Best WW2 Comedy

Am with steve, if you are from America or Oz apparently you seem to really like Hogan's Heroes (which i personally have never heard mentioned before), the Brits go straight for 'Allo 'Allo and Dads Army, then anything else afterwards. Does seem to be a bit of a cultural difference developing.
I have not ever heard of 'Allo 'Allo and Dad's Army before reading about them here. I wonder if the humor of each nation's shows would play well in the other's?

 

I have not ever heard of 'Allo 'Allo and Dad's Army before reading about them here. I wonder if the humor of each nation's shows would play well in the other's?


I don't think that the humour of both programmes would translate into American TV

 

Unless they get daft satire.

 

Unless they get daft satire.
Understanding satire wouldn't be the problem, understanding the context of the satire would be.

 

One of the few that transferred beautifully into the US was "Till Death us do Part" from which "All in the Family" was taken. (Though not a WW2 comedy it could have been set in most eras)

 

Like I said above, I'm from America, and voted for Allo, Allo..... Many of my US friends also like it, based either on DVD or old BBC reruns on cable. In this case, I don't think the cultural difference is as big as you think. Doc

 

In 1957, two years after his retirement, Winston Churchill gave several interviews for a series of film documentaries intended to accompany his six-volume book, The Second World War, which was largely responsible for his having been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953.

A hugely ambitious project for its time, its progress was halted suddenly when construction works at the building which housed the production office in London uncovered an unexploded WWII bomb. The building was evacuated and a controlled detonation carried out, destroying much of the building in the process. Vital research material was destroyed in the explosion, including the interview footage. In a bitter twist of irony that was not lost on those concerned, Winston Churchill was finally silenced by a German bomb.

As a result, the project was abandoned, the crucial footage having been lost forever.

Or so it was thought.

In 2010, film reels containing the footage turned up in an unmarked box in a car boot sale in Nottingham. The buyer, Ronald Shoesmith, an amateur historian and film enthusiast, was shocked upon discovering what was on the reels for which he had paid just five english pounds, and caused a great deal of excitement when he contacted the esteemed Academy of Restoration, Storage and Exhibition in London to tell them of what had come into his possession.

Inquiries into the seller, Tom Logan, revealed that he was the grandson of the editor of the original footage, who had been killed in a car crash in Turkey only two days after the production office was destroyed. He had thankfully taken the precaution of making copies, a fact he tragically did not live to tell his colleagues. Mr Logan was completely unaware of what the reels contained, having discovered them whilst clearing out the attic of his late mother's house.

The years had taken their toll on the film reels, poor storage conditions having caused them to deteriorate very badly. A delicate and painstaking restoration process was undertaken by a dedicated team of Academy archivists and technicians, who over four years have managed to return the footage to a near-pristine condition that far surpassed the limitations of the era in which it was shot.

These are the only known filmed interviews with Winston Churchill in existence, and provide a fascinating and often surprising insight; revealing much about the man behind the well-known public image.

He is characteristically rambunctious, irascible and unexpectedly candid; unflinching and unapologetic in his account of the part he played in some of the most turbulent times in human history. New light is shed upon key events and relationships in a highly eventful life, providing scholars with a great deal to pore over.

A wealth of details that were previously unknown that will inform, delight, frustrate and appall in equal measure. Here, for the first time, is the most complete and truthful account yet of the life and career of Winston Churchill.

http://www.churchillinterviews.co.uk

 

On the comedy front ,Two Thousand Women is a very funny war time film ,with a few very dark moments on the restored DVD issue , yes love Kelly's Heroes , thinking back to the 1960s some very unintentional funny shows Rat Patrol, Garrisons Gurillars , still love Norman Wisdoms Square Peg , there is a 1950s film with Ian Carmichael, which is a prequel to I'am All Right Jack ,has Terry Thomas deliver the immortal line " You lot really are a complete shower " to a bunch of German POWs .
In the 1990s there was a one off TV show BBC if I recall concerning a RAF station being shared by a B17 squadron it was very funny with a very moving ending set in the 1990s ,it also was the screen debut of the Black 8 ME109 .
Just recalled Privates Progress the 1950s movie and Over Here the Martin Clunes comedy drama,
On the American shows Mc Hales Navy? On the Home Front side recall the late 1970s show LWT about a demobbed RAF bloke returning to London I remember me mum enjoying it .Was it Shine on Harvey Moon or something similar ?

 

Got to be 'Whisky Galore'.

 

I remember shine on Harvey Moon.
Can't remember if it was any good, though?

 

Has to be Allo Allo and Dad's Army.
I remember my father's favourite was Garrison's Gorrilas which aired in 1968 I think. He thought it was the funniest thing on TV!!!!!! I won't repeat what else I remember him saying about it.
Diane

 

Because it mentions the '41-45' war along with the '17-18' war.

http://youtu.be/L01_us4yADE

Peerless.

 

One of the strangest things I have seen on French TV (and there are some strange things on it) is 'Allo Allo' dubbed into French. Apparently it was very popular. I guess most countries have whole industries based on dubbing American and British TV and films into their own language and the actors who voiced the dubbed version had very similar tones to the British actors in Allo Allo.

The strangest thing was hearing the stupid British officer who posed as a Gendarme. It is difficult to explain how a stupid Englishman speaking tortured French translates when it is dubbed into French, but it was still very funny, our neighbours loved the series.

 

Beyond those WW2 productions which were unintentionally hilarious, my vote goes to Kelly's Heroes. Sutherland's role is brilliant and timeless, even if he is a Canadian.

 

good day kriegsmarinefreak,sm.29 august,2007.12:50pm.re:best ww2 comedy,just reading this old thread.there are many to choose from,but i rate.dad's army.allo allo.and hogans hero's.i still enjoy them.thanks for posting regards bernard85 :m7:

 

Good one Canuck!

When seeing the title I thought straight away of Kelly's Heroes.

Agreement too for Dad's Army and Allo, Allo!

Cheers

Geoff

 

i
I recall the thing with Harvey Moon was is that it was very popular with the generation that went through the war , my mum loved it ,it seemed to strike a cord with people who experienced the home front and the blitz , the dialogue was spot on , the jokes today would not be seen by many who missed the war , it was a gentle chuckle but very accurate in its portrayal of just post war Blighty .
On the bad comedy front Churchill said to me , with Frankie Howard ,and the truly awful Carry On England , though the Milligan film of his war time exploits is very good , and another film not and many people's radar is VIP with James Robertson Justice ,superb cast but just misses the target , unlike Catch 22!