It’s still a mainstay of the prime-time schedules some 37 years after it ended, and now it appears Dad’s Army is to be remade for the big screen by the director of the rebooted ST TRINIAN’S.
One of the few series with black and white episodes to enjoy an airing in the digital age, the sitcom acquires new legions of fans each decade, with the BBC licensing mugs, t-shirts and even iPhone covers featuring its elderly cast. Based on Jimmy Perry and David Croft’s Second World War experiences, it followed the frequently shambolic activities of the Home Guard in a sleepy coastal resort.
A movie was made in 1971 by Columbia Pictures featuring the original cast which performed well, but the mix of Hollywood and Walmington-On-Sea received mixed reactions from the critics and the grumpy ensemble cast weren’t happy with the results.
With Oliver Parker reportedly in the director’s chair and Hamish McColl (MR BEAN’S HOLIDAY) writing the script the prospects are wide open. Parker’s work on ST TRINIANS could hardly be described as the peak of hilarity and if you add his credit of JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN alarm bells start to at least tinkle. But with the right treatment in place and crucially a strong cast it would take some doing to ride this one off the rails.
Much more promising are the cast details. Toby Jones (BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO) exudes the pomposity of Arthur Lowe’s Captain Mainwaring without being an imitation and best of all Bill Nighy is being mentioned as Sergeant Wilson, a good replacement for the ultimate laconic British actor John Le Mesurier.
The key question is, is it worth exhuming the spirit of the show for what will probably only be a couple of movies at best? ST TRINIANS managed a couple of gos but the films could hardly be described as worthwhile or necessary. I don’t consider this the comedy sacrilege that some might, but the spectre of turkeys like Steve Martin’s SGT BILKO still loom large. Time will tell if Parker can march this brand further into the twenty- first century.
Source: BBC
