Michael Bates who’s plays the bearer was Anglo-Indian, his father being of partial Indian descent, and spent his early years in India, speaking Hindi and Urdu as his first languages before learning English, and remaining fluent in the former two languages for the rest of his life. During World War II he served in the Burma Campaign as a major with the Brigade of Gurkhas and was mentioned in dispatches in 1944.
It helps if you have served in the British Army, Sergeant Majors cannot speak at less than 100 decibels and are expert at identifying each soldier's character quirk and/or physical oddity and mercilessly ridiculing them about it. Like most NCOs it stems from their mother not knowing who the father was. Former Rifleman The Royal Green Jackets.
Sergeant -Majors possess a weird sense of humour. I remember one Sgt-Major who was a bit peeved at being referred to as being born out of wedlock, posted a copy of his birth certificate on the Unit bulletin board.
As a former Bdr in the Royal artillery, and sometimes being a GNR, when I was in Bosnia I was unfortunate to meet a BSM like BSM Williams, I parked my land rover on a make shift parade ground in Split, the BSM saw me park my vehicle and get out of the drivers side, he shouted at me, me being me just looked at him realising he was a warrant Officer, I sprang into action, and stood to attention!!! The BSM looked me up and down and bellowed at me did you drive that vehicle? 😳, I don't know why I replied no, all I can say it did not go well for me 😂
Michael bates was born in India , his first languages were Urdu and Hindi and then English ,his father was in the British Indian civil service , His character rangi is played with fond memories of his childhood ,
'It ain't half hot' means 'it's really hot' This was a fabulous series in the 70's. They don't make 'em like that anymore. I'd watch it now if it was on. 😂😂
@@Johnwick-vv4cj People's sense of humor has suddenly shifted from "that's hilarious" to "I'm so offended". I watch the old stuff because what's on now is weak humor.
It's not that racist it's just people who cannot take a joke . It was a product of its time and very funny. Windsor Davis was perfect as the sergeant major
Yep I served under many Sgt Majors, and hes a proper Sgt Major. A bit nicer than real ones though. It's never about political incorrect, ita the 70s and that's how it was here. I grew up mixed race, everyone took the Mickey out of everything and everyone. Esp in the British Military. The sense of humour and banter between rival units is insane. A few fights happened now and then, but 99.9% was pure gest.
Michael Bates who plays the Indian Bearer was actually born in India and was a fluent Hindi speaker. Windsor Davies who plays the RSM is a regular in the army who hates the fact that he has been put in charge of the concert party.
I didn't know that fact about Michael Bates. Interesting the number of British entertainers who started life in India. Love his headband - a ''snake'' belt. Did you ever own one? They were all the rage when I was at school in the forties and fifties!!
Indeed I did... Elasticated with the snake clasp. It may interest you to know that Spike Milligan who was also born "in barracks" in India appeared in several episodes of 'till death us do part" blacked up as "paddy Packi" Kevin O'grady.
Will. FYI He was born in India to an Irish father (which was why he ended up with an Irish passport when the authorities refused to give him an English one) and an English mother, spending his childhood in Poona and Rangoon before returning, with his parents to England at the age of 12.. I cant comment on his grandparents
you guys are taking it far too seriously, it's not a reflection of the 60's.... It's Brits laughing at themselves, which has always been the case. Like the war Of " American Independence", just a side show, compared to the European conflicts. Americans, don't usually, laugh at themselves.
Yes,it means that but it also refers to a scene when Gunner Parkin(Parky) is writing a letter to his mother and you hear his voice as he writing it and he says Cor it ain't half hot mum.
Lots of argument below but the question should be - was it funny? Yes it was. It was made in the 1970s and was of its time. It wouldn’t be made nowadays but it was funny when it was made. We can’t judge older programmes by today’s standards, just take them for what they were when they were made.
It wouldn't get made now partly because its popularity was based on the fact that many who had served in WW2 and knew people like the RSM were still alive and so could relate to it. Their kids and grandkids could also relate to it as grandad was there to explain it. So the equivalent today would be something drawing on the mid 1980s. Life on Mars a few years ago did the same sort of thing in terms of period of time of the story from what was then the present day.
I'm American, and I have seen MANY of these shows here on UA-cam. they are a BRILLIANT comedy masterpiece!! The Sargent Major cracked me up all the time. It wasn't just about him saying SHUT UP.. it was everything. There is much British slang in it, and I had to look it up, but really the shows they did were very funny. I LOVE this show!
I'm Dutch and saw this series in the seventies, and loved it! Now busy seeing all the episodes on youtube. I don't see the racism since everybody is made a fool of.
Nobody was safe were they 😂😂 Do you remember the episode where the concert party had to play Japanese soldiers for a Hollywood film? Still my favourite 😊
@@JohnR1298 I do remember since I've copied all the episodes from youtube, in poor quality. I hope some day there's something better. Never understood the racial criticism since the British are made most fun off. Just look at mr.SHUT UP and the officers...
What people have to remember is that the Indian army is based on the British army. Most Indians have a sense of humour and they do not get offended by this series. Because we take the piss out of ourselves.
Michael Bates played Field Marshal Montgomery in the movie "Patton" - so brilliantly that I never spotted him as being the same actor as in "It Ain't Half Hot Mum". I hadn't realized he was a British Indian either and that he really did speak fluent Urdu. What a great, convincing actor. And how bravely he dealt with his illness.
My Dad was a 🇬🇧 Captain in the Indian Army during WW2. It was the largest volunteer army in the world at that time. Part of his promotion exam from Lieutenant to Captain was learning to speak fluent Hindustani. He did. Then he was posted to Madras, and all his troops spoke Tamil. 🤣 So he gave orders on Parade in English and his Indian RSM shouted them out in Tamil. Same with all the field training too. Dad secretly learnt to speak Tamil without telling his men. Six months later he asked his RSM to stand aside and took his first parade speaking fluent Tamil. His men where flabbergasted that he'd made the effort to speak their language, they started to learn English to return the compliment. They saw lots of action, and Dad said that the language learning on both sides brought them close together and they all looked after each other for four years.
There are a few tales about the Indians being able to understand the Welsh speaking working class soldiers better than the Upper Class Officers speaking a native language. Not sure whether that was punjabi or another language/dialect.
@@solatiumz that's interesting. I think accents in all the languages must have helped or hindered a lot of understanding. Some of the Indian troops told my Dad they were really proud of him because he was speaking Tamil in their local accent. 😁
@@solatiumz I should add that because it was war, a lot of Officers were quite young. My Dad was only in his 20's, and his men were the same sort of age. He realised that his Commanding Officer was a bit lax with paperwork, and signed stuff all day without reading it properly. So he typd out an Army letter stating that the CO had deserted his command. The CO signed it and it was sent off to The Royal Engineers HQ in Madras! 😂
@@jonnibegood1 Fact is indeed stranger than fiction. I enjoy reading humourous stuff about what happened during the last war. And I certainly enjoyed reading that. cheers, fella.
@@KnowYoutheDukeofArgyll1841 you're welcome. Today's narrative seems to be that we were all racists during the age of Empire. My Dad saved his (Indian) driver's life, dragging him back up a mountainside, after the road crumbled and their Army lorry rolled into a ravine. Dad climbed back up the mountain with him on his back. Six months later the same driver threw my father into a shallowtrench and lay on top of him to protect him from incoming artillery shells coming into their jungle camp. During the 1980's The Indian Army invited all the British Officers in Dad's regiment back "home" for a Regimental Reunion in Madras. They paid for everything. Dad went back, and took Mum too. As he walked down the steps from the plane he saw a face he recognised waiting to greet him with open arms. It was his driver. Two very happy guys spent a fortnight together and met many old friends.
Michael Bates who played Rangi Ram was born in India and spoke the language fluently. He occasionally did when barking out orders to the other natives. So people shouldn’t complain about this particular bit of casting. A fantastic actor who was much loved by fellow cast members. He was also in the original series of Last of the Summer Wine. Further info, he did see active service as a Chindit in WW2.
Melvyn Hayes who plays the dragqueen Gloria, was often calked a bloody poof by the Sargent Major. In reality Hayes was straight, married twice with women and has kids. All them were awesome actors
Windsor Davies was a very talented man! The sense of humour is what is so missing from contemporary times. The class differences and the sense of rank come over very well too!
Part of the comedy is the Sergeant Major is a career combat soldier and he's been put in charge of a Concert Party with a pair of officers he despises because of their incompetence instead of a Combat Unit. And he thinks the men under his command are a bunch of gays.
