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Post by Katie on Mar 9, 2011 9:13:45 GMT 12
Series 5 Episode 8: All is Safely Gathered In
Broadcast on 24/11/72
Godfrey request three days holiday, so Mainwaring calls him into his office. Godfrey tells how before the Boer War he fell for a beautiful woman who lived nearby. The lady eventually married a farmer, but now she's widowed and has a huge farm to look after; with her foreman in hospital with a hernia problem, and only three land girls to manage 100 acres of wheat, she needs help with the harvest. Understanding her plight, Mainwaring suggests the whole platoon helps Mrs Prentice.
At the farm, Mrs Prentice says she has a problem: her neighbour, Mr Yates hasn't supplied his thresher because he's behind on his own harvest, and no one knows how to work hers. Mainwaring isn't worried because Sponge is a farmer, but he's sheep farmer and hasn't a clue about threshing machines. Jones eventually saves the day in his usual long-winded way, and the men get to work.
It isn't long before problems start with Jones falling in the hopper, shredding his trousers in the process. But the harvesting continues and everyone works hard, except Walker who spends his time chatting up the land girls.
After three days' graft the harvest is complete, and the men celebrate with potato wine and home-made pasties. By the time the Vicar arrives to bless the harvest, nearly everyone is drunk and it's not long before there's trouble among the congregation.
Also appearing: Bill Pertwee (ARP Warden), Brenda Cowling (Mrs Prentice), Frank Williams (Vicar), Edward Sinclair (Verger), Colin Bean (Pte Sponge), April Walker & Tina Cornioli (Land Girls)
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Post by Scrumdown on Mar 9, 2011 20:28:36 GMT 12
This episode is an un-sung favourite of mine. Almost never makes it onto TV, but kills me every time.
Not sure what's funnier - Hodges deciding to show respect and kindness to Mainwaring as a result of his "near death experience" and being treated with derision for it, Jones losing his trousers or the drunken pushing and shoving at the end...."ere, who do you think you're pushing?!!!"
Hilarious.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 12, 2011 0:13:14 GMT 12
Without doubt this is one of the all time stand out top episodes. It's a laugh from start till finish. Godfrey trying to get the time off to help with the harvest, whilst Mainwaring just assumes he wants to go to the loo is a great comedic misunderstanding, punctuated with Jones saying he'd get the Verger to hold it for him.
Walker and the Land Girls and Godfrey and his lady friend add atocuh of romance. Sponge gets a nice little scene too, which is very fitting as this episode's scenario was Colin Bean's idea. He'd remembered the Home Guard helping with the harvest when he was a kid in the war, and suggested it.
The drunken argy bargy at the end is also hilarious. A brilliant epsiode. Also nice is there's some great home movie of them making this episode.
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Post by Katie on Mar 13, 2011 19:41:37 GMT 12
I always get the impession that this episode must've been lots of fun to film too! Nearly all shot on location, out in the beaufitul Norfolk countryside, in lovely weather; it must've hardly felt like work at all!! ;D
This is also where a lot of the behind the scene footage was taken on someones old cine camera wasn't it? A lovely little addition to a brilliant episode!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 14, 2011 11:10:29 GMT 12
Yes, I mentioned the home movie footage above. Although there's also home movie footage of them making The Big Parade and Big Guns I think it was too. And the stage show.
If you look carefully in the background in some scenes you can see 1970's vehicles driving down a distant road in this episode. They are not too recognisable and coud easily double as wartime traffic.
One thing that bugs me about the episode is how Mrs Prentice calls Mainwaring Colonel, and no-one corrects her. You'd think Frazer at least would jump all over that.
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Post by Scrumdown on Mar 14, 2011 20:11:50 GMT 12
I noticed that too. Throughout all the episodes of DA, there are lots of mistakes with rank etc. Mainwaring regularly calls fellow captains "sir" (Something Nasty... for example) and Jones addresses sergeants and WO's as sir too. Although I think WO's have always been addressed as sir by subordinates.
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Post by Crabtree on Mar 14, 2011 21:30:02 GMT 12
I must watch this again...loved it at the end when they were all drunk.
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Post by jonboy on Mar 15, 2011 0:30:28 GMT 12
A great episode, I used to think that Mrs Prentice calling Captain Mainwaring 'Colonel' was just an error they decided to keep in but its on the radio version as well, it looks like they all had great fun making it, poor old Clive Dunn nearly losing' that what he held most dear'.. Lots of fun.
