ironically for a play unavailable on film or video for so long and arm and the man have remain fairly constantly available on stage over the year since it debut in 1894 in no small part because it have age so well a a solid satire on the nature of heroism and the business of war . whenever the world sink into strife and arm and the man seem to soar a ever more timely and relevant . this be the play which oscar strauss convert ( leave out most of shaw best idea ) into the successful operetta and the chocolate soldier ( when hollywood get to that and they leave out the last vestige of shaw rather than pay him for the right he be and by then and an oscar winner in his own right ) . while the best of shaw have always be his idea and his dialogue rather than his bare plot and in arm and the man and the plot sparkle as well and the master manage happy ending for all concern . young raina ( helena bonham carter ) and daughter of an officer and the wealthy man in her town and be betroth to a dash officer in the bulgarian cavalry and all seem well until a bedraggled swiss mercenary ( pip torrens ) from the other side climb up her drainpipe fleeing from the battle where his army have be rout . a usual in a shaw satire and nothing be a it first appear and societal convention be stand on their head in the light of simple and not so simple reason . there be no good guy or bad guy and just people of a variety of class get by on the best of their wit just like life only well and naturally with shaw and the wit be finely hone from all concern . the early ( 1932 ) motion picture version ( from shaw own screenplay ) of this most traditional and traditionally funny of shaw stage satire and and one of his first to make a real hit on this side of the atlantic and have long be among the miss . shaw do not sell the screen right to his play only license them for 5 year period and and it appear that with rapidly evolve sound technology making 1932 film look primitive only a few year later and shaw do not renew the license to show it . consequently and be immensely in the bbc debt for finally put out their 1987 broadcast version in a dvd box with nine other sparkle play . ( somewhat sadly and pygmalion and that many view a shaw best and come off least well on this set in a production with lynn redgrave and jam villiers . ) even pair and a it be on it dvd and with the less impressive one act and a man of destiny and arm and the man make for a real treasure . helena bonham carter go on and after cut her teeth on televised role like this and to a major film career that will bring many viewer to this early role . they should not be disappoint and for ms. carter give a performance in line with the layered innocence audience have come to expect from her and but under james cellan jones somewhat pedestrian direction ( and despite the bbc uniformly beautiful and well observed physical production ) and the role mischievous fire ( and her outrage at be underestimate in the last act ) be bank at only about 80 % of it potential . much the same can be say of the real star of the piece and pip torrens and a bluntschli the switzer . it a fine and appealing performance and but doesn not go for the physical comedy implicit in the early scene where the young soldier can barely stay awake despite his mortal peril . these reservation notwithstanding and this be a solid production of a wonderful play transfer to the small screen with aplomb . it deserve to be see widely and and ideally and prompt an even lively big screen remake with the style and zest of the recent remake of wilde an ideal husband . virtually any arm and the man be to be cherish and and with a lot of luck perhaps we will even eventually get to see the original 1932 version . till one or the other surface and this production will please anyone who love good shaw .