Dad's
Army News - February 2002
Compiled
by Andy Howells
BBC
TO RELEASE NEW AUDIO TAPES
 4th
March 2002 will see BBC Radio Collection release Volume 12 of
Dad's Army Radio shows.
Entitled
"Absent Friends", the episodes featured will be, No
Spring for Frazer (Originally broadcast: 3.6.74), Sons of the
Sea (Originally broadcast: 10.6.74), Brain Versus Brawn (Originally
broadcast: 15.4.75) and Absent Friends (Originally broadcast:
13.4.76).
Further information
on this and other BBC Releases can be obtained from www.bbcshop.com
A
New Book On John Le Mesurier
PRESS
RELEASE
A
magical memoir of Dad's Army star John Le Mesurier by the woman
who knew him best
Some years
after John Le Mesurier's death, his widow Joan re-read her carefully
stored cache of John's letters - letters John wrote to her, and
letters written to John from his closest friends. The vividness
of his words brought back the happiness and heartache of their
long marriage and inspired her to write this book - her own letter
to a beloved husband.
Through her
own recollections and his correspondence, Joan reveals the real
John Le Mesurier, a man of kindness, charm and integrity. She
describes how they first met when John, then a successful stage
actor, was unhappily married to Hattie Jacques. It was Hattie
- a wonderful woman who became a lifelong friend - who encouraged
John & Joan's relationship. Their marriage lasted twenty-one
years and survived Joan's affair with Tony Hancock. Although deeply
hurt, John nevertheless welcomed her back.
Joan gives
an insight into their remarkable life together, taking us behind
the scenes on his many films as well as the hugely popular television
series Dad's Army. And into the world of their relationships with
actors such as Peter Sellers and Clive Dunn, and maverick Beatles
publicist Derek Taylor.
 Honest,
touching, nostalgic, Dear John is a magical memoir of one of the
greatest actors and gentlemen of his generation.
Joan Le Mesurier
lives in Ramsgate, Kent and Portugal. She is also the author of
Lady Don't Fall Backwards, a memoir of her life with Tony Hancock.
Her home has two Comic Heritage plaques on the outside wall -
one for Tony and one for John.
Read
www.dadsarmy.tv review of this book here
 Lord
Of The Rings
The
Lord of The Rings will be The Saturday Play from January 5, 2002
for 13 weeks.
BBC Radio
4 first broadcast The Lord of the Rings in 1981 to huge public
acclaim and you now have the chance to hear this superb serialisation
in 13 weekly episodes, both online and on air, as the Saturday
Play on BBC Radio 4 at 14.30 - 15.30 from 5 January 2002 on 92-95
FM and 198 LW.
This dramatisation
retains a magic that has inspired many, including some of the
cast and crew on the current film. It was headed by an incredible
cast of Sir Michael Hordern as Gandalf, Sir Robert Stephens as
Aragorn, John Le Mesurier as Bilbo and Sir Ian Holm as Frodo.
Therefore, it is no surprise that Sir Ian Holm has now gone on
to play Bilbo in the NewLine film version.
The radio
production has been recognised by many fans as the definitive
interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy to date, and whilst
you’ll have to wait for the next episodes of the film, you
can hear the whole trilogy on BBC Radio 4.
The BBC have
also released tapes and CD's of the series as well as a deluxe
box set featuring all 13 episodes, further information can be
found at www.bbcshop.com
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