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Post by turntostone on Mar 15, 2011 1:59:09 GMT 12
I love this episode too - what with Jones nearly losing 'that which he holds most dear' in the threshing machine and Walker canoodling with the land girls  The scene at the end where they're all drunk from the potato wine and pushing and shoving each other whilst the poor vicar is trying to bless the harvest is just so funny. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 15, 2011 10:56:30 GMT 12
I think Jones calls Sgts Sir because of his many years as a butcher where he calls everyone Sir and Madam. Just like his habit of answering the phone with "Jack Jones, the butcher".
Yes Warrant Officers are all called Sir.
And you're right Jonboy, Mrs Prentice's error was scripted. And it's natural as an old lady might get ranks confused. It's just that I find it odd that no-one corrected her for giving Mainwaring a rank well above his station.
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Post by stephen68 on Dec 6, 2012 7:09:03 GMT 12
Funny from start to finish, gave this 9/10,
In the episode Never Too Old is it Mrs Prentice , that Godfrey mentions to his sister that seems to get her in a panic?.
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Post by Molly on Dec 6, 2012 21:45:27 GMT 12
Hi Stephen, yes, it is Mrs Prentice. I always thought Mrs Prentice looked about 30 years younger than Godfrey  She had grey hair, but her face was completely smooth and unlined. It was a very sweet scene when Mrs Prentice and Godfrey are holding hands and I love the little reference to "that night" or something like that. |
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Post by stephen68 on Dec 6, 2012 22:46:07 GMT 12
Hi Molly
Now you come to mention it she does look quite a lot younger than Godfrey, maybe that is why she left him and married Mr.Prentice, due to their age difference.
Drinking the potato wine must have lowered their inhibitions " that night".
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Post by JM2461 on Dec 12, 2012 2:14:07 GMT 12
Another top episode, I especially like the "outdoor" episodes where they get outside for a while. I agree with everything above, I can't really elaborate much on that except that this episode has one of those subtle scenes that no one ever mentions. One of those small scenes that I find hilarious and that's when Mainwaring asks Wilson if he knows anything about operating the steam engine and he answers in the negative and Pike says he doesn't even know how to use a tin-opener, Wilson says it's not very funny and Mainwaring says (off camera) "It's probably true though". |
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Post by tlyne on Apr 1, 2013 8:31:20 GMT 12
I watched this episode today. It's one of my favorites. "Yon Godfrey has a queer, fey look. More than likely he's a sexual maniac." Is one of the funniest lines in the show.
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Post by gingerfruit on Aug 21, 2013 8:54:55 GMT 12
Not quite a Threshing machine but I attended a fire in an old Combine Harvester last night. We had to dismantle it and the temptation to show the crews how it worked like Jonesy does was overwhelming. What also made me laugh was when one of my lads had to look in the top of the harvester. I thought if he falls in will he lose what he holds dear to himself?  He didn't by the way, fall in I mean! Oh, and there weren't any 'well stacked' land girls either. |
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Post by Molly on Aug 24, 2013 22:42:28 GMT 12
Not quite a Threshing machine but I attended a fire in an old Combine Harvester last night. We had to dismantle it and the temptation to show the crews how it worked like Jonesy does was overwhelming. What also made me laugh was when one of my lads had to look in the top of the harvester. I thought if he falls in will he lose what he holds dear to himself? He didn't by the way, fall in I mean! Oh, and there weren't any 'well stacked' land girls either. Hee hee, great story gingerfruit. I'm very glad no-one fell in |
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Post by Pauliow on Sept 18, 2013 7:28:04 GMT 12
Pike with the tommy gun cracks me up every time! :-)
"Look at this Mr. Mainwaring... NYAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
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Post by tlyne on Apr 4, 2014 11:05:11 GMT 12
They also call it a "Chicago Piano".
Edit-and with that post, I make Verger. Now I have to get rid of my funny face.
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Grace
U-Boat Captain
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Post by Grace on Jan 21, 2015 8:22:46 GMT 12
i absolutely love this episode. it is one of the best episodes for Jones. watching him telling everyone how to use the machine and then stopping to look at the ladder for a few seconds, confused, then finally falling over is the icing on the cake. Watching him chucking the wheat the wrong way and nothing comes through the machine 'i'm loading as fast as i can Mr. Mainwaring!' and then falling in the hopper...brilliant
Take the trousers off that scarecrow!
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The scene at the end where they're all drunk from the potato wine and pushing and shoving each other whilst the poor vicar is trying to bless the harvest is just so funny.
She had grey hair, but her face was completely smooth and unlined. It was a very sweet scene when Mrs Prentice and Godfrey are holding hands and I love the little reference to "that night" or something like that. 
He didn't by the way, fall in I mean! Oh, and there weren't any 'well stacked' land girls either.
