 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations .(February 2019) |
| "Something Nasty in the Vault" | |
|---|---|
| Dad's Army episode | |
| Episode no. | Series 3 Episode 5 |
| Directed by | David Croft |
| Story by | Jimmy Perry and David Croft |
| Original air date | 9 October 1969 |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
"Something Nasty in the Vault" is the fifth episode of the third series of the British comedy series Dad's Army . It was originally transmitted on Thursday 9 October 1969.
Captain Mainwaring and Sergeant Wilson find themselves trapped in the bank vault with an unexploded bomb.
Walker arrives to pay some money into the bank, and a rather posh looking gentleman is standing behind him. As Pike prepares to cash his money, he discovers one of Walker's £5 notes is a forgery. Mainwaring is shocked to learn that the money came from him, and decides to hush it up. As Walker leaves, the posh gentleman introduces himself as Mr West, a Bank Inspector. Mainwaring's face falls.
He takes him into the office, where West tells him that his monthly report to Head Office has become irregular. Mainwaring blames it on his Home Guard duties. West is shocked to see a Lewis gun perched on the windowsill, and berates Mainwaring for putting the bank in danger. Mainwaring points out that the Lewis gun covers the High Street from Stead and Simpson's to Timothy Whites (referring to chain stores of the period). Suddenly, the air raid siren sounds and their meeting is cut short.
West is less than pleased when they return two hours later, complaining that it could have been one of their planes they heard. Suddenly, he notices a hole in the roof, and flies into a fit of rage, believing that while they were in the Anderson shelter, someone broke into the bank. As he picks up loose notes, both Mainwaring and Wilson vanish. West searches for them, and is shocked to see a massive hole in the floor, where Mainwaring and Wilson are stranded, clutching an unexploded bomb on their laps. West rushes off to get help, bumping into Jones, who quickly takes charge and puts the bank under martial law. He rushes off to get the rest of the platoon and ring the Bomb Disposal Unit, while Pike and ARP Warden Hodges dither about in the office.
Eventually, Jones returns with the platoon, but Mainwaring orders him to get them all out, as he feels there is no point in the platoon risking their lives as well. Initially, Walker agrees with the idea, only to be upbraided for it by an outraged Jones. Jones then asks the rest of the platoon if they want to leave as well, which all the men refuse to do (Godfrey reminds the platoon that Mainwaring would not leave any of them if they were in the same situation; while Pike adds that he could not leave his "Uncle Arthur", as his mother would not like it if he did). Walker then tells Jones that he is not going to leave either. Shortly afterwards, Hodges returns and has a brief argument with Jones as to who is in charge of the situation; this is quickly resolved when Captain Rogers of the Bomb Disposal Unit arrives and takes charge. Unfortunately, both the keys to the strongroom are still in Mainwaring and Wilson's possession, so Frazer uses a fishing rod to yank up one of the keys. Rogers enters the strongroom, and identifies the bomb's fuse as a 'trembler'. He exasperates Mainwaring and Wilson by saying he has to go back to GHQ to pick up some special equipment. After Rogers leaves, Jones and Godfrey bring Mainwaring and Wilson each a cup of coffee, with Godfrey helping them to drink it.
Jones realises that Mainwaring and Wilson cannot hang on much longer, so he proposes an elaborate plan to remove the bomb from them. He and the others build a makeshift pulley in the office and tie the bomb to a piece of rope to pull it up, but in the process, it takes Jones with it.
Later, they all have a drink in the pub, and West congratulates the platoon for saving the bank. Mrs Pike rushes in and offers her compliments to Mainwaring and Wilson. West offers to pay for the drinks, but the note he uses is a dud, so Walker pays it with some money he nabbed from the bank.
In addition to John Snagge's regular role as announcer and newsreader, John Barron featured as Mr West, Frank Thornton as Captain Rogers, and Elizabeth Morgan as Janet King.
Rather than Walker's dud £5 note, Mr West is simply made to wait outside Mainwaring's office. The scene with the platoon refusing to leave was omitted, together with the characters of Privates Godfrey and Walker, and the episode ends with Wilson telling Mainwaring and Jones they should get the hell out of there, the visual gag of Jones getting caught up with the bomb and the pub scene being omitted. [1]
Captain George Mainwaring is a fictional Home Guard captain, first portrayed by Arthur Lowe in the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army. In the 2016 movie he is played by Toby Jones and in the 2019 remake of three missing episodes he is played by Kevin McNally. Mainwaring is the bank manager and Home Guard platoon commander, in the fictional seaside town of Walmington-on-Sea during the Second World War.
The Hon. Sergeant Arthur Wilson is a fictional Home Guard platoon sergeant and bank chief clerk, first portrayed by John Le Mesurier in the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army.
Private Frank Pike is a fictional Home Guard private and junior bank clerk, first portrayed by actor Ian Lavender in the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army. He was appointed as the platoon's information officer by Captain Mainwaring in "The Man and the Hour". He is frequently referred to by Captain Mainwaring as "stupid boy".
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Dad's Army is a British television sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, and originally broadcast on BBC1 from 31 July 1968 to 13 November 1977. It ran for nine series and 80 episodes in total; a feature film released in 1971, a stage show and a radio version based on the television scripts were also produced. The series regularly gained audiences of 18 million viewers and is still shown internationally.