Captain Darling

Jasen 2022-09-17 20:53:07

Captain "Baby" was "Captain Cartwright" in the original script. Later, Stephen Fry had the idea that it was better to change the name to "Captain Darling", so there was this classic and tried-and-tested joke in "Blackadder IV". .

Darling’s actor Tim Mclnnerny later said in an interview that he pondered Captain Darling’s character: a person with such a strange name has been ridiculed for his name since childhood, so he feels inferior and self-hatred. Own name produces instinctive disgust. He designed a peculiar little action for this character: whenever he is offended, his left eye blinks involuntarily. After playing Captain Darling, this habit has been maintained for several months (or several years?), so that he once panicked that he would never be able to get rid of this action.

Such a "little man" type of person, when Captain Blackadder and others were eating soil (literally, the coffee they drank was made by Baldrick with muddy water: P) in the trenches on the front line, he hid behind and waited for General Melchett. , And also make things difficult for Blackadder. But in fact, even though General Melchett, who was neurotic, put him by his side, he seemed to hate this man whose soul was as small as sand. He asked Captain Darling to do things for himself, but he never respected him. For example, in episode 5 when he wanted to place someone to the hospital, he did not hesitate to pull out his gun and shoot Darling in the leg. But Darling wanted to stay behind, to obey and please General Melchett, he could only dare not speak, or even dare not to be angry. He has been so self-depressing and humbling to protect himself, and was finally sent to the front of the Somme without mercy by General Melchett the night before launching the attack, even though he knelt down and said in tears: "I don't want to die." (He didn't even say such a sentence, he could only say to General Melchett hesitantly: "I don't want...") (In contrast, Lieutenant George has always been on the front line, but Melchett loves him Out of words, I hope he stays behind.) After reaching the trenches and seeing Captain Blackadder, Captain Darling laughed at himself for the first and only time in his life: "I'm tired of stacking pajamas for the general." At the end of the end. At last, he and Blackadder had a friendly dialogue, saying that his ideal of life is to return to work in the specimen company, open the door to gentlemen, marry Doris as his wife, and write the word "jerk" in the diary. At this moment, no matter how much you hated Captain Darling before, you can't help but be moved-he is actually a small person like us.

(When I first watched "Blackadder IV", I only thought that Captain Darling was a nasty character with a funny name, especially when I thought of his previous life, Percy was a good follower of Blackadder I and II. Until I watched the 25th anniversary documentary. , Listening to the actors tell their own speculation about this role, suddenly there is a new understanding. We only saw a fragment of a role, and the actors performed the role's life.)

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Extended Reading

Blackadder Goes Forth quotes

  • Lieutenant George: But this is brave, splendid and noble...

    [Blackadder doesn't react - there's a long pause]

    Lieutenant George: ...Sir

    Captain Blackadder: Yes, Lieutenant.

    Lieutenant George: I'm scared, sir

    Private Baldrick: I'm scared too, sir

    Lieutenant George: I'm the last of the tiddly-winking leapfroggers from the golden summer of 1914. I don't want to die... I'm really not over keen on dying at all, sir.

    Captain Blackadder: How are you feeling, Darling?

    Captain Darling: Ahm- not all that good, Blackadder. Rather hoped I'd get through the whole show, go back to work at Pratt and Sons, keep wicket for the Croydon Gentlemen, marry Doris. Made a note in my diary on the way here. Simply says: "Bugger".

    Captain Blackadder: Well, quite.

    [Outside: "Stand to, stand to, fix bayonets"]

    Captain Blackadder: Come on, come on, let's move.

    [at the door, Blackadder turns to George]

    Captain Blackadder: Don't forget your stick Lieutenant

    Lieutenant George: Rather, sir. Wouldn't want to face a machine gun without this.

    [they walk into the misty trench, waiting for the off - suddenly there is silence - the machine guns stop]

    Captain Darling: I say, listen - our guns have stopped.

    Lieutenant George: You don't think...

    Private Baldrick: Perhaps the war's over. Perhaps it's peace.

    Captain Darling: Thank God. We lived through it. The Great War, 1914 to 1917.

    Captain DarlingPrivate BaldrickLieutenant George: Hip hip hooray!

    Captain Blackadder: I'm afraid not. The guns have stopped because we are about to attack. Not even our generals are mad enough to shell their own men. They feel it's more sporting to let the Germans do it.

    Lieutenant George: So, we are, in fact, going over. This is, as they say, it?

    Captain Blackadder: Yes, unless I can think of something very quickly.

    [a voice shouts 'Company, one pace forward.' They all step forward]

    Private Baldrick: There's a nasty splinter on that ladder, sir. A bloke could hurt himself on that.

    [another call: "Stand ready" - they put their hands on the ladders ready to climb]

    Private Baldrick: I have a plan, sir.

    Captain Blackadder: Really Baldrick? A cunning and subtle one?

    Private Baldrick: Yes, sir.

    Captain Blackadder: As cunning as a fox who's just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University?

    Private Baldrick: Yes, sir.

    [another call: "On the signal, Company will advance"]

    Captain Blackadder: Well, I'm afraid it's too late. Whatever it was, I'm sure it was better than my plan to get out of here by pretending to be mad. I mean, who would have noticed another madman round here?

    [a whistle blows he looks at Baldrick]

    Captain Blackadder: Good luck, everyone.

    [Blackadder blows his whistle, there is a roar of voices as everyone leaps up the ladders, meeting the machine gun fire]

  • [repeated line]

    Private Baldrick: I have a cunning plan.