The Batman Windsor Davies aka Sergeant Major shut up. Ironically has a really good singing voice and off on pretends and sings out of key in this particular sitcom, although I still think I have the lumps on my hand from telling a friends grandfather that to the Englishman pretending to be an Indian wasn’t an Indian 90-year-old Indian men can get very protective when they think somebody is actually Indian
Actor Michael Bates, who is made up of Bearer Rangi, was born in India, and his father was of Indian-Anglo descent. In other words, he had "Indian and British" blood. In addition his first languages were Hindi and Urdo.
Thses were the men of Royal Artillery concert party. Entertainment group for British troops fighting in Burma during the last years of ww2 .A comedy based on the experiences of one the writers of this show .The show ran from the early 70s and finished in 81 .A lot people who remember this is was a good show but sadly it's been hijacked by the PC brigade and no longer shown on TV .
I doubt it's anything to do with PC, there are just some shows that were great yet don't seem to get shown again (e.g. Blakes Seven or UFO, or the original version of Survivors, The Prisoner, etc., etc.), so I presume it's related to rights issues or cost to obtain those rights relative to popularity in some cases. For example Hi-Di-Hi doesn't seem to get shown either. I think there are some channels showing 'Allo 'Allo. (Croft, but with Lloyd and not Perry). Of the Croft productions Dad's Army and 'Allo 'Allo were the most enduringly popular anyway.
@@chrisholland7367 Films are somewhat different as they are stand alone, whereas you need to schedule 13 slots for a full IAAHM series. So you get 90 minutes of schedule filling and/or advert viewing whereas with episodes people might watch one then wander off. The Carry On films have also been reshown lots of times so have retained popularity, and even then Carry On Sergeant, as an example, doesn't get shown much. And then there are rights issues which can preclude things being shown economically, which might be the case. Dad's Army was their first, and that was on terms very favourable to the BBC. That has endiring popularity and gets repeated extensively.
A comment on the officer/other ranks thing. You can see the class division most particularly in the titles of naval ranks. Officer rank titles - admiral, captain, lieutenant - are French words, the language of the ancient nobility, while other rank titles - boatswain (bosun), coxwain etc. - are Anglo Saxon words, the language of the common people.
Boatswain's a role not a rank, and a boatswain would likely be one of the Petty Officer ranks depending on the size of the vessel. Officer ranks include Midshipman and Commander, so not all are derived from French. Petty in Petty Officer is from the French petit, though.
@@wbertie2604 Commander is French, as it comes from the Old French "comandeor". Boatswain was actually a rank; they were a type of warrant officer appointed by the Navy Board of the Admiralty. They were one of the standing officers on a ship; in the 1800s the others being the Gunner and Carpenter. They ranked above the "cockpit mates" but bellow the "wardroom officers" (such as the Surgeon, Lieutenant of Marines and Purser). As such they did not have the same priveledges as the higher warrant officers in the wardroom. Midshipman is not French for two reasons; it comes from the part of the ship where the "Midshipman" was (traditionally) berthed, and it was originally a term for a senior able seaman. Later it became a position for officers in training and were some of the aforementioned "cockpit mates" who were socially ranked with the officers (who they would, in theory, one day become) and thus usually (depending on ship) messed with the officers rather than the seamen. Their official rank (as opposed to social rank) was below the standing officers such as Boatswain.
So as others say "It ain't half hot Mum" literally translates as "It isn't half hot Mum, it's really hot!" with the latter half of the sentence implied. The series started in India then moved to Burma (Myanma). The "concert party" is the British Army equivalent of the USO.
You need to watch another episode as this one didn't show all the characters. They are a concert party group who put on shows to keep up the moral of the troops during the war, many a Hollywood actor started off in a army concert party.
England's favourite post war comedy crew, the Goon Show, was 4 guys who were involved in entertainment and served together. Spike Milligan's was born in India. Some years after the Goon Show folded he had a short lived sitcom called curry and chips, where he played an Indian. Peter Sellers was another genius in the Goons. He did a movie as an Indian doctor. and had a hit single with Sophia Loren called "goodness gracious me" The caricatures were all good-natured, and th ethnic group being lampooned was the British. Faulty Towers, the best British comedy show ever, was ripe with ethnic digs, Lord preserve us from the wimpy do-gooders who want to ban laughing.
It Ain't Half Hot Mum - means - Its very hot here Mum - (Not Half means very very much) Bates playing the Bearer was actually Anglo-Indian born in India and spoke Hindi and Urdu long before he ever learned to speak English - so he practically IS Indian
These soldiers were meant to be in what was called the "Forgotten Army", the British Fourteenth Army, which fought in Burma. The army consisted of a number of British Empire nationalities, including Indians, Africans and British. Not only were they a long way from home but they were still fighting the Japanese after Britain's main war (with the Germans) had ended (the series is set in 1945). And when they did get back to England, (in the series) they were mistaken for Australians due to their suntans and similar hats. I haven't watched the whole video but you seem to have missed the fact that "up the Kyber (Pass)" is rhyming slang for "up the arse", another "politically incorrect" reference.
It ain't half hot" in other words it's not half hot, it's all the way hot. It's a strange British saying, it can be used for all kinds of situations e.g. It ain't half cold, I ain't half hungry, he ain't half stupid etc". Where I'm from we still use it. Would love to see you react to "Porridge", in my opinion one of the best British comedies of all time.
I think the reviewer’s incorrect interpretation reflects more on his ignorance rather than typical Insular American lack of knowledge of anything outside the USA.
The white guy was actually born in India and his first language was Urdu. Captain Michael Bates (1920-1978) served with the Ghurkas in Burma. What I find strange is that you two are evidently not 'European' Americans, yet you can not understand that we British can be of non European descent. Perhaps the difference is, we can find humour in each others peculiarities without getting a crisis of confidence. Crikey, maybe we should celebrate Thanks Giving. We should give thanks that we got rid of the Puritans.
Joe Turner How the hell are they suppose to know where Michael Hammond Bates was born, you idiot. Stop trying to be smart, you think that Michael Hammond Bates being white, that they should know he was born in India!?
It's daft how some folks seem to equate nationality with race. Joanna Lumley, Cliff Richard, Vivien Leigh, Julie Christie were all born in India. The actors that played "La De Dah" Gunner Graham (John Clegg) and Rangi Ram (Michael Bates) were born in India, and the actor who played Punkah Wallah Rumzan (Barbar Bhatti) was born in Southall. Heck, Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine were born in Japan. Heaven forbid people moving about! Wait until they find out that this pasty redheaded lass was born in the same East London hospital as Idris Elba.
In the final episode when the soldiers were demobbed (go back to civilian life) it’s revealed that the Sergeant Major (Windsor Davies) has no home and no-one to go back to. In a surprisingly touching moment one of the soldiers offers to let him stay in his spare room.
Yes, it was "Parky" Parkins, who the Sergeant-Major always has a soft-spot for, as he once had a relationship with Parky's mum (yes, That Mum, from the sitcoms title). So when Parky offers Williams to stay with him & his mum's home..., well, it will be lovely ending that the once lovers were reunited and Williams became Parky's step-dad. 😌
They got the understanding of the title wrong, "it ain't half hot mum" as a slang phrase actually translates as saying its really is very very hot and not the other way round.
Awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star with mention Valor for my Nam duties, I have no problem understanding that every war, every hell, every man serving, has a right to some amusement. We should remember that British India, just like VietNam, were worlds so far away from nowadays i-Pad connected generation it makes 2018/2019 reactions an exercise in futile time-travel. Could you imagine the heath, the mosquitoes, the 100% humidity, the filthy stinking mud you walked, the boobytraps from ' uncle charlie'..? Its politicians that send us into those hells, they themselves never even knowing what political correctness meant. Just saying! RIP sergeant-major Davies, you brought laughs to those who were in the position to appreciate! Hurrah!
Vietnamese, hammered by the capitalist imperialists and their lackeys serving the rich and smashing up the environment in the process. What a magnificent fight they put up, against the odds. Muhammad Ali was right.
@@mizofan basically you're right, Mizo. And the whole disaster solved nothing in the end, useless, like all armed conflicts. Your " brothers" opened fire at me. In their rights or not, I did not appreciate. So I returned fire. Me too, I wanted go home alive.
@@Trebor74 - History has it that if the French had just walked away at the very start, the Vietnam war would never have become the debacle that it was. The Americans got truly hammered and won nothing - but one wonders if anything has been learnt about the futility of war, as conflicts have never stopped and the innocent are still suffering.
@@rogerbarrett9920 actually they wernt 'truly hammered' as you put it. They were actually winning the war. What really defeated them was lack of public support for the war at home.
