Jimmy Perry let the cat out of the bag regarding a
new feature film in October 2012. He was speaking
at an Appreciation Society event when he said
informed the gathered members;
“I can tell you the red hot latest news that I havebeen working with Ann Croft and we have justfinished negotiating a multi-million pound deal witha film company who want to do another film. I haveno idea what this will be like or who they might cast,I think there is talk of casting a lady in the lead role,who knows what will happen.”
This tit-bit was picked up by the National media
and caused an outcry - how dare they replace
Mainwaring with a woman!
It wasn’t true, Jimmy hadn’t said Mainwaring
would be a woman, but the film garnered
extensive free publicity in the process.
Messing about with a National Treasure was not
going to be easy, but the producers filled the main
roles with seasoned and well respected actors.
The screenplay was written with affection towards
the original by Hamish McColl, a long-time fan of
the series.
The film was partly sponsored by Screen
Yorkshire, which resulted in their North East coast
substituting for the Cliffs of Dover. Luckily, they are
also white.
Filmed entirely on location, filming started on
a cold, wet and windy day in October 2014 near
Scarborough where the press had already gathered
- such was the interest in the new film.
Bridlington Old Town was the location for
Walmington-on-Sea and the large crowd scenes
filmed there on 15 November for the end sequence
created even more press attention.
Three welcome additions to the film were Frank
Williams, recreating his Vicar role, Ian Lavender,
this time as a Brigadier and the original Jones’
Butchers Van, looking resplendent after is
restoration.
A character who raised the eyebrows of many was
Mrs Mainwaring, played by Felicity Montagu. One
of the running jokes in the series had been that the
viewer never saw George Mainwaring’s wife and
had to build up their own picture of her.
Some of the scenes were reminiscent of several TV
episodes, particularly where Mainwaring meets
Rose in the Marigold Tea Rooms and Godfrey’s ‘open
air’ attire in an early scene.
Other aspects of the film stray from their TV
characters, particularly with Wilson’s background
and Jones’ revelations.
The film was premiered in London’s West End at
the Odeon Leicester Square on 5 February 2016
with most of the cast present. Jimmy Perry also
managed to attend despite a recent illness.
Reviews were lukewarm, although Toby Jones
portrayal as Mainwaring came in for some praise.
Public reaction was much better and theatres
reported healthy attendances, with the film still
being shown in smaller cinemas long after its
February release.
The film ended up grossing over $12.8 million
Plot Synopsis
The action commences on a train speeding through
the countryside towards the heart of London in
1944. Germany are on their back foot and their
spies are desperate to thwart or interrogate any
British plans for the invasion of the continent. A spy
on the train is followed and cornered on a London
rooftop where he attaches a message to a carrier
pigeon.
Their attempt fails, so they engage agent Cobra,
sending her in to Walmington-on-Sea as journalist
Rose Winters. The town is close to the suspected
invasion base so her cover is to write about the
local Home Guard and their exploits.
In similar vein to the episode ‘Wake Up,
Walmington’, the platoon feel they are only
being used for domestic services rather than
national security, as the first scene involving a bull
demonstrates. The war has been on for five years
and a German invasion seems far off.
The Platoon first meet Rose on an exercise just
outside Walmington where it is revealed that
Wilson was once her tutor at Oxford University
Using her womanly ways, Winters beguiles several
platoon members to be accepted into the platoon
briefings or manoeuvres, although they refuse the
latter.
We see the domestic side to several platoon
members, and their partners can all see what
effect Rose is having on them. Mainwaring buys a
Homburg hat that he feels makes him Churchillian
and Wilson invests in a new suit.
Rose uses this to her advantage.
Eventually, the platoon are given a task to patrol
the cliffs near Dover (all top secret) and Rose
suspects this is important and steps up her efforts
to accompany the platoon.
MI5 have intercepted a radio signal transmitted
to Berlin from Walmington-on-Sea and alert
Mainwaring.
Meantime, a couple of town residents, Cissy
and Dolly Godfrey, take it upon themselves to
investigate Rose Winters who tries to divert
suspicions when they get near the truth.
Pikes’s girlfriend, Vera discovers Winters with her
radio and destroys it, but is gagged, tied up and left
on the shore with a rising tide.
Following an incident near the secret base,
Mainwaring is stepped down from command but
is desperate to make amends and prove himself.
Rose Winters puts it into Mainwaring’s mind that
it is Wilson who is the spy and he his tied up under
suspicion and interrogated in the Church Hall.
Cissy and Dolly reveal their findings but
Mainwaring does not believe them and follows
Winters to the beach where a U Boat emerges.
Initially mistaking Mainwaring for Churchill
they try to capture him but by now the platoon
have arrived and a battle ensues, joined by Mrs
Mainwaring and her platoon of ATS girls.
During the exchange, they discover Vera in danger
from the incoming tide, tied to a concrete bollard,
so Pike makes a heroic rescue.
Rose tries to swim to the U Boat but gets into
difficulties and is rescued by Mainwaring and
arrested, much to the amazement of an onlooking
Colonel Theakes.
At the Walmington Town Parade, Mainwaring
proudly leads his platoon, his position and
reputation re-instated.
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