A Man Of Action (Dad's Army)
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"A Man of Action" is the second episode of the seventh series British comedy series ''
Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, and originally broadcast on BBC1 from 31 July 1968 to 13 November 1977. It ran fo ...
''. It was originally transmitted on Friday 22 November 1974.


Synopsis

A
parachute mine A parachute mine is a naval mine dropped from an aircraft by parachute. They were mostly used in the Second World War by the Luftwaffe and initially by the Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command. Frequently, they were dropped on land targets. Histo ...
has ripped up 100 yards of railway track and the gas and water supplies have been cut, the telephone wires are down, and Pike has got his head stuck through the bars of a gate. Mainwaring declares
martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...
.


Plot

Jones and Pike are out on patrol and whilst recreating a childhood
prank A practical joke, or prank, is a mischievous trick played on someone, generally causing the victim to experience embarrassment, perplexity, confusion, or discomfort.Marsh, Moira. 2015. ''Practically Joking''. Logan: Utah State University Press. ...
, Pike gets his head stuck in the park gates. Mainwaring is in the church hall, conducting an interview and photo session with Mr Cheeseman, a member of the local press who is temporarily joining the platoon to report on its activities. Alerted by Jones, Mainwaring and the others come to rescue Pike – unable to free him, they lift the gates off their hinges and carry them back to the church hall with Pike still trapped within them. Once there, Mainwaring tells Cheeseman to keep it secret to avoid public embarrassment. After securing Pike's gate to the ceiling with rope, they discover an emergency meeting in the office by the town elders (namely the Vicar, Warden Hodges, Inspector Baker and Fire Officer Dale) and learn that Walmington-on-Sea is in the grip of a crisis. The railway line has been heavily bombed, leaving the water, telephone and other vital services damaged. The town is, in effect, totally cut off. The
town clerk A clerk is a senior official of many municipal governments in the English-speaking world. In some communities, including most in the United States, the position is elected, but in many others, the clerk is appointed to their post. In the UK, a Tow ...
arrives, panicking, and he and the rest of the
committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...
start bickering about what to do. Realising that they are not providing effective leadership, Mainwaring orders his men to fix
bayonets A bayonet (from French ) is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit on the end of the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar firearm, allowing it to be used as a spear-like weapon.Brayley, Martin, ''Bayonets: An Illustra ...
and steps in, effectively performing a coup d'etat and putting the town under martial law. Hodges implores Inspector Baker to arrest him, but Mainwaring points out that they are up against sixteen fully armed men. He begins issuing a number of stringent edicts to Wilson, Jones and Frazer to shout from their bicycles, including: all looters being shot, all rumour-mongers, defeatists and those not following military law being imprisoned, and for no baths to be taken or liquor to be sold without a permit, which Frazer supports (only because Mainwaring has given him responsibility for alcohol permits). Then, gathering his men behind him, Mainwaring marches on the town hall to take control of the town, denying accusations that he is behaving like "the
dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in tim ...
of some South American
Banana republic In political science, the term banana republic describes a politically unstable country with an economy dependent upon the export of natural resources. In 1904, the American author O. Henry coined the term to describe Honduras and neighboring c ...
". Pike is still stuck in the gate, and the town clerk wrongly assumes this is some form of harsh punishment by Mainwaring. Jones has been given responsibility for bath permits, and old Mr. Bluett comes in, enquiring about how the system works. Despite the confident manner he had departed in, Mainwaring returns from his attempt to seize the town hall, indignantly explaining it was shut by the town clerk, and assuring that he will "deal with him in the morning". Frazer and Wilson say that he is behaving like a tyrant, and usurping the power of the land, but Mainwaring again denies it and says that for their own safety, everyone must "knuckle down" and get used to it. However, when Captain Swan, a tough officer from GHQ arrives to take over command from him, implementing many of the same policies as he had, Mainwaring is himself outraged and the episode ends with him being locked out of his own office, thanks to Frazer telling Swan where the office is. Wilson laughs at Mainwaring's hypocritical nature.