Not the best episode. The soldiers were a concert corp who's role was to entertain British soldiers. . The small man with glasses, Don Estelle was a fantastic singer.
I still laugh at those shows 😂 there were some very good singers in that show. It takes the mickey out out of British and I don’t think it makes the Indians look bad.
Having lived in the USA for 25+ years, I fully understand that an American can only see UK comedy at a superficial level. There's so much which is part of the fabric of British culture which is missed by those who don't "get it".
@@ftumschk I still have that 45 rpm single. The B side is "Paper Doll" brilliantly sung by Don. He was an excellent 40s style crooner. ua-cam.com/video/UuFmp0MN-YQ/v-deo.html
One of the best comedy British shows in my opinion.... Battery Sgt Major Williams played by the late Windsor Davies,Summing up a Typical British Sgt Major...in such a comic Fashion..The final 3 episodes ever of this show were really terrific...And the last one very especially funny..AND sad !! Check it out if you can find it on you tube...Cheers..Ade
There's an innuendo you might not have noticed in the title, Kidnapped In The Khyber. Khyber is an example of cockney rhyming slang; khyber pass = arse
I remember watching this series with my father when it first aired in the 70’s & although as a child I could understand the broad humour on the face of the show, but it wasn’t until a few years later that when talking with my father I understood the side splitting reactions to the main characters particularly BSM Williams RA & the Colonel & Adjutant. He said that they were so close and accurate to what they were like during the WW2 , which although he didn’t make it out to India he did serve as a Staff Officer in the 8th Army in North Africa & Italy so I guess he had first hand experience of these upper class public schoolboy types who were such “Silly arses” as Capt. Ashford the Adjutant would say,
I recently bought the box set off Amazon. Still brilliant. But the main "Indian" character was played by Michael Bates who in actual fact was born in India. Apparently, he could speak better Hindi than the other two real Indian actors! Michael died of cancer shortly after filming the last episodes and was in great pain apparently, but you wouldn't know it, such a good actor and professional was he.
@@thundertick5666 This show will never be broadcast by the BBC again because they considered it racially offensive. . This is because the actor playng Rangi Ram is white and is using make up to look darker skinned.
it is kept away by political correctness, the blackface character was loved by the asian community and was picked for the job because he got it so right having grown up in india. the black and white minstrel show it was not. the claimed homophobia is the main reason it is kept away from the screens. yet everyone loved it as the open secret. unfortunately lots of comedy was drummed out for no real reason other than someone elses right to be offended by it. there is an off button for a reason.
This program was awesome in the day, people have gotten far too sensitive and soft. Parts of the world are pathetic now. We have forgotten how to laugh at ourselves. I’ve known plenty of Indian people that found this hilarious and took it for what it was, lighthearted humour. Oh ‘it ain’t half hot mum’ means it’s really hot, they’re sweating their b***s off basically 👍🏻😂 🇬🇧
FYI there was NO non Indian players that played Indian Characters in the series.Micheal Bates who plays Ranji the Bearer was an anglo indian.born in Jhansi, United Provinces, India.Bates was commissioned in the Indian Army in March 1942.He served in the Burma Campaign as a major with the Brigade of Gurkhas and was mentioned in dispatches in 1944.
Glad you enjoyed it... My Grandfather served in the British Army in India (and a lot of other places) back in those times, between the wars and during WW2. He was a career soldier and became an officer during the war. We have been reading his letters and it was quite clear he had very strong feelings about the class system and doing your duty. The main theme of 'It ain't half hot Mum' was the way a diverse group were thrown together in a strange country and how they became almost more traditionally British than their folks back home. The Indian actors were playing their part very well, aspiring to be British while ignoring the obvious flaws of the Foreigners. With India's Independence and the horrors of Partition still fresh in the viewers memories this bit of fun took a rosie look at 'better' times.
Fascinating insight from your angle. I remember this very well on prime time TV in Britain in the 70s. What you’ve got to remember is that these characters are exaggerations ; though most Sgt Majors ( they ran the army ) where very much like Windsor Davies portrayal ! The ‘ Lah de Dah ‘ Gnr Graham is a typical upper class educated know all that most barracks had back then ( my dad remembers them ! ). So it’s a caricature thats actually quite accurate. The Indian character ( played by Michael Bates ) was very well received by minority communities , nobody complained. Nonetheless, you’ve done very well to spot the comic situation and how the Sgt Major barks at just about everyone ! He does have an ‘ affair ‘ in one episode with an Indian or Malayan woman and he does have a more gentle side. But, yes, the British Officer class is the main butt of all the jokes in this sit com.
Yes the posh ( or correct) accent played a major part in where you went in the Army back then . Sir Roger Moore came from a ordinary family ,but when he got called up on national service he was immediately ranked up to officer ,simply because he spoke posh.He was I believe put in charge of stores. It's amazing back then what a posh accent could do for you.
Michael Bates was born and raised in India. He spoke Urdu and Hindi fluently. He knew the mannerisms. When he died of cancer in the 3rd or 4th season of the show the Indian actors took over Michael Bates role. Michael Bates also played Monty in several movies. This is not black face or an insult to Indian people.
"It ain't half Hot" means it is really hot !!!! btw They were also an entertainment corps of the army - like a drama / variety performances to keep morale up.
Brit humour is unique. Here in the Caribbean when a local TV Station is airing a British comedy ,when those of us who have spent some time in the UK are cracking, our other friends and relatives cannot figure out why we find it so funny. I remember an episode of Benny Hill being aired on German TV with German subtitles. They quickly gave up.
Re makeup: although cross-dressing has a long tradition on the British stage, particularly when no actresses are available (in Shakespeare's day it was illegal, in a war zone as here there were no women), _all_ live stage actors normally wear makeup - otherwise under stage lighting and being at a distance from the audience, their features and expressions would seem bland or unrecognisable.
@@BFBCFTW A stable belt is a huge heavy thing. The Warrant Officer (Windsor Davies) is wearing a stable belt. But the bloke who does the monologuel at the start has an elasticated schoolboy belt
The guy wearing "blackface", was highly thought of by the Indians in the tv show, it turned out his dad was in the Army and he grew up in India. He usually gets one upmanship, over the British.
I still love this show, it made fun out of everyone, the small fat one, the intelligent one, the handsome but thick one, the gay one, the Scottish one, the Upper class English officers, etc no one was safe, 😂
It was quite a good series, particularly the earlier episodes and the last two or three. Apparently it was based on one of the writers' experiences in the Second World War, so I suspect it probably does reflect 1940s' attitudes quite well. It's a shame the BBC decided not to re-show it.
LOL - It's not politically incorrect, but, it is hilarious and extremely socially accurate. My family lived next door to an old soldier from WWII when I was a child and he told them that the comedy series was a lot more accurate than people think because he served in both India and Burma in WWII and the UTTER hilarious incompetence of some of the British officers had to be seen to be believed and IAHHM Encapsulated it perfectly!!. PS - I am Asian and I don't find it politically incorrect at all.
As for your officers being less fit? That does not apply to the British army. Ours lead by example. This 'show' was a parody of army gallows humour of the period. It is true that the British Indian army elite were old school. But that is where the useless element were deployed and hence why they surrendered to an over extended Japanese invading force in Singapore. They had the reputation of being Gin merchants. This is how the officers are portrayed. Compare this with Dad's Army, where men beyond their prime would have stood in front of an invading German army. And stood their ground. They would never have surrendered.
A swift and lightly armed Japanese force of battle hardened troops swept down through the peninsular with relative ease by employing shockingly brutal and merciless tactics. The classic light infantry role. This was made much more easy after the RAF bases had been disabled which left no air cover. The japanese also targetted and sank the two main battleships sent north to provide fire support. The men that you casually dismiss as being 'useless' were in fact mainly untested and inexperienced conscripts with little battle experience who nonetheless fought bravely despite complacency, bad decision making and tactical planning from the Generals. Many brave men died during those battles and subsequently as POWs due to the brutality of the Japanese. They were made up of British Australian Indian and Commonwealth troops no less brave than anybody else during the war...Would you say the troops who were overwhelmed at Dunkirk were also a 'useless element' or just outmaneuvered and outgunned by more experienced and better-equipped enemy? ...You might want to check your facts a bit more before dismissing their efforts out there. They only surrendered when slaughter was inevitable.
@@Imforeverenglish You misunderstood me. I wus not dispereging troops. They were poorly led by the upper cless twits. Sorry. First letter not working. If they hed been well commended they could heve stopped the Jepenese edvence. Demn. I sound like Officer Crebtree.
They surrendered at Singapore as intelligence indicated a much larger force was about to arrive (which was incorrect in the end) and it was expected to result in a large loss of civilian life.
