Trivia / Dad's Army (1971)

• Author's Saving Throw: During the scene of Captain Mainwaring inspecting his platoon for the first time (adapted from the Pilot, "The Man and the Hour"), Private Godfrey is given Private Bracewell's role of "man in tuxedo with golfclub", while Private Godfrey's original role ("man with gun who refuses to give it up") is given to General Wilkinson. This works in the film's favour as later in the series, Private Godfrey became a pacifist who couldn't kill a mouse, let alone a Nazi, and wouldn't have wanted to keep a gun.
• Blooper:
  • In Mr. Mainwaring's first scene, there is a notice mentioning Chalfont St. Giles (where the film was shot) rather than Walmington-on-Sea.
  • The camera crew is visible in the reflection on the window of Elliot's radio store.
  • Mr. Jones' jacket disappears when he leaves the police station for the church hall.
  • Captain Mainwaring's shotgun changes position twice during the roadblock scene.
  • During the rocket test, the rocket is first seen falling vertically from high up, but when it hits the barn, it is horizontal and only a few feet off the ground.
  • During the march where the men change from civvies to full uniform, the shadow of the camera crew is briefly visible.
  • The men in the armoured car point their guns the wrong way during the firing drill.
  • The men lined up by the steamroller disappear in the close-up of Captain Mainwaring and Lance Corporal Jones.
  • The steamroller drives over the same set of tents twice.
  • When General Fullard is holding the reins to his horse, he is no longer holding them in the close-up shot.
  • The river under the pontoon bridge changes direction between shots.
• Completely Different Title:
  • Belgium: Here Come the Shooters.
  • Brazil: Heroic Fighters.
  • Norway: Hello, Home Guard.
  • Romania: Grandpa's Army.
  • Sweden: Gunmen.
• Creator Backlash: Neither the cast nor crew were happy with the film. Jimmy Perry in particular was unhappy with the studio recasting the role of Mrs. Pike with Liz Fraser after Janet Davies had played her in the series.
• Creator Killer: Narrowly Averted, as the film nearly got Norman Cohen sacked by Columbia Pictures.
• The Danza: Franz, and Privates Hastings, Hancock, and Lesley were named for their actors - Franz Van Norde, Hugh Hastings, George Hancock, and Leslie Noyes.
• Executive Meddling:
  • Norman Cohen rewrote the screenplay to try and make the film more cinematic rather than just another episode of the show, while executives from Columbia Pictures made other changes to the film's plot and pacing.
  • Columbia Pictures got the crew to film in Chalfont St. Giles rather than Thetford, and rather controversially had Liz Fraser playing Mrs. Pike over Janet Davies.
• Fake Nationality: Paul Dawkins, Sam Kydd, George Roubicek, Scott Fredericks, and Franz Van Norde are all Brits playing Nazis.
• The Other Darrin:
  • Norman Cohen had Liz Fraser take over Janet Davies' role of Mrs. Pike as he wanted a "sexier" actress for the role.
  • Harriet Rhys took over Catherine Dowdeswell's role as Miss King.
  • A vehicular variation; Lance Corporal Jones' van was a Ford Model AA rather than the usual Ford BB (which, funnily enough, did appear in the 2016 film).
• Recycled Script: The film copies the plots of some episodes from the series, such as "The Man and the Hour" (the formation of the platoon), "The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones" (Lance Corporal Jones' van being turned into an armoured car and converted to gas), and "Battle School" (the platoon getting lost on the way to a training base, causing them to miss dinner and breakfast).
• Stillborn Franchise: A sequel called Dad's Army and the Secret U-Boat Base was planned but never came to fruition.
• Uncredited Role: We don't find out who played Raymond, Fred, or Councillor Mrs. Haines.
• Wag the Director: Arthur Lowe was absent from the longjohns scene as he had a clause in his contract that he was never appear on-screen without his trousers on.
• What Could Have Been:
  • David Croft and Jimmy Perry's initial screenplay was less cinematic with a different plot and pacing before Norman Cohen and Columbia Pictures' Executive Meddling took place.
  • An early draft ended in 1945, showing the disbanding of the Home Guard and Captain Mainwaring being presented with an engraved silver tankard.

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