Читать книгу Dad’s Army - Richard Webber - Страница 8

‘THE LION HAS PHONES’

Jones, inside a phone box, tries reporting an enemy plane has crashed. Unfortunately, he’s incorrectly connected to the local cinema.

JONES: Major Brooks?

DOREEN: (With puzzled look at receiver) Yes, that’s right.

JONES: Can you help me?

DOREEN: Certainly, sir…One of Our Aircraft is Missing.

JONES: That’s funny, I thought it was one of theirs.

DOREEN: No…it’s One of Our Aircraft is Missing. It went up five minutes ago.

JONES: Well, it’s come down now.

DOREEN: No, sir…it doesn’t come down till 10.30…if you hurry you’ll just catch it. Eric Portman and Googie Withers are in it.

‘Stupid boy!’ (Mainwaring)

JONES: Well, why are they shooting at us?

DOREEN: No, sir…they’re not still shooting it…it’s finished.

Did you know?

Some of the characters’ names were altered before the first episode was made: while Private Frazer was originally to be called Private Duck and Joe Walker was Joe Fish, Jack Jones started life as Jim and was going to have a twin brother, George.

Memories…

‘I took a while to accept the part because I was worried about how they’d treat the sergeant. Alfie Bass and Bill Fraser were in The Army Game and Bill Fraser did a rather old-fashioned sergeant; I was concerned they might choose someone to play the sergeant like that. But it was brilliant casting when John Le Mesurier was asked to play the character. When he said he was going to do it, I agreed, too. I didn’t know Arthur Lowe’s work at all, or any of the other guys except John Le Mesurier, so when I knew he was going to be in it, I knew I had a mate there.’

CLIVE DUNN