I still use Windsor Davis catch phrase to this day, When I was a policeman arresting someone voicing his innocence, it was gratifying to say, "What a pity, how sad, never mind".
The solders here put on shows for the troops ,but the Sergeant major who keeps calling the a load of puffs because they wear makeup and dress up as women try’s to keep getting them posted to the fighting front ,
The British army, around the time of WW1, was said to be "Lions led by donkeys". A quote rumoured to have been made by a German General. Some would say it had contained a smidgen of truth up to around the 1970s but always a rich mine for humour,
Spot on mate. It also pre-dates that because commissions in the British military were traditionally bought and sold. The first born son of an aristocrat would inherit the land and title, any other sons were got rid of by buying them a rank in the armed forces. This would result in many retarded, inbred fools holding rank without any training or experience, often getting themselves and their men killed due to incompetence and seeking "glory".
Not only was it not said, ever, by a German General, it was actually made up by an Englishman, Alan Clarke, in his now thoroughly discredited book on WW1 "The Donkeys". He has a lot to answer for.
Joyce Grenfells book 'The Time of my Life' covers her work in concert parties during WW2, mainly in Persia. She made the point that the officers assigned to Entertainment were often drunks and failures, given the post to get them out of the way. This is shown in this program with the 2 silly arse officers!
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When it's said, 'It ain't half', it means it's the full deal. As in, this case, it's REALLY hot! Of course, this show is seen as being very politically incorrect. More so in the last few years. The fact that it's a situation *comedy* , (because those who advocate for political correctness have no sense of humour to speak of), and exaggerates actually real-life experiences of the writers who spent time in concert parties during the second world war, has everything to do with the style of humour in it. Those in the forces, during that period, played up taking the rise as part of the overall camaraderie that helped keep morale high at a time when any of them could potentially be facing death within a very short time. A lot of the actors also spend some time in the armed forces, albeit most after the war, but they still understood how this humour worked. Looking back at it from the perspective of those who never did national service or spent time mixing with people from all over, has meant they've become almost ultra-sensitive to the idea of, 'offending', people by saying what they consider to be the wrong thing. Back then, it was all taken in good spirits and no-one felt the need to be, 'offended.' One thing you'll notice in this series is all the Officers are bumbling upper-class idiot types, the Battery Sergeant Major is devious, and the Indian character Rangi Ram, (he with the snake belt turban), is the wisest of the lot! He plays the fool, but usually knows more than the others put together. The concert party troops are a mixed bunch with 'Gloria' Beaumont and 'Lofty', Sugden as the 2 most memorable ones.
@John Saunders Can't say I remember Graham becoming an officer? No mention of it in the resumes on Wiki either. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_It_Ain%27t_Half_Hot_Mum_episodes
I now live in a country where a man born in India playing an Indian is racist and a load of Indian actors acting a sketch called having an English is acceptable goodness gracious me indeed
3:50 Windsor Davies says, "Looks like he's wearing a Busby Sir." Busby is the correct name for the tall hat worn by Guardsmen sometimes called a Bearskin. It alludes to what the squashed fly might have looked like on top of the picture on Ashwood's book.
R.I.P Windsor Davies! Brilliant actor
The British R. Lee Ermey!
He's gone off to tell everyone up there to shut up.
@@brucebartup6161 Thanks.
Lovely Boy!
This is great.
Michael Bates who’s plays the bearer was Anglo-Indian, his father being of partial Indian descent, and spent his early years in India, speaking Hindi and Urdu as his first languages before learning English, and remaining fluent in the former two languages for the rest of his life.
During World War II he served in the Burma Campaign as a major with the Brigade of Gurkhas and was mentioned in dispatches in 1944.
It helps if you have served in the British Army, Sergeant Majors cannot speak at less than 100 decibels and are expert at identifying each soldier's character quirk and/or physical oddity and mercilessly ridiculing them about it. Like most NCOs it stems from their mother not knowing who the father was. Former Rifleman The Royal Green Jackets.
Sergeant -Majors possess a weird sense of humour. I remember one Sgt-Major who was a bit peeved at being referred to as being born out of wedlock, posted a copy of his birth certificate on the Unit bulletin board.
Robert Hughes never met a jacket that could hack it ,and in winchester most of them would drink shandy whilst the LI boys were drinking larger
As a former Bdr in the Royal artillery, and sometimes being a GNR, when I was in Bosnia I was unfortunate to meet a BSM like BSM Williams, I parked my land rover on a make shift parade ground in Split, the BSM saw me park my vehicle and get out of the drivers side, he shouted at me, me being me just looked at him realising he was a warrant Officer, I sprang into action, and stood to attention!!! The BSM looked me up and down and bellowed at me did you drive that vehicle? 😳, I don't know why I replied no, all I can say it did not go well for me 😂
It's similar to American Drill Sergeants.
Yes service in the British Army gave me a deeper feeling of the humour in this. It was hilarious, then and now. Timeless comedy
One thing you must remember here is that the British will always make fun of themselves. We do this so that you don't have to.
We do it because we are the best at that too.
The "white guy" dressed as the Indian guy IS Indian, born & bred!
🤣
Michael bates was born in India , his first languages were Urdu and Hindi and then English ,his father was in the British Indian civil service , His character rangi is played with fond memories of his childhood ,
'It ain't half hot' means 'it's really hot'
This was a fabulous series in the 70's.
They don't make 'em like that anymore.
I'd watch it now if it was on. 😂😂
Complete box sets are available online and there’s a few things on youtube.
That saved me typing it.
Im British sikh. I didn't found it offensive. It was funny
How can anyone forget the Pankawalla??!!! He was hilarious!!!
You're a voice of common sense.
Even goodness Gracious Me was funny I bet you they can't play that now
@@Johnwick-vv4cj People's sense of humor has suddenly shifted from "that's hilarious" to "I'm so offended". I watch the old stuff because what's on now is weak humor.
@@ricksiddiqui8354 it's such a shame because I'm not that old but I watched mind your language on UA-cam and it's hilarious...
It's not that racist it's just people who cannot take a joke .
It was a product of its time and very funny.
Windsor Davis was perfect as the sergeant major
Davies
completely agree it was made in the 1970’s its a product of its time !
Spot on! and to anyone who thinks different, SHUUUUUUUUUT UUUUUUP!
Yes he was perfect. However he wasn't so good in his later works. His voice and acting manner always had reminders of It ain't half hot mum.
Yep I served under many Sgt Majors, and hes a proper Sgt Major. A bit nicer than real ones though. It's never about political incorrect, ita the 70s and that's how it was here. I grew up mixed race, everyone took the Mickey out of everything and everyone. Esp in the British Military. The sense of humour and banter between rival units is insane. A few fights happened now and then, but 99.9% was pure gest.
One of the finest comedies ever filmed, the cast we're legends.
Michael Bates who plays the Indian Bearer was actually born in India and was a fluent Hindi speaker. Windsor Davies who plays the RSM is a regular in the army who hates the fact that he has been put in charge of the concert party.
I didn't know that fact about Michael Bates. Interesting the number of British entertainers who started life in India.
Love his headband - a ''snake'' belt. Did you ever own one? They were all the rage when I was at school in the forties and fifties!!
Indeed I did... Elasticated with the snake clasp. It may interest you to know that Spike Milligan who was also born "in barracks" in India appeared in several episodes of 'till death us do part" blacked up as "paddy Packi" Kevin O'grady.
@@rosemary5531 I had one in the seventies.
He was Anglo-Indian, apparently, 2 male grandparents from Congleton, Lancs and at most, two female Indian grandmothers.
Educated in England too.
Will. FYI He was born in India to an Irish father (which was why he ended up with an Irish passport when the authorities refused to give him an English one) and an English mother, spending his childhood in Poona and Rangoon before returning, with his parents to England at the age of 12.. I cant comment on his grandparents
The best of British, as for being PC, this is not the point, t his is a fine example of the British laughing at themselves.
you guys are taking it far too seriously, it's not a reflection of the 60's.... It's Brits laughing at themselves, which has always been the case. Like the war Of " American Independence", just a side show, compared to the European conflicts. Americans, don't usually, laugh at themselves.
I was PC in its time like other shows like love thy neighbour
I'm Indian and I loved this show.
It ain't half hot mum means mum it's really hot here
Agreed, I said the same the thing to my Mum this summer :)
You are right. He is really saying "Bloody Hell !!!!!!! It Ain't Half Hot 'ere !"...."It Ain't Half" meaning it is very...
Yes,it means that but it also refers to a scene when Gunner Parkin(Parky) is writing a letter to his mother and you hear his voice as he writing it and he says Cor it ain't half hot mum.
