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Interesting
Facts about this episode
- Char-Wallah Punka Wallah Muhammed (Dino Shafeek)
appeared with Henry in "Carry on Emmanuel"
Neat Places to Visit
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Henry as "The Brigadier"
in this classic Jimmy Perry/ David Croft sit-com
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Henry plays a slightly odd-ball
Brigadier, in this episode of the classic British sit-com. henry is quite simply
superb, playing the upper-middle class Brigadier, with his usual air of
authority.
WW2 in India is nearing it's end and
in the Brigadier's (Henry McGee) own words "The Japs are on the
run".
The Brigadier has requested a private show from the Concert Party, but
what does he have in mind? After witnessing the show, the Brigadier unveils
his 'crackpot' plan. As the first wave of commando's go in, the concert
party will perform their show directly behind them. The Concert Party will
have "Bullets whistling around their ears", it will improve
moral. The Concert Party is
unimpressed, but Sgt. Major Williams (Windsor Davies) is relishing the
thought of some real action at last. The Brigadier then goes onto to say
he wants to hear "... of a Pianist mentioned in Dispatches...Why not have a
Ventriloquist VC?". Gunner Graham (John Clegg) and Gunner Parkin
(Christopher Mitchell) do not look impressed.
Sgt. Major Williams is in his element, he gets to train the Concert Party
in the art of combat warfare for four weeks. He enforces drilled 'quick
change', where the party have to perform a change of costume to the tunes
of "The Minute Waltz" (played in 30 seconds). On their first maneuver,
the Concert party follow the Commando's. On each of three attacks they
perform a costume musical number, whilst being fired at and bombed, in
order....
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"The Teddies bear Picnic"
(dressed as teddy Bears)
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"Apple foir the Teacher"
(dressed as Schoolgirls)
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"If you knew Suzi" (dressed
in 1920's Charleston drag)
However, when the Concert party camp for
the night it becomes apparent the part are lost. Fearing loss of face, the
officers Colonel Reynolds (Donald Hewlett) and Captain Ashwood (Michael
Knowles) refuse to radio for help, fearing they will "look like
idiots". Sgt Major Williams secretly stole a homing
device from the Commando's during the day and whilst looking at their meager
rations of dried biscuits and milk with no tea, instructs Gunner
Mackintosh (Stuart McGugan) to switch it on. the Sgt. Majors plan is that a relief plane plane will then fly in and drop an emergency ration of
decent food.... little do the Concert Party know, that the Japanese
has stolen a homing device too and have been using it to get food for
themselves. The Commandos issue an order not to use the device as the next
signal received will be interpreted as a Japanese effort to get food from
the British.
At Breakfast the next morning, the officers
finally instruct Gunner Parkin to radio for help, it's then that
the Sgt Major has to confess to the Colonel and Captain what he has been
doing. The Officers are quite impressed with the idea of getting decent
food so allow the device to continue sending it's message. On receiving
the Concert Party's voice broadcast, a rather agitated Brigadier (our Henry)
tells Gunner Parkin to "Get off the radio and maintain radio
silence", puzzled, the Concert Party look to the sky as what they
believe is a marker flare slowly descends to the ground ....well it is a marker
flare...but..for a fighter aircraft dropping bombs..not dropping food. The
BRITISH aircraft obviously believes the Concert party are Japanese.
Gunner Graham then points out that if one
of the troop stand in the fire of the aircraft, the pilot will obviously
realise that they are British (being white and blond, as opposed to yellow
and dark). So, the "whitest" and "blondest" man is
forced to stand in the line of fire to convince the pilot they are
British.....Gunner Sugden (Don Estelle) is volunteered.
The plan works, but there is a casualty.
The Colonel is giving his rousing speech in true "Henry V"
fashion. The Colonel then reveals the identity of the casualty, ....none other
than "Jungle Jim" Gunner Parkin's Ventriloquist dummy, who has
had his head clean blown off.
Gunner Beaumont (Melvyn Hayes) then points
out to the Sgt Major, that "Jungle Jim" was a fatality of
British bombs, not Japanese....the Sgt Major just tells Gunner Beaumont
that the Colonel is a "...fine British Man" and the story ends.
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