Cast

* Arthur Lowe as
Captain Mainwaring Captain George Mainwaring () is a fictional Home Guard captain, first portrayed by Arthur Lowe in the BBC television sitcom ''Dad's Army''. In the 2016 movie he is played by Toby Jones and in the 2019 remake of three missing episodes he is p ...
*
John Le Mesurier John Le Mesurier (, born John Elton Le Mesurier Halliley; 5 April 191215 November 1983) was an English actor. He is perhaps best remembered for his comedic role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the BBC television situation c ...
as
Sergeant Wilson Sergeant Arthur Wilson is a fictional Home Guard platoon sergeant and bank chief clerk, first portrayed by John Le Mesurier in the BBC television sitcom ''Dad's Army''. Background Wilson was born in 1887, and is carefree, cheerful and well ...
*
Clive Dunn Clive Robert Benjamin Dunn (9 January 19206 November 2012) was an English actor. Although he was only 48 and one of the youngest cast members, he was cast in a role many years his senior, as the elderly Lance Corporal Jones in the BBC sitcom ' ...
as
Lance Corporal Jones Lance Corporal Jack Jones is a fictional Home Guard platoon lance corporal and veteran of the British Empire, first portrayed by Clive Dunn in the BBC television sitcom ''Dad's Army''. His catchphrases are "Don't panic!", "Permission to speak, ...
*
John Laurie John Paton Laurie (25 March 1897 – 23 June 1980) was a Scottish actor. In the course of his career, Laurie performed on the stage and in films as well as television. He is perhaps best remembered for his role in the sitcom '' Dad's Army'' (19 ...
as
Private Frazer Private James Frazer is a fictional Home Guard platoon member and undertaker, first portrayed by John Laurie in the BBC television sitcom ''Dad's Army''. He is noted for his catchphrases "We're doomed!" and "Rubbish!" Personality Frazer was b ...
*
Arnold Ridley William Arnold Ridley, OBE (7 January 1896 – 12 March 1984) was an English playwright and actor, earlier in his career known for writing the play '' The Ghost Train'' and later in life in the British TV sitcom ''Dad's Army'' (1968–1977) as ...
as
Private Godfrey Private Charles Godfrey MM is a fictional Home Guard platoon member, first portrayed by Arnold Ridley in the BBC television sitcom ''Dad's Army''. and in the 1971 ''Dad's Army'' film. He is retired and was previously a tailor for the Civil ...
*
Ian Lavender Arthur Ian Lavender (born 16 February 1946) is an English stage, film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Private Pike in the BBC sitcom '' Dad's Army'', and is the last surviving major cast member of the series following t ...
as
Private Pike Private Frank Pike is a fictional Home Guard private and junior bank clerk, first portrayed by actor Ian Lavender in the BBC television sitcom ''Dad's Army''. He was appointed as the platoon's information officer by Captain Mainwaring in The Man ...
*
Bill Pertwee William Desmond Anthony Pertwee, (21 July 1926 – 27 May 2013) was a British comedy actor. He played the role of Chief ARP Warden Hodges in the sitcom '' Dad's Army''. Early life Pertwee was born in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, on 21 July 192 ...
as ARP Warden Hodges * Talfryn Thomas as Mr Cheeseman * Frank Williams as The Vicar *
Edward Sinclair Edward Sinclair Perry (3 February 1914 – 29 August 1977) was an English actor who played the role of verger Maurice Yeatman in ''Dad's Army''. He also made appearances in ''Z-Cars'' and ''Danger Man''. The earliest work in his belated m ...
as The Verger * Eric Longworth as the Town Clerk *
Harold Bennett Harold Frank Bennett (17 November 1898 – 11 September 1981) was an English actor, active in stage, television and film best remembered for being in sitcoms written and produced by David Croft, having played 'Young Mr. Grace' in the 1970s Bri ...
as Mr. Bluett *
Colin Bean Colin Bean (15 April 1926 – 20 June 2009) was an English actor. He was best known for his role as Private Sponge in the BBC comedy series '' Dad's Army''. Early life Born in Wigan, Lancashire, Bean's father played football for local side Wig ...
as Private Sponge *
Arnold Peters William Arnold Peters (May 14, 1922 – September 17, 1996) was a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Timiskaming in the House of Commons of Canada from 1957 to 1980. He was originally elected as a member of the Co-operative Co ...
as Fire Officer Dale * Jay Denyer as Inspector Baker *
Robert Mill The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
as Captain Swan


Notes

#This is the first episode that introduces Mr Cheeseman as a member of the platoon. He had previously appeared in the episode "
My British Buddy "My British Buddy" is the second episode of the sixth series of the British television sitcom ''Dad's Army''. It was originally transmitted on BBC 1 on Wednesday 7 November 1973. Synopsis Following Pearl Harbor, the Americans have joined the fig ...
" as a reporter from the ''Eastbourne Gazette'' who photographed Mainwaring being punched by an American Colonel. In the radio adaptation he is replaced by
Jonathan Cecil Jonathan Hugh Gascoyne-Cecil (22 February 1939 – 22 September 2011), known as Jonathan Cecil, was an English theatre, film, and television actor. Early life Cecil was born in London, England, the son of Lord David Cecil and the grands ...
playing a character named Mr Norris. {{DEFAULTSORT:Man of Action Dad's Army series 7 episodes 1974 British television episodes