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Informationen zum Autor The Navy Lark is the second longest-running comedy in British radio history (the topical Friday night show, Week Ending , which ran from 1970 to 1998, is currently the longest). In 1958, writer Laurie Wyman announced that he wanted to build a series around talented comic actor Jon Pertwee. Having secured Pertwee as the lead, he looked for other main characters and is quoted in the Radio Times as saying 'I felt we needed an idiot, and there was no one better at playing idiots than Leslie Phillips - so we got him.' The first episode of the series went out on 29 March 1959 and, from the start, the light-hearted and affectionate spoof on the Senior Service won many fans - some of the highest order! On the occasion of the show's 21st anniversary, for example, the crew were asked by WRNS to put on a special performance. They duly obliged, and in the audience that night at the Royal Festival Hall was Her Royal Highness the Queen Mother. Sir Charles Lambe, who was the first Sea Lord at the time, had also visited the studio during rehearsal. The crew of HMS Troutbridge were a motley bunch: Jon Pertwee, who actually served in the Navy during the Second World War, played the conniving Petty Officer and was established as a household favourite by the series. Leslie Phillips was the vague chinless wonder Sub-Lieutenant. His parrot cry of 'left hand down a bit' has passed into A Dictionary of Catch Phrases , whose author Eric Partridge writes 'within two years, it was a standard piece of Navalese'. The young Ronnie Barker (long before attaining fame as a television comedy actor) also appeared in the series, playing two parts: (Un)Able Seaman Fatso Johnson and Lieutenant-Commander Stanton. The Navy Lark gripped the nation for the best part of twenty years. Its signature tune, composed by Tommy Reilly and James Moody, was the jaunty Trade Wind Hornpipe and did much to contribute to the popularity of the series. The key to the show's popularity, though, was its irreverent but essentially gentle humour and, most of all, the many-voiced talents of its stars. As Leslie Phillips remarked in 1987, 'I caused more damage to Naval property than the Navy had done in two world wars'. The final episode was broadcast on 18 January 1976. However, the crew all jumped on board one last time for a Jubilee Special on 16 July 1977. Klappentext Jon Pertwee, Leslie Phillips, Stephen Murray and Ronnie Barker star in four more classic radio episodes. 'Wren Chasen Returns'/'Working Their Passage' (27 September 1963): The crew return from leave to a shock - Troutbridge is to be mothballed in Plymouth. Meanwhile, Sub. Lt. Phillips is horrified to find that Wren Chasen is back after 11 months in Scotland, during which time he never wrote to her. 'On the Carpet'/'Working Their Passage' (4 October 1963: CPO Pertwee has stolen a carpet from Mr. Murray's cabin - but Murray has other things on his mind, as he is planning a romantic cinema trip with Heather. 'The Povey's Move House'/'Doing a Mischief' (1 August 1965): The Poveys are moving house - but Captain Povey has lost the money that his wife gave him to pay for the removal men, so he has to turn to Pertwee for help... 'Mr Philips' Wrong Uniform'/'Have Been Masquerading' (12 January 1969): After taking an unexpected dip, Mr Phillips' uniform is soaked - then a spell in the boiler room causes it to shrink! Tiddy picks up a spare from the dry cleaners, but there's a problem - the uniform he collects belongs to Captain Willis... Featuring Richard Caldicot, Heather Chasen, Tenniel Evans and Michael Bates. 2 CDs. 1 hr 53 mins. Zusammenfassung Jon Pertwee, Leslie Phillips, Stephen Murray and Ronnie Barker star in four more classic radio episodes. 'Wren Chasen Returns'/'Working Their Passage' (27 September 1963): The crew return from leave to a shock - Troutbridge is to be mothballed in ...
