24 Facts About Jimmy Perry

James Perry was an English script writer and actor.

Jimmy Perry's father, Arthur, was an antiques dealer, whose shop was in South Kensington, London.

Jimmy Perry was a founder of the British Antique Dealers' Association.

Jimmy Perry's son was educated at two independent schools, Colet Court and St Paul's School, which at the time were both based in Hammersmith in West London.

The teenage Jimmy Perry partly served as the model for the mummy's boy character Private Pike in Dad's Army.

Jimmy Perry truanted, spending the whole of one summer reading Tarzan books on Barnes Common, rather than attending class.

Jimmy Perry was active in the concert party at the Deolali base of the Royal Artillery, and later in Combined Services Entertainment.

Jimmy Perry spent his holiday period working as a Redcoat in Butlin's Holiday Camps.

Jimmy Perry included Glenda Jackson, along with many actors that would later join him in his comedy writing career including Michael Knowles, Colin Bean, John Clegg and Mavis Pugh.

Jimmy Perry was sent by his agent, Ann Callender, to be cast in an episode of a sitcom starring Reg Varney entitled Beggar My Neighbour which was being produced by Callender's husband, David Croft.

Jimmy Perry showed Croft an outline for a sitcom derived from his experiences in the Home Guard, then entitled The Fighting Tigers, which resulted in the producer taking the idea to Michael Mills, then the BBC Head of Comedy.

Jimmy Perry, credited with the original idea for Dad's Army, conceived the sitcom with the role of Walker in mind for himself, but Croft and Mills successfully dissuaded him.

Jimmy Perry admitted in 2014 that he was not especially taken with the Terry and June type of sitcom.

Jimmy Perry defended the series, acknowledging the language was homophobic, but maintaining "those were the attitudes people had during the war".

Jimmy Perry rejected criticism of the casting of Michael Bates as Indian character Rangi Ram.

Jimmy Perry used his time working as a Butlin's Redcoat as an inspiration.

The character of Spike is thought to represent Jimmy Perry when he was a Butlin's Redcoat.

Jimmy Perry's grandfather had worked as a butler, and he had heard many anecdotes about life "below stairs".

Jimmy Perry created two further short lived series without David Croft, Room Service for Thames Television and High Street Blues with co-writer Robin Carr.

Jimmy Perry wanted Su Pollard to feature in the series as a local Briton wearing square wooden glasses.

In 1953, Jimmy Perry married actress Gillian Margaret Holland, younger sister of actress Diane Holland.

Jimmy Perry was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1978 Birthday Honours, in the same list as David Croft.

Jimmy Perry died on 23 October 2016 in Hammersmith, London after a short illness, aged 93.

Jimmy Perry was survived by his wife Gillian and his long-term partner, costume designer Mary Husband.