. Also Private Sponge and the other writer (David Croft) have only recently died.

Had not realised that Arthur Lowe and Clive Dunn argued a lot about politics. Dunn was awarded an OBE and Lowe (a keen Conservative supporter) refused to accept any honour the same or less than Dunn. So it had to be a CBE or Knighthood.

'im indoors is home now and he had already heard the sad new about Clive Dunn.

Only one left now, he said, Ian Lavender :-(

Sad but inevitable I suppose. Love Dad's army and we still watch it on BBC2.
RIP Clive Dunn , you made us laugh. A good epitaph.

Are there now only 5 left?

Jimmy Perry (b1923) who wrote Hi Di Hi and Aint Half Hot Mum as well
Pamela Cundell (Mrs Fox) born 1920
Bill Pertwee (put those lights out) b 1926
Frank Williams (Vicar) b 1931
Ian Lavender (don't tell him, Pike) b 1946

Was surprised to see Mrs Pike was only 59 when she died and the verger (Edward Sinclair) died in 1977.

Corporal Jones (Clive Dunn) will be a sad loss to Walmington and his family and many friends. He came from a London stage family, and cousin was Gretchen Franklin (Ethel Skinner)