Phew, what a scorcher!
"Scorchio"
Lots of argument below but the question should be - was it funny? Yes it was. It was made in the 1970s and was of its time. It wouldn’t be made nowadays but it was funny when it was made. We can’t judge older programmes by today’s standards, just take them for what they were when they were made.
I can still all the words to the theme tune
It wouldn't get made now partly because its popularity was based on the fact that many who had served in WW2 and knew people like the RSM were still alive and so could relate to it. Their kids and grandkids could also relate to it as grandad was there to explain it. So the equivalent today would be something drawing on the mid 1980s. Life on Mars a few years ago did the same sort of thing in terms of period of time of the story from what was then the present day.
Yes I wonder what these two would make of Love Thy Neighbour 😂
Its still funny now. But then im not and never was PC. And my dad was a sargent in the paras.
@@ukebox00oftheworld63 I watched an episode of that on UA-cam this was designed to make fun of the racist white guy a bit like Alf Garnetts character
RIP Windsor Davies, Jan 17 2019.
'Sergeant Major' has died at the age of 88.
Commiserations to his family.
SAAAAAA-LUUUUTE! Great actor and singer.
Comic Legend.
He had a better Innings than I would have expected. RIP Windsor Davies
Shut up!!!!!
@@uknowiamgreat Ssssssssshhhhhhaaaaaaaaaupppp
I'm American, and I have seen MANY of these shows here on UA-cam. they are a BRILLIANT comedy masterpiece!! The Sargent Major cracked me up all the time. It wasn't just about him saying SHUT UP.. it was everything. There is much British slang in it, and I had to look it up, but really the shows they did were very funny. I LOVE this show!
Mate I love the fact you’ve gone so far as to look up Brit slang lol
Windsor Davies ,boy we miss him.
That's the British humour spud kanckers
I'm Dutch and saw this series in the seventies, and loved it! Now busy seeing all the episodes on youtube. I don't see the racism since everybody is made a fool of.
Exactly!
It's so racist that a friend was telling me she can still find it on almost daily somewhere in India because it's so popular.
Nobody was safe were they 😂😂 Do you remember the episode where the concert party had to play Japanese soldiers for a Hollywood film? Still my favourite 😊
@@JohnR1298 I do remember since I've copied all the episodes from youtube, in poor quality. I hope some day there's something better. Never understood the racial criticism since the British are made most fun off. Just look at mr.SHUT UP and the officers...
What people have to remember is that the Indian army is based on the British army. Most Indians have a sense of humour and they do not get offended by this series. Because we take the piss out of ourselves.
Michael Bates played Field Marshal Montgomery in the movie "Patton" - so brilliantly that I never spotted him as being the same actor as in "It Ain't Half Hot Mum". I hadn't realized he was a British Indian either and that he really did speak fluent Urdu. What a great, convincing actor. And how bravely he dealt with his illness.
he also was the platoon commander in the Indian Ghurka's during the second world war!
He also played the Chief Officer (HMP) in 'A Clockwork Orange'. Brilliant actor. He was British, not Indian.
@@DaleHubbardI think the term is Anglo-Indian.
@@moominpic He wasn't Indian. The term is British.
The show does reflect "the 40s" as the writers fought in World War II & were writing from experience.
My Dad was a 🇬🇧 Captain in the Indian Army during WW2. It was the largest volunteer army in the world at that time. Part of his promotion exam from Lieutenant to Captain was learning to speak fluent Hindustani. He did. Then he was posted to Madras, and all his troops spoke Tamil. 🤣 So he gave orders on Parade in English and his Indian RSM shouted them out in Tamil. Same with all the field training too. Dad secretly learnt to speak Tamil without telling his men. Six months later he asked his RSM to stand aside and took his first parade speaking fluent Tamil. His men where flabbergasted that he'd made the effort to speak their language, they started to learn English to return the compliment. They saw lots of action, and Dad said that the language learning on both sides brought them close together and they all looked after each other for four years.
There are a few tales about the Indians being able to understand the Welsh speaking working class soldiers better than the Upper Class Officers speaking a native language. Not sure whether that was punjabi or another language/dialect.
@@solatiumz that's interesting. I think accents in all the languages must have helped or hindered a lot of understanding. Some of the Indian troops told my Dad they were really proud of him because he was speaking Tamil in their local accent. 😁
@@solatiumz I should add that because it was war, a lot of Officers were quite young. My Dad was only in his 20's, and his men were the same sort of age. He realised that his Commanding Officer was a bit lax with paperwork, and signed stuff all day without reading it properly. So he typd out an Army letter stating that the CO had deserted his command. The CO signed it and it was sent off to The Royal Engineers HQ in Madras! 😂
@@jonnibegood1 Fact is indeed stranger than fiction. I enjoy reading humourous stuff about what happened during the last war. And I certainly enjoyed reading that. cheers, fella.
@@KnowYoutheDukeofArgyll1841 you're welcome. Today's narrative seems to be that we were all racists during the age of Empire. My Dad saved his (Indian) driver's life, dragging him back up a mountainside, after the road crumbled and their Army lorry rolled into a ravine. Dad climbed back up the mountain with him on his back. Six months later the same driver threw my father into a shallowtrench and lay on top of him to protect him from incoming artillery shells coming into their jungle camp. During the 1980's The Indian Army invited all the British Officers in Dad's regiment back "home" for a Regimental Reunion in Madras. They paid for everything. Dad went back, and took Mum too. As he walked down the steps from the plane he saw a face he recognised waiting to greet him with open arms. It was his driver. Two very happy guys spent a fortnight together and met many old friends.
Michael Bates who played Rangi Ram was born in India and spoke the language fluently. He occasionally did when barking out orders to the other natives. So people shouldn’t complain about this particular bit of casting. A fantastic actor who was much loved by fellow cast members. He was also in the original series of Last of the Summer Wine. Further info, he did see active service as a Chindit in WW2.
He was also in the film A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
When we all had a sense of humour great comedy
Amen! 👍🇬🇧😄
angela connor yes absolutely and it was taking as comedy just to make us laugh ,something I think that has been lost today people laughing and smiling
Agreed. This is classic comedy gold.
TRUE ANGELA NO FUN ANYMORE xx
We still do
Melvyn Hayes who plays the dragqueen Gloria, was often calked a bloody poof by the Sargent Major.
In reality Hayes was straight, married twice with women and has kids.
All them were awesome actors
Gloria also married a nurse later in the series. He also stated that
"I know I sound 'like that' but I'm not 'like that'".
@freebeerfordworkers He married three times, most recently in 2010.
Owned a pub
@@tonybennett9964 the Stag at Offchurch, near Leamington Spa.
Didn't he appear in cliff Richard movies.
Windsor Davies was a very talented man! The sense of humour is what is so missing from contemporary times. The class differences and the sense of rank come over very well too!
Part of the comedy is the Sergeant Major is a career combat soldier and he's been put in charge of a Concert Party with a pair of officers he despises because of their incompetence instead of a Combat Unit. And he thinks the men under his command are a bunch of gays.
The Batman Windsor Davies aka Sergeant Major shut up. Ironically has a really good singing voice and off on pretends and sings out of key in this particular sitcom, although I still think I have the lumps on my hand from telling a friends grandfather that to the Englishman pretending to be an Indian wasn’t an Indian 90-year-old Indian men can get very protective when they think somebody is actually Indian
@@baylessnow Yeah I know. He was also one of the main actors in the early episodes of last of the Summer Wine.
@@fr1695 except he was actually Indian. He was born and brought up there.
@@CrankCase08 Lah de dah Gunner Batman.......
@@CrankCase08 Roaring with laughter! :)
British humour is different to American humour It Ain't hot mum is one of the best comedy programmes on British television
The writer’s favourite too.
The British have always been able to laugh at themselves.
Rest in peace Battery Sergeant Major. You brought us all a lot of laughs lovely boy. Stand easy...
Actor Michael Bates, who is made up of Bearer Rangi, was born in India, and his father was of Indian-Anglo descent. In other words, he had "Indian and British" blood. In addition his first languages were Hindi and Urdo.
Thses were the men of Royal Artillery concert party. Entertainment group for British troops fighting in Burma during the last years of ww2 .A comedy based on the experiences of one the writers of this show .The show ran from the early 70s and finished in 81 .A lot people who remember this is was a good show but sadly it's been hijacked by the PC brigade and no longer shown on TV .
