High Finance

"High Finance"
Dad's Army episode
Episode no.	Series Eight Episode 071
Directed by	David Croft
Story by	Jimmy Perry and David Croft
Produced by	David Croft
Original air date	3/10/75 8.00pm (recorded Thursday 30/5/75)
Running time	30 minutes
Episode chronology

High Finance is the fifth episode of the eighth series of the British comedy series Dad's Army that was originally broadcast on 3 October 1975.

Synopsis

Jones is overdrawn at the bank, and after a long investigation Mainwaring discovers that this has been caused by The Warden exorbitantly raising Mrs Pike's rent.

Plot

Jones arrives at the bank to pay in his takings, and cash a cheque. Pike refuses to cash his cheque because he is overdrawn. In Mainwaring's office, Mainwaring attempts to explain why he cannot cash the cheque. Jones can't understand why, having just paid money in, he can't take money out. Mainwaring complains that the cheque is stained, and Jones explains it is from a piece of liver. Mainwaring then asks what Jones is going to do about 'it', meaning his overdraft, and Jones replies that maybe he could "keep the cheques away from the meat". Mainwaring insists on coming round to Jones's shop after work to try to see where his overdraft has come from.

After Jones has gone, rather upset, Wilson suggests Mainwaring could give Jones an overdraft because he is in the platoon, Mainwaring refuses to bend the rules.

In Jones's shop Mainwaring attempts to examine Jones books, but chaos ensues. Mainwaring gets a fly paper stuck on his bowler hat and Pike attempts to cut if off, but trims off the rim as well, so Mainwaring cannot lift his hat. Pike then tips all Jones's carefully sorted ration tickets onto the floor. Mainwaring takes all Jones's books home, much to Frazer's horror.

The next morning, Jones agrees with Mainwaring's laborious conclusion from Jones's chaotic books that his business is £50 short, and then tells Mainwaring that he has an unpaid bill from the orphanage for £50, which he produces from his pocket. Mainwaring is furious at having all his time wasted. In attempting to track down why the orphanage cannot pay the £50, Mainwaring interviews, in turn, The Vicar, Miss Twelvetrees and Frazer. He then convenes a meeting, inviting Wilson, Hodges, the Pikes, the Verger, the Vicar, Frazer, Godfrey and Jones.

In the meeting, Mainwaring tracks the £50. Mrs Pike borrowed it from Wilson, who borrowed it from Godfrey, who borrowed it from Frazer. Frazer then withheld his rent from Miss Twelvetrees, who could not make her usual donation to the vicar, who could not pay Jones's meat bill. The meeting hears with horror that Mrs Pike needed the money to pay a huge increase in rent demanded by her landlord, the Warden. Mrs Pike then says that Hodges had said he would "let me off if I was nice to him". At this, Wilson deliberately gets up, walks slowly but purposefully round the table and punches the Warden in the face, knocking him off his chair. The room is stunned, especially the Pikes, who are really impressed. Hodges complains that he's always liked her but that she is besotted with Wilson to which Pike says "Why don't you hit him again, Uncle Arthur!" the Warden is shamed into cashing a £50 cheque from Mainwaring, who gives it to Mrs Pike, who gives it to Wilson, to Godfrey, to Frazer, to Miss Twelvetrees, to the Vicar, via the Verger to Jones, who gives it back to Mr Mainwaring. All is concluded, and Mainwaring's triumph seems complete and unblemished, but then he is confronted in front of everyone by an irate grocer to whom Mrs Mainwaring owes £49 17/6, and he has to pay up.

Notes

Pike makes reference to the Charlie Chan series of films starring Warner Oland, in particular Charlie Chan in London which was released in 1934, when Mainwaring calls a meeting to reveal the identity of the villain.

Cast

Dad's Army by Jimmy Perry & David Croft

Characters

Episodes

Adaptations

Merchandise

Other articles

Episodes

Series 1	The Man and the Hour Museum Piece Command Decision The Enemy Within the Gates The Showing Up of Corporal Jones Shooting Pains

Series 2	Operation Kilt The Battle of Godfrey's Cottage The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker Sgt. Wilson's Little Secret A Stripe for Frazer† Under Fire

Series 3	The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones Battle School The Lion Has Phones The Bullet is Not for Firing Something Nasty in the Vault Room at the Bottom Big Guns The Day the Balloon Went Up War Dance Menace from the Deep Branded Man Hunt No Spring for Frazer Sons of the Sea

Series 4	The Big Parade Don't Forget the Diver Boots, Boots, Boots Sgt – Save My Boy! Don't Fence Me In Absent Friends Put That Light Out! The Two and a Half Feathers Mum's Army The Test A. Wilson (Manager)? Uninvited Guests Fallen Idol

Series 5	Asleep in the Deep Keep Young and Beautiful A Soldier's Farewell Getting the Bird The Desperate Drive of Corporal Jones If the Cap Fits... The King was in his Counting House All is Safely Gathered In When Did You Last See Your Money? Brain Versus Brawn A Brush with the Law Round and Round Went the Great Big Wheel Time on My Hands

Series 6	The Deadly Attachment My British Buddy The Royal Train We Know Our Onions The Honourable Man Things that Go Bump in the Night The Recruit

Series 7	Everybody's Trucking A Man of Action Gorilla Warfare The Godiva Affair The Captain's Car Turkey Dinner

Series 8	Ring Dem Bells When You've Got to Go Is There Honey Still for Tea? Come In, Your Time Is Up High Finance The Face on the Poster

Series 9	Wake Up Walmington The Making of Private Pike Knights of Madness The Miser's Hoard Number Engaged Never Too Old

000!!Specials	Santa On Patrol Resisting the Aggressor Down the Ages Cornish Floral Dance Battle of the Giants! Broadcast to the Empire My Brother and I The Love of Three Oranges

Episodes in italics are missing
† Episode has been reconstructed for release using animation.

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