A Man of Action (Dad's Army) - Revision history

Kurt: /* Plot */

2023-02-24T16:42:34Z

Plot

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:42, 24 February 2023
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	Jones and Pike are out on patrol and whilst recreating a childhood [[prank]], Pike gets his head stuck in the park gates. Mainwaring is in the church hall, conducting an interview and photo session with [[List of characters in Dad's Army#Other platoon members\|Mr Cheeseman]], a member of the local press who is temporarily joining the platoon to report on its activities. Alerted by Jones, Mainwaring comes 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.		Jones and Pike are out on patrol and whilst recreating a childhood [[prank]], Pike gets his head stuck in the park gates. Mainwaring is in the church hall, conducting an interview and photo session with [[List of characters in Dad's Army#Other platoon members\|Mr Cheeseman]], a member of the local press who is temporarily joining the platoon to report on its activities. Alerted by Jones, Mainwaring comes 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, 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#United Kingdom\|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. Realising that the bickering [[committee]] are not providing effective leadership, Mainwaring orders his men to fix [[~~bayonets~~]] 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 16 fully armed men.		Once there, 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#United Kingdom\|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. Realising that the bickering [[committee]] are not providing effective leadership, Mainwaring orders his men to fix [[bayonet]]s 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 16 fully armed men.

	He begins issuing a number of stringent edicts to Wilson and Jones 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 [[liquor]] to be sold or [[Bathing\|baths]] to be taken without a permit, which Frazer supports (mainly 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]] of some South American [[Banana republic]]". Jones has been given responsibility for bath permits, and old Mr. Bluett comes in, enquiring about how the system works.		He begins issuing a number of stringent edicts to Wilson and Jones 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 [[liquor]] to be sold or [[Bathing\|baths]] to be taken without a permit, which Frazer supports (mainly 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]] of some South American [[Banana republic]]". Jones has been given responsibility for bath permits, and old Mr. Bluett comes in, enquiring about how the system works.

Kurt at 16:39, 24 February 2023

2023-02-24T16:39:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:39, 24 February 2023
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	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=November 2012}}~~
	{{Infobox television episode		{{Infobox television episode
	\| series = [[Dad's Army]]		\| series = [[Dad's Army]]

Kurt at 21:52, 10 November 2022

2022-11-10T21:52:31Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:52, 10 November 2022
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	~~{{Other uses\|Man of Action (disambiguation){{!}}Man of Action}}~~
	~~{{Unreferenced\|date=February 2019}}~~
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=November 2012}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=November 2012}}
	{{Infobox television episode		{{Infobox television episode

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2022-08-26T20:08:35Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 15:08, 26 August 2022
(No difference)

en>Tassedethe: Tassedethe moved page A Man of Action to A Man of Action (Dad's Army): prep for disambiguation

2022-06-05T20:34:03Z

Tassedethe moved page A Man of Action to A Man of Action (Dad's Army): prep for disambiguation

New page

{{Other uses|Man of Action (disambiguation){{!}}Man of Action}}
{{Unreferenced|date=February 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2012}}
{{Infobox television episode
| series = [[Dad's Army]]
| image =
| caption =
| series_no = 7
| episode = 2
| director = [[David Croft (TV producer)|David Croft]]
| story = [[Jimmy Perry]] and David Croft
| producer = David Croft
| airdate = {{Start date|1974|11|22|df=y}}
| length = 30 minutes
| guests =
| prev = [[Everybody's Trucking]]
| next = [[Gorilla Warfare (Dad's Army)|Gorilla Warfare]]
}}

"'''A Man of Action'''" is the second episode of the seventh series British comedy series ''[[Dad's Army]]''. It was originally transmitted on Friday 22 November 1974.

==Synopsis==
A [[parachute mine]] 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.

==Plot==
Jones and Pike are out on patrol and whilst recreating a childhood [[prank]], Pike gets his head stuck in the park gates. Mainwaring is in the church hall, conducting an interview and photo session with [[List of characters in Dad's Army#Other platoon members|Mr Cheeseman]], a member of the local press who is temporarily joining the platoon to report on its activities. Alerted by Jones, Mainwaring comes 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, 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#United Kingdom|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. Realising that the bickering [[committee]] are not providing effective leadership, Mainwaring orders his men to fix [[bayonets]] 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 16 fully armed men.

He begins issuing a number of stringent edicts to Wilson and Jones 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 [[liquor]] to be sold or [[Bathing|baths]] to be taken without a permit, which Frazer supports (mainly 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]] of some South American [[Banana republic]]". Jones has been given responsibility for bath permits, and old Mr. Bluett comes in, enquiring about how the system works.

Pike is still stuck in the gates, and several passers-by wrongly assume this is some form of harsh punishment by Mainwaring. 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. He assures 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.

However, when a tough officer, Captain Swan, from [[Headquarters|GHQ]] arrives to take over command from him, implementing much 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==
{{div col}}
*[[Arthur Lowe]] as [[Captain Mainwaring]]
*[[John Le Mesurier]] as [[Sergeant Wilson]]
*[[Clive Dunn]] as [[Lance Corporal Jones]]
*[[John Laurie]] as [[Private Frazer]]
*[[Arnold Ridley]] as [[Private Godfrey]]
*[[Ian Lavender]] as [[Private Pike]]
*[[Bill Pertwee]] as [[Chief ARP Warden Hodges|ARP Warden Hodges]]
*[[Talfryn Thomas]] as [[List of characters in Dad's Army#Other platoon members|Mr Cheeseman]]
*[[Frank Williams (actor)|Frank Williams]] as [[Reverend Timothy Farthing|The Vicar]]
*[[Edward Sinclair]] as [[Maurice Yeatman|The Verger]]
*[[Eric Longworth]] as the Town Clerk
*[[Harold Bennett]] as Mr. Bluett
*[[Colin Bean]] as [[List of characters in Dad's Army#Other platoon members|Private Sponge]]
*[[Arnold Peters (actor)|Arnold Peters]] as Fire Officer Dale
*[[Jay Denyer]] as Inspector Baker
*[[Robert Mill]] as Captain Swan
{{div col end}}

==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]]" as a reporter from the ''Eastbourne Gazette'' who photographed Mainwaring being punched by an American Colonel. In the radio adaptation he becomes 'Mr Norris' (played by [[Jonathan Cecil]]).

{{Dad's Army}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Man of Action}}
[[Category:Dad's Army (series 7) episodes]]
[[Category:1974 British television episodes]]