The 'stupid boy' has left us!

[jimmyscoular]

Clive Dunn was a socialist and hated working with Arthur Low who was a raving tory and apparently every bit as pompous and bullying in real life as he was on the screen

From Wikipedia:

In 1968, Lowe was cast in his best remembered role, as Home Guard platoon leader Captain Mainwaring in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army (1968–1977). Some colleagues on the show later remarked that the role resembled him: pompous and bumbling. Frank Williams said he felt this perception was unfair: "He certainly didn't suffer fools gladly and always knew his own mind, but he also had an ability to laugh at himself. Personally, I found him to be a most kind and generous man".[43] David Croft said Lowe had to be treated with kid gloves. He had firm ideas on what he was willing to do and never took his script home, which resulted in uncertainty over his lines.[44] He could be pompous and over time his part was written so there was a blurring of the line between actor and character.[44] An oddity of his contract was that he would never have to remove his trousers.[45]

Lowe held conservative political views and disapproved of the left-wing politics of his co-star Clive Dunn.[46] Dunn, in turn, described some of Lowe's opinions as outrageous, but as an actor rated him "ten out of ten in his field". Despite some tensions, Jimmy Perry described the cast as a "marvellous bunch of pros" with "no sort of volatile animosity between anybody".[46]

Clive Dunn's comments here reflect an attitude on the part of the left that was standard in those days — that an artist's genius (Jane Fonda, for example, perhaps a little self servingly) should be appreciated despite his or her politics. That tune has changed. Today's left sees nothing but politics.

[jon1959]

Clive Dunn's comments here reflect an attitude on the part of the left that was standard in those days — that an artist's genius (Jane Fonda, for example, perhaps a little self servingly) should be appreciated despite his or her politics. That tune has changed. Today's left sees nothing but politics.

Not sure that last comment is true. I regard myself and most of my closest friends as 'of the left' but generally we are happy to distinguish between an actor's ability on screen or stage and their political views.

I like and appreciate a lot of Clint Eastwood, David Lynch, Ian Curtis and others. Even Edward Fox. All of the political right. Don't like their politics but that is a totally different thing.

I don't agree with cancelling or airbrushing artists, writers, musicians or thinkers who I disagree with, that display outdated or offensive views, or have transgressed in some way. It may be right to show a brief sensitivity warning before playing the Dambusters film on Boxing Day, but the name of Gibson's dog is not a reason to ban the film. Kevin Spacey is a great actor whatever crimes he has committed.

There have always been people on the left, the right and the middle who want to suppress views or opinions they dislike - that isn't a recent thing. But I don't think it is a majority view on the left. No calls for book burning, and if anything the most vocal blacklisters and cancellers in recent years have been from the other side (exacerbated by the positions taken on Israel-Palestine).

It seems there may be a lot of noise on social media to shut down opposition views - I don't look at that enough to form an opinion - and from one side that plays into the endless 'woke' frothing in the Tory press - but from the little I have seen it looks like a cultural reaction (in both senses of the word) not political.