I bought my teenage son the boxset for Christmas. I've never heard him laugh so much before 😂
I doubt it's anything to do with PC, there are just some shows that were great yet don't seem to get shown again (e.g. Blakes Seven or UFO, or the original version of Survivors, The Prisoner, etc., etc.), so I presume it's related to rights issues or cost to obtain those rights relative to popularity in some cases. For example Hi-Di-Hi doesn't seem to get shown either. I think there are some channels showing 'Allo 'Allo. (Croft, but with Lloyd and not Perry). Of the Croft productions Dad's Army and 'Allo 'Allo were the most enduringly popular anyway.
@@wbertie2604 I understand but if that's the case why are carry on films still shown TV ?
@@chrisholland7367 Films are somewhat different as they are stand alone, whereas you need to schedule 13 slots for a full IAAHM series. So you get 90 minutes of schedule filling and/or advert viewing whereas with episodes people might watch one then wander off. The Carry On films have also been reshown lots of times so have retained popularity, and even then Carry On Sergeant, as an example, doesn't get shown much. And then there are rights issues which can preclude things being shown economically, which might be the case. Dad's Army was their first, and that was on terms very favourable to the BBC. That has endiring popularity and gets repeated extensively.
A comment on the officer/other ranks thing. You can see the class division most particularly in the titles of naval ranks. Officer rank titles - admiral, captain, lieutenant - are French words, the language of the ancient nobility, while other rank titles - boatswain (bosun), coxwain etc. - are Anglo Saxon words, the language of the common people.
Boatswain's a role not a rank, and a boatswain would likely be one of the Petty Officer ranks depending on the size of the vessel. Officer ranks include Midshipman and Commander, so not all are derived from French. Petty in Petty Officer is from the French petit, though.
@@wbertie2604 Commander is French, as it comes from the Old French "comandeor".
Boatswain was actually a rank; they were a type of warrant officer appointed by the Navy Board of the Admiralty. They were one of the standing officers on a ship; in the 1800s the others being the Gunner and Carpenter. They ranked above the "cockpit mates" but bellow the "wardroom officers" (such as the Surgeon, Lieutenant of Marines and Purser). As such they did not have the same priveledges as the higher warrant officers in the wardroom.
Midshipman is not French for two reasons; it comes from the part of the ship where the "Midshipman" was (traditionally) berthed, and it was originally a term for a senior able seaman. Later it became a position for officers in training and were some of the aforementioned "cockpit mates" who were socially ranked with the officers (who they would, in theory, one day become) and thus usually (depending on ship) messed with the officers rather than the seamen.
Their official rank (as opposed to social rank) was below the standing officers such as Boatswain.
So as others say "It ain't half hot Mum" literally translates as "It isn't half hot Mum, it's really hot!" with the latter half of the sentence implied.
The series started in India then moved to Burma (Myanma). The "concert party" is the British Army equivalent of the USO.
R.I.P. WIndsor Davies, and thank you for a great and entertaining character, who will forever be revered in the long history of British comedy.
The humour is not directed - it’s free flowing and very honest
What a nice couple these two Americans are. They haven't however, got a bloody clue about our sense of humour . Bless.
You need to watch another episode as this one didn't show all the characters. They are a concert party group who put on shows to keep up the moral of the troops during the war, many a Hollywood actor started off in a army concert party.
Peter Brown moral? Maybe morale?
England's favourite post war comedy crew, the Goon Show, was 4 guys who were involved in entertainment and served together. Spike Milligan's was born in India. Some years after the Goon Show folded he had a short lived sitcom called curry and chips, where he played an Indian.
Peter Sellers was another genius in the Goons. He did a movie as an Indian doctor. and had a hit single with Sophia Loren called "goodness gracious me"
The caricatures were all good-natured, and th ethnic group being lampooned was the British.
Faulty Towers, the best British comedy show ever, was ripe with ethnic digs,
Lord preserve us from the wimpy do-gooders who want to ban laughing.
It Ain't Half Hot Mum - means - Its very hot here Mum - (Not Half means very very much) Bates playing the Bearer was actually Anglo-Indian born in India and spoke Hindi and Urdu long before he ever learned to speak English - so he practically IS Indian
These soldiers were meant to be in what was called the "Forgotten Army", the British Fourteenth Army, which fought in Burma. The army consisted of a number of British Empire nationalities, including Indians, Africans and British. Not only were they a long way from home but they were still fighting the Japanese after Britain's main war (with the Germans) had ended (the series is set in 1945). And when they did get back to England, (in the series) they were mistaken for Australians due to their suntans and similar hats.
I haven't watched the whole video but you seem to have missed the fact that "up the Kyber (Pass)" is rhyming slang for "up the arse", another "politically incorrect" reference.
My mum's cousin was in the Forgotten Army, then ended up with the Chindits. Brutal stuff.
It ain't half hot" in other words it's not half hot, it's all the way hot. It's a strange British saying, it can be used for all kinds of situations e.g. It ain't half cold, I ain't half hungry, he ain't half stupid etc". Where I'm from we still use it. Would love to see you react to "Porridge", in my opinion one of the best British comedies of all time.
I think the reviewer’s incorrect interpretation reflects more on his ignorance rather than typical Insular American lack of knowledge of anything outside the USA.
The white guy was actually born in India and his first language was Urdu. Captain Michael Bates (1920-1978) served with the Ghurkas in Burma. What I find strange is that you two are evidently not 'European' Americans, yet you can not understand that we British can be of non European descent. Perhaps the difference is, we can find humour in each others peculiarities without getting a crisis of confidence. Crikey, maybe we should celebrate Thanks Giving. We should give thanks that we got rid of the Puritans.
Joe Turner How the hell are they suppose to know where Michael Hammond Bates was born, you idiot.
Stop trying to be smart, you think that Michael Hammond Bates being white, that they should know he was born in India!?
@@Bpg5012trick It seems to me that the post was offering interesting background on the actor rather than expecting them to know this.
Michael Bates did, indeed, speak fluent Urdu. But it wasn't his "First" language (Which was certainly English).
It's daft how some folks seem to equate nationality with race. Joanna Lumley, Cliff Richard, Vivien Leigh, Julie Christie were all born in India.
The actors that played "La De Dah" Gunner Graham (John Clegg) and Rangi Ram (Michael Bates) were born in India, and the actor who played Punkah Wallah Rumzan (Barbar Bhatti) was born in Southall.
Heck, Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine were born in Japan.
Heaven forbid people moving about!
Wait until they find out that this pasty redheaded lass was born in the same East London hospital as Idris Elba.
@@marcusjohns5166 , sorry his first languages were Hindi and Urdu, English came a little later.
Windsor Davies was brilliant in everything he was in.
Oh dear. How sad. Never mind
Now then....lovely boy.
"Just because you went to Hoxford and to Cambridge Mr la-di-da Gunner Graham!"
British Comedy UK
SHHHUUUUTTTT UUUPPPP!!!!!
Scouse Lee
It’s white wash sergeant major
@@imachickenloloriginal I have never seen such puffery in my entire life
In the final episode when the soldiers were demobbed (go back to civilian life) it’s revealed that the Sergeant Major (Windsor Davies) has no home and no-one to go back to. In a surprisingly touching moment one of the soldiers offers to let him stay in his spare room.
Yes, it was "Parky" Parkins, who the Sergeant-Major always has a soft-spot for, as he once had a relationship with Parky's mum (yes, That Mum, from the sitcoms title). So when Parky offers Williams to stay with him & his mum's home..., well, it will be lovely ending that the once lovers were reunited and Williams became Parky's step-dad. 😌
The last two episodes of the last season are so incredibly touching, and funny. Best comedy show made here in England.
The comments hare are so warm hearted and kind. Makes me proud to be British.
Goos show chaps.
R.I.P. SIR.
@@the4thnonblonde not just a soft spot... Williams thinks Parky is his son.
@@marks.6480 That was the way I always saw it.
the white guy dressed as a Indian was born in India and could speak Punjab , the joke was we knew he was English
They got the understanding of the title wrong, "it ain't half hot mum" as a slang phrase actually translates as saying its really is very very hot and not the other way round.
Awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star with mention Valor for my Nam duties, I have no problem understanding that every war, every hell, every man serving, has a right to some amusement. We should remember that British India, just like VietNam, were worlds so far away from nowadays i-Pad connected generation it makes 2018/2019 reactions an exercise in futile time-travel. Could you imagine the heath, the mosquitoes, the 100% humidity, the filthy stinking mud you walked, the boobytraps from ' uncle charlie'..? Its politicians that send us into those hells, they themselves never even knowing what political correctness meant. Just saying! RIP sergeant-major Davies, you brought laughs to those who were in the position to appreciate! Hurrah!
Vietnamese, hammered by the capitalist imperialists and their lackeys serving the rich and smashing up the environment in the process. What a magnificent fight they put up, against the odds. Muhammad Ali was right.
