Do You Think That's Wise: The Life of John Le Mesurier

Best known for starring in Dad's Army, where his Sergeant Wilson was the languid, rakish, distracted foil to Arthur Lowe's pompous, chippy Captain Mainwaring, John Le Mesurier is a beloved character actor. "Do you think that's wise, sir?" and "Would you mind awfully . . . ?" are two of Sergeant Wilson's expressions that sum up his unorthodox, unruffled approach to service life. But occasionally, life mirrors art and there was much of Sergeant Wilson in "Le Mez," as he was known to friends and family. Just as Wilson appeared to enjoy a close—but unmarried—acquaintance with Mavis Pike, so Le Mesurier had three unconventional marriages, including with the comic actress Hattie Jacques. A phone call from Le Mez was often to suggest, "Playtime?"—always delivered in his irresistible drawl. This biography is fully authorised by his family.