The Captain's Car

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

065 - The Captain's Car
Script	Jimmy Perry and David Croft
Director	David Croft
Producer	David Croft
Recorded	Sunday 17/11/74
Original transmission	Friday 13/12/74 8.00pm
Series	Seven
Length	30 minutes
Original Viewing Figures	15.8 million
Preceded by	The Godiva Affair
Followed by	Turkey Dinner

The Captain's Car is the fifth episode of the seventh series of the British comedy series Dad's Army that was originally transmitted on Friday 13 December 1974.

1 Synopsis
2 Plot
3 Notes
4 Cast

[edit] Synopsis

The platoon inherit a Rolls Royce Staff car, and have to prepare for a visiting French General.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Lady Maltby arrives to see Captain Mainwaring in his office, as she can't get the petrol for her Rolls Royce so is keen to see it used for the war effort. She is carefully maintaining her class distinction, being very superior to Mainwaring, then catches sight of Wilson, and greets him warmly as 'Dear Arthur'. They talk for a few minutes, obviously well acquainted, leaving Mainwaring fuming.

Mainwaring is very keen to use the car, so Frazer offers to do respray it cheaply. Unfortunately there is a misunderstanding when Frazer collects the car, and he takes the Mayor's Rolls Royce instead. A great flap ensues, which is calmed down by the accusation that the Mayor's chauffeur obviously hadn't disabled the car when he left it, which takes the wind out of the angry Mayor's sails. Of course the Mayor's car is now not black but camouflaged, so Frazer has to spray it again.

In the background the town is preparing for the visit of a Free French General. Mainwaring is not impressed, and tells Wilson that "the French don't make very good soldiers you know, especially after lunch". There is a lot of argument between the Wardens and the Home Guard about who should have the most important spot in the Guard of Honour. Frazer just manages to deliver the (now black) Mayor's car in time, but the paint is still tacky.

At the Guard of Honour, The Vicar's choir sings half the French National Anthem ("they didn't have time to learn it all"), Wilson gives a welcoming speech in French, and the French General is so overcome he kisses Wilson, then Mainwaring, on both cheeks. Then something startles him, and he steadies himself with his hands against the Rolls Royce, so that when he kisses the outraged Warden, the Warden ends up with black paint all over his face.

[edit] Notes

[edit] Cast

Cast	Characters
Arthur Lowe	Captain Mainwaring
John Le Mesurier	Sergeant Wilson
Clive Dunn	Lance Corporal Jones
John Laurie	Private Frazer
Arnold Ridley	Private Godfrey
Ian Lavender	Private Pike
Janet Davies	Mrs Pike
Bill Pertwee	ARP Warden Hodges
Talfryn Thomas	Private Cheeseman
Frank Williams	The Vicar
Edward Sinclair	The Verger
John Hart Dyke	The French General
Eric Longworth	Town Clerk
Fred McNaughton	The Mayor
Mavis Pugh	Lady Maltby
Robert Raglan	Colonel