@@mizofan basically you're right, Mizo. And the whole disaster solved nothing in the end, useless, like all armed conflicts. Your " brothers" opened fire at me. In their rights or not, I did not appreciate. So I returned fire. Me too, I wanted go home alive.
@@mizofan excuse me,those imperial capitalists defeated ho-chi-minhs communist insurgency in 6 months. It's the French and Americans that lost it.
@@Trebor74 - History has it that if the French had just walked away at the very start, the Vietnam war would never have become the debacle that it was. The Americans got truly hammered and won nothing - but one wonders if anything has been learnt about the futility of war, as conflicts have never stopped and the innocent are still suffering.
@@rogerbarrett9920 actually they wernt 'truly hammered' as you put it. They were actually winning the war. What really defeated them was lack of public support for the war at home.
Not the best episode. The soldiers were a concert corp who's role was to entertain British soldiers. . The small man with glasses, Don Estelle was a fantastic singer.
yes I agree, there were other very good episodes other than this one. The sargent major had me laughing so hard in one skit, i cried!
yes he was
Windsor Davies and Don Estelle recorded the song Whispering Grass, which was very popular. Don Estelle was a lovely singer who died in 2003.
ua-cam.com/video/10dmK7O-KSY/v-deo.html
Amen to that.
I still laugh at those shows 😂 there were some very good singers in that show. It takes the mickey out out of British and I don’t think it makes the Indians look bad.
Exactly. It took the piss out of everybody, no matter what their nationality was. And we'd get to see it all again with 'Allo 'Allo.
Having lived in the USA for 25+ years, I fully understand that an American can only see UK comedy at a superficial level. There's so much which is part of the fabric of British culture which is missed by those who don't "get it".
We British laugh at ourselves.
Windsor Davies and Don Estelle's version of the song Whispering Grass was number one in the UK Singles Chart for three weeks.
@@Hi-kq1vi Just as well that Windsor Davies only speaks on that record!
@@ftumschk I still have that 45 rpm single. The B side is "Paper Doll" brilliantly sung by Don. He was an excellent 40s style crooner.
ua-cam.com/video/UuFmp0MN-YQ/v-deo.html
@@EricIrl i have same 45 too.
The video is on the box set
One of the best comedy British shows in my opinion.... Battery Sgt Major Williams played by the late Windsor Davies,Summing up a Typical British Sgt Major...in such a comic Fashion..The final 3 episodes ever of this show were really terrific...And the last one very especially funny..AND sad !! Check it out if you can find it on you tube...Cheers..Ade
There's an innuendo you might not have noticed in the title, Kidnapped In The Khyber.
Khyber is an example of cockney rhyming slang; khyber pass = arse
I remember watching this series with my father when it first aired in the 70’s & although as a child I could understand the broad humour on the face of the show, but it wasn’t until a few years later that when talking with my father I understood the side splitting reactions to the main characters particularly BSM Williams RA & the Colonel & Adjutant. He said that they were so close and accurate to what they were like during the WW2 , which although he didn’t make it out to India he did serve as a Staff Officer in the 8th Army in North Africa & Italy so I guess he had first hand experience of these upper class public schoolboy types who were such “Silly arses” as Capt. Ashford the Adjutant would say,
I recently bought the box set off Amazon. Still brilliant. But the main "Indian" character was played by Michael Bates who in actual fact was born in India. Apparently, he could speak better Hindi than the other two real Indian actors! Michael died of cancer shortly after filming the last episodes and was in great pain apparently, but you wouldn't know it, such a good actor and professional was he.
The painted face guy is actually a born Indian, he was the only guy on the show that spoke hindi
"The fall and rise of Reginald Perrin" was my favorite 70's British comedy... you should check it out.
My Mum's cousin Stuart McGugan, plays the Scotsman Atlas.
We are sophisticated PC and self obsessed and take our selves so seriously that humour is now dead today
You might be, but im not!
Nobody here's being PC and dissing this comedy. Are you sure you're not just looking to be offended by a non-existent "PC brigade"?
@@thundertick5666 This show will never be broadcast by the BBC again because they considered it racially offensive. . This is because the actor playng Rangi Ram is white and is using make up to look darker skinned.
Ha. It means “it is very hot here mum” and not what you said. Great start! Lol.
it is kept away by political correctness, the blackface character was loved by the asian community and was picked for the job because he got it so right having grown up in india. the black and white minstrel show it was not. the claimed homophobia is the main reason it is kept away from the screens. yet everyone loved it as the open secret.
unfortunately lots of comedy was drummed out for no real reason other than someone elses right to be offended by it. there is an off button for a reason.
The guy who played the sissy was in fact married with six children.
This program was awesome in the day, people have gotten far too sensitive and soft. Parts of the world are pathetic now. We have forgotten how to laugh at ourselves. I’ve known plenty of Indian people that found this hilarious and took it for what it was, lighthearted humour.
Oh ‘it ain’t half hot mum’ means it’s really hot, they’re sweating their b***s off basically 👍🏻😂 🇬🇧
FYI there was NO non Indian players that played Indian Characters in the series.Micheal Bates who plays Ranji the Bearer was an anglo indian.born in Jhansi, United Provinces, India.Bates was commissioned in the Indian Army in March 1942.He served in the Burma Campaign as a major with the Brigade of Gurkhas and was mentioned in dispatches in 1944.
Glad you enjoyed it... My Grandfather served in the British Army in India (and a lot of other places) back in those times, between the wars and during WW2. He was a career soldier and became an officer during the war. We have been reading his letters and it was quite clear he had very strong feelings about the class system and doing your duty. The main theme of 'It ain't half hot Mum' was the way a diverse group were thrown together in a strange country and how they became almost more traditionally British than their folks back home. The Indian actors were playing their part very well, aspiring to be British while ignoring the obvious flaws of the Foreigners. With India's Independence and the horrors of Partition still fresh in the viewers memories this bit of fun took a rosie look at 'better' times.
RIP Windsor Davies (Sergeant Major) , he recently passed away aged 88
Fascinating insight from your angle. I remember this very well on prime time TV in Britain in the 70s. What you’ve got to remember is that these characters are exaggerations ; though most Sgt Majors ( they ran the army ) where very much like Windsor Davies portrayal ! The ‘ Lah de Dah ‘ Gnr Graham is a typical upper class educated know all that most barracks had back then ( my dad remembers them ! ). So it’s a caricature thats actually quite accurate. The Indian character ( played by Michael Bates ) was very well received by minority communities , nobody complained.
Nonetheless, you’ve done very well to spot the comic situation and how the Sgt Major barks at just about everyone ! He does have an ‘ affair ‘ in one episode with an Indian or Malayan woman and he does have a more gentle side. But, yes, the British Officer class is the main butt of all the jokes in this sit com.
Yes the posh ( or correct) accent played a major part in where you went in the Army back then .
Sir Roger Moore came from a ordinary family ,but when he got called up on national service he was immediately ranked up to officer ,simply because he spoke posh.He was I believe put in charge of stores.
It's amazing back then what a posh accent could do for you.
Windsor Davies and Don Estelle... Legends
Michael Bates was born and raised in India. He spoke Urdu and Hindi fluently. He knew the mannerisms. When he died of cancer in the 3rd or 4th season of the show the Indian actors took over Michael Bates role. Michael Bates also played Monty in several movies. This is not black face or an insult to Indian people.
"It ain't half Hot" means it is really hot !!!! btw
They were also an entertainment corps of the army - like a drama / variety performances to keep morale up.
I'd recommend trying 'Steptoe and Son' - in my opinion the greatest British sitcom of all time.
There was a U.S. version of Steptoe, called Sanford and Son, though it didn't travel so well.
And, 'Til death do us part' (the early episodes); interesting to see your reactions.
Rising Damp as well
'Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads', as well.
@@ajivins1 Yes, I should have mentioned 'Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads' - on a par with 'Steptoe' in its writing and acting.
The episode you should react to is Jungle Patrol. It Ain't Half Hot Mum ran from 1974-81.They made a total of 8 series.
Brit humour is unique. Here in the Caribbean when a local TV Station is airing a British comedy ,when those of us who have spent some time in the UK are cracking, our other friends and relatives cannot figure out why we find it so funny.
I remember an episode of Benny Hill being aired on German TV with German subtitles. They quickly gave up.
Winsor Davis legend
Re makeup: although cross-dressing has a long tradition on the British stage, particularly when no actresses are available (in Shakespeare's day it was illegal, in a war zone as here there were no women), _all_ live stage actors normally wear makeup - otherwise under stage lighting and being at a distance from the audience, their features and expressions would seem bland or unrecognisable.
