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MATTER OF FACT: THE KING OF COMEDY
THURSDAY 28
FEBRUARY 2002
7.30PM
- 8.00PM
BBC
TWO (EAST)
For the past thirty years, David Croft has been responsible for
some of the most popular comedy shows on British television. His
catalogue of successes includes ‘Dad’s Army’, ‘Allo
Allo’, ‘Hi de Hi’, ‘It Ain’t Half Hot Mum’
and ‘Are You being Served’ ,and nearly all of his location
filming was done in Norfolk and Suffolk. This week’s Matter
of Fact meets the Thetford-based comedy legend and tells his incredible
story.
David Croft was born in 1922. His parents were both actors, his
mother Anne a famous stage actress, while father Reginald made a
successful career in Hollywood as a radio actor. Perhaps not surprisingly
David was soon involved in show business himself.
The Second World War delayed David’s budding career, and he
quickly rose to the rank of Major serving in North Africa, India
and Singapore. But once de-mobbed he was back in show business again.
Spells as an actor and singer eventually led to television producing,
where he cut his teeth working with the likes of Frankie Howerd,
Dick Emery and Benny Hill.
For the past fifty years David has been married to Anne, a former
theatrical agent, and it was she who introduced David to an actor
called Jimmy Perry back in mid sixties. Jimmy had come up with the
idea of a comedy based around the Home Guard in the Second World
War, so the pair teamed up to write ‘Dad’s Army’.
One of the Dad’s Army stars, Bill Pertwee, says: “David
treated the cast like overgrown schoolboys. He was always very much
in control. He never raised his voice, but was firm. The strength
of characters was very important - all were slightly eccentric.
It’s wonderful to have been in something so successful.”
David Croft adds: “After a while you write for the actors and
not the characters. The actors become the characters they’re
playing. In ‘Dad’s Army’ Arthur Lowe became Captain
Mainwaring and Captain Mainwaring sort of became Arthur Lowe. It’s
nice that characters have gone into TV history and popular culture,
it’s a nice feeling.”
Perry and Croft’s later successes included ‘It Ain’t
Half Hot Mum’ and ‘Hi De Hi’. David also had another
long term partnership with Jeremy Lloyd, and together their hits
included ‘Are You Being Served’, ‘Allo Allo’
and ‘Grace and Favour’. As well as writing, David also
produced and directed most of his programmes, and in 1978 he was
awarded the OBE for service for television.
Mollie Sugden, of ‘Are you Being Served’ says: “Working
with David altered my life and opened so many doors…David Croft
is so good at casting, he never makes mistakes. ‘Are You Being
Served’ was so well cast - wonderful characters to play”.
Wendy Richard MBE, who was also in ‘Are You Being Served’,
adds: “I am David Croft’s biggest fan. The great popularity
of the programmes is due to David Croft, thanks to his great strengths
as a writer and director. David has this enormous talent for spotting
and casting the right people.”
‘Allo Allo’ star Gordon Kaye admires the characters that
David created: “Every character had little foibles. Without
doubt David is a very funny man who has the ability to make people
laugh.”
In all, David Croft has written almost a dozen successful comedy
series. He was still working well into his seventies with his last
programme, ‘Oh Doctor Beeching’, completed in 1998. David
says has no plans for any more sit-coms and is currently completing
his autobiography.
Find out more about Matter of Fact documentaries by visiting the
website: www.bbc.co.uk/matteroffact.
Producer:
Martin Friend
Narrator:
Richard Spendlove
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