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A Stupid Boy: The Autobiography of the Creator of Dad's Army
From the creator of 'Dad's Army', comes 'A Stupid Boy', wonderfully written and evocative tale of the life and adventures that inspired the hit TV shows he would go on to create.
Born into a middle-class family with doting parents, the young Jimmy Perry had only one ambition: to go on the stage. He didn't mind whether he made it as a great comedian or famous film star, his obsession to get behind those footlights was all encompassing.
Jimmy's school days were a nightmare, but he survived - just