It's the 1970s elasticated "snake belt" around the turban that really gets me.
Those things came out in the thirties.
Pretty sure it's an army issue stable belt is it not?
@@BFBCFTW Nope. I wore one at infant and junior school. They're fairly iconic school uniform for plebs items, from the last century.
@@BFBCFTW A stable belt is a huge heavy thing. The Warrant Officer (Windsor Davies) is wearing a stable belt. But the bloke who does the monologuel at the start has an elasticated schoolboy belt
@@theradgegadgie6352 I’m 18 and my grandad always bought me those snake belts to wear in primary school. I didn’t realise how dated they were
The guy wearing "blackface", was highly thought of by the Indians in the tv show, it turned out his dad was in the Army and he grew up in India. He usually gets one upmanship, over the British.
Windsor Davies, the much loved and respected actor who played the RSM in this long running series, has sadly just passed away.
althou' he has only just died ,he had a good innings, god rest his soul will be sadly missed
A true gem. Hard;y offensive - just good fun. BBC get over yourselves and bring back this classic.
I still love this show, it made fun out of everyone, the small fat one, the intelligent one, the handsome but thick one, the gay one, the Scottish one, the Upper class English officers, etc no one was safe, 😂
I have no idea if there were any "Scottish" characters in the show, but there's definitely none in this clip.
There is however a "Welsh" character.
Daniel Gardecki wasn’t he a big chap that was always eating ?
@@jemmajames6719 Like I said I have no idea, but the guy telling people to "Shut up" is Welsh, and the others in this clip are English.
Daniel Gardecki Yes, definitely Scottish
@@danielgardecki1046 Stuart McGugan played the Scottish character, Gunner Mackintosh, throughout the series.
WRONG... "It ain't half hot" means " it is really hot".. NOT "It isn't so hot".. MY dad served in the British army 1939 to 1945 including Burma
It was quite a good series, particularly the earlier episodes and the last two or three. Apparently it was based on one of the writers' experiences in the Second World War, so I suspect it probably does reflect 1940s' attitudes quite well. It's a shame the BBC decided not to re-show it.
LOL - It's not politically incorrect, but, it is hilarious and extremely socially accurate. My family lived next door to an old soldier from WWII when I was a child and he told them that the comedy series was a lot more accurate than people think because he served in both India and Burma in WWII and the UTTER hilarious incompetence of some of the British officers had to be seen to be believed and IAHHM Encapsulated it perfectly!!.
PS - I am Asian and I don't find it politically incorrect at all.
As for your officers being less fit? That does not apply to the British army. Ours lead by example. This 'show' was a parody of army gallows humour of the period. It is true that the British Indian army elite were old school. But that is where the useless element were deployed and hence why they surrendered to an over extended Japanese invading force in Singapore. They had the reputation of being Gin merchants. This is how the officers are portrayed. Compare this with Dad's Army, where men beyond their prime would have stood in front of an invading German army. And stood their ground. They would never have surrendered.
A swift and lightly armed Japanese force of battle hardened troops swept down through the peninsular with relative ease by employing shockingly brutal and merciless tactics. The classic light infantry role. This was made much more easy after the RAF bases had been disabled which left no air cover. The japanese also targetted and sank the two main battleships sent north to provide fire support. The men that you casually dismiss as being 'useless' were in fact mainly untested and inexperienced conscripts with little battle experience who nonetheless fought bravely despite complacency, bad decision making and tactical planning from the Generals. Many brave men died during those battles and subsequently as POWs due to the brutality of the Japanese. They were made up of British Australian Indian and Commonwealth troops no less brave than anybody else during the war...Would you say the troops who were overwhelmed at Dunkirk were also a 'useless element' or just outmaneuvered and outgunned by more experienced and better-equipped enemy? ...You might want to check your facts a bit more before dismissing their efforts out there. They only surrendered when slaughter was inevitable.
@@Imforeverenglish You misunderstood me. I wus not dispereging troops. They were poorly led by the upper cless twits. Sorry. First letter not working. If they hed been well commended they could heve stopped the Jepenese edvence. Demn. I sound like Officer Crebtree.
They surrendered at Singapore as intelligence indicated a much larger force was about to arrive (which was incorrect in the end) and it was expected to result in a large loss of civilian life.
@@joeturner1597 We agree on that point - the intel and officers out there were flawed and complacent.
I still use Windsor Davis catch phrase to this day, When I was a policeman arresting someone voicing his innocence, it was gratifying to say, "What a pity, how sad, never mind".
The solders here put on shows for the troops ,but the Sergeant major who keeps calling the a load of puffs because they wear makeup and dress up as women try’s to keep getting them posted to the fighting front ,
He calls them poofs not puffs
Robert O'Brien .Sorry but it was a long time ago
POOFS!
a term used in reference to homosexuals in the 70's
To a Southerner, maybe. But to us Northerners, it is PUFFS not poofs. Poof rhymes with roof!
The bearers head band is a elastic belt with a snake buckle. I had one just like it.
I enjoy these videos, thanks for doing them.
The man with the deep Welsh accent Windsor Davis was the voice of one of the ball type Robots from Terror Hawks..
The British army, around the time of WW1, was said to be "Lions led by donkeys". A quote rumoured to have been made by a German General. Some would say it had contained a smidgen of truth up to around the 1970s but always a rich mine for humour,
Spot on mate. It also pre-dates that because commissions in the British military were traditionally bought and sold. The first born son of an aristocrat would inherit the land and title, any other sons were got rid of by buying them a rank in the armed forces. This would result in many retarded, inbred fools holding rank without any training or experience, often getting themselves and their men killed due to incompetence and seeking "glory".
Not only was it not said, ever, by a German General, it was actually made up by an Englishman, Alan Clarke, in his now thoroughly discredited book on WW1 "The Donkeys". He has a lot to answer for.
Joyce Grenfells book 'The Time of my Life' covers her work in concert parties during WW2, mainly in Persia. She made the point that the officers assigned to Entertainment were often drunks and failures, given the post to get them out of the way. This is shown in this program with the 2 silly arse officers!
When it's said, 'It ain't half', it means it's the full deal. As in, this case, it's REALLY hot!
Of course, this show is seen as being very politically incorrect. More so in the last few years. The fact that it's a situation *comedy* , (because those who advocate for political correctness have no sense of humour to speak of), and exaggerates actually real-life experiences of the writers who spent time in concert parties during the second world war, has everything to do with the style of humour in it. Those in the forces, during that period, played up taking the rise as part of the overall camaraderie that helped keep morale high at a time when any of them could potentially be facing death within a very short time. A lot of the actors also spend some time in the armed forces, albeit most after the war, but they still understood how this humour worked. Looking back at it from the perspective of those who never did national service or spent time mixing with people from all over, has meant they've become almost ultra-sensitive to the idea of, 'offending', people by saying what they consider to be the wrong thing. Back then, it was all taken in good spirits and no-one felt the need to be, 'offended.'
One thing you'll notice in this series is all the Officers are bumbling upper-class idiot types, the Battery Sergeant Major is devious, and the Indian character Rangi Ram, (he with the snake belt turban), is the wisest of the lot! He plays the fool, but usually knows more than the others put together. The concert party troops are a mixed bunch with 'Gloria' Beaumont and 'Lofty', Sugden as the 2 most memorable ones.
A shout-out for Mr. lah di dah gunner Graham, he really got up the sergeant-major's nose!
@John Saunders Can't say I remember Graham becoming an officer? No mention of it in the resumes on Wiki either. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_It_Ain%27t_Half_Hot_Mum_episodes
Non PC is in the stupid minds of those who push such nonsense. This was one of the funniest series the BBC produced.
I now live in a country where a man born in India playing an Indian is racist and a load of Indian actors acting a sketch called having an English is acceptable goodness gracious me indeed
if you look at the band around the turban it is a belt what nearly every kid in Britain use to wear to keep their pants up in the 50s and 60s
And Winsor Davies has just passed away. RIP
This is British comedy as it's best.....We laugh at ourselves while giving the moral high ground to others.
You should try Father Ted
I love the one with the three bishops. "Tentacles of Doom".
Father I hear your now a racist
3:50 Windsor Davies says, "Looks like he's wearing a Busby Sir." Busby is the correct name for the tall hat worn by Guardsmen sometimes called a Bearskin. It alludes to what the squashed fly might have looked like on top of the picture on Ashwood's book.
A busby is different from the bearskin worn by the Guards
windsor davies will be truly missed,
rip ❤️
🧡😂
Look up whispering grass by Don estelle and Windsor Davis