‘LOFTY’S LITTLE FRIEND’

Please feel free to comment on my review.

This is one of my favourite episodes from ‘It Ain’t Half Hot Mum’. It’s an episode where Lofty gets to shine as a character and we’re introduced to an elephant, played by Vicki from Gerry Cottle’s Circus. No joke, Vicki is actually featured in the episode’s end credits as well as the episode’s closing shot. 😀

In the episode, Lofty is sent to collect a rare plant for Captain Ashwood from the jungle. He comes across an elephant, who follows him home as well as eats Ashwood’s plant and all the other plants at the camp. Reynolds and Ashwood hold Lofty responsible for bringing the elephant into the camp.

I think that Reynolds and Ashwood are rather harsh to Lofty when accusing him for bringing the elephant into the camp. Also, Ashwood is obsessing over a plant? I know Ashwood can be eccentric at times, but him getting angry with Lofty over the elephant eating his plant is a bit too much for me.

When the Sgt-Major and the Concert Party try to capture the elephant’s foot in a rope-made noose, she obviously refuses to put its foot in it. Of course, the elephant isn’t expected to obey instructions on the set of a TV series compared to when it presumably obeys the instructions in a circus show. 😀

I’m surprised the elephant didn’t stand on her head with her hind legs in the air, like in the radio version of the ‘Dad’s Army’ episode ‘Everybody’s Trucking’. It was funny when the Sgt-Major got his foot caught in the noose and not the elephant, as the Concert Party were ordered to pull the noose.

In the end, when the elephant’s appetite is insatiable, as it eats up most of the hay in the camp, it’s decided by the Colonel for the Concert Party to shoot the poor animal. I liked the scene where Lofty stood in front of the elephant and refused to let the Concert Party to shoot at the Sgt-Major’s orders.

The Sgt-Major is clearly red in the face, but Lofty won’t budge. Just when the Concert Party are about to open fire on the elephant, her owner, played by Azad Ali, turns up to retrieve her. He claims the elephant once performed to music in a circus and she happens to be attracted to Lofty’s singing.

I like how the episode ended with Lofty and the Concert Party singing to the elephant, leading her out of the Deolali camp. 🙂 It’s a shame the elephant wasn’t used in one of the Concert Party’s acts for a show. I’m surprised it wasn’t taken on in the episode, and it seems to be a missed opportunity.

‘Lofty’s Little Friend’ rating – 9/10