Jimmy Perry
Jimmy Perry was born on September 20th, 1923. Jimmy passed away October 23rd, 2016 at 93 years old. Jimmy Perry was born in Barnes, Surrey, England.
Jimmy Perry was one of the pioneers in TV performance and writing. He was the co-writer and co-creator of some of the most popular situational comedies on the BBC alongside David Croft.
Finding inspiration from his own experiences as a Home Guard when he was in his teenage years and during World War II when he served with the
Royal Artillery Concert Party in Burma, he wrote
Dad's Army.
As a young man, Perry worked in the carpet department of Waring & Gillow in addition to helping out in his father's antique shop. He also trained in the making of scientific instruments and worked in a factory where he made naval telescopes.
Early in his life, Jimmy Perry used to perform in music halls, and following the war, he got a job as a
Butlins Redcoat. It was from this experience that he found the inspiration for
Hi-de-Hi. He also worked at the repertory theatre as an actor-manager before he got his big break on TV.
Besides his popular sitcoms, he also wrote several other shows, even though they were not as popular as his comedies. For his services to TV, he was made an OBE in 1978. In 2003, he went to the British Comedy Awards, where he won a
Lifetime Achievement Award alongside Croft.
He continued writing and working on TV until the 1990s before he passed on after a short illness, aged 93.
In Jimmy Perry's memoir
A Stupid Boy, he tells of a boy who had dreams of making it on stage as an actor.
As a boy, he decided to make his life into a classic comedy. When Perry was 17, he joined the
Watford Home Guard and later served in Burma. After being rejected by
The Windmill Theatre, he enrolled at
RADA, where he rubbed shoulders with future stars.
It is a work that shares behind-the-scenes stories of his life as an actor and the real people who shaped it.
Jimmy Perry: F.A.Q
When was Jimmy Perry Born?
Jimmy Perry was born on September 20th, 1923.
When did Jimmy Perry die?
Jimmy Perry died on October 23rd, 2016 at 93 years old.
Where was Jimmy Perry Born?
Jimmy Perry was born in Barnes, Surrey, England.
What was the first book Jimmy Perry wrote?
The first book written by Jimmy Perry was A Stupid Boy, published in 2002.
What was the most recent book Jimmy Perry wrote?
Their most recently released work was Dad's Army: The Lost Tapes (a short story) on November 5th, 2015.
How many books has Jimmy Perry written?
Jimmy Perry has written 6 books. 4 books in the Dad's Army BBC Radio Series, 2 Non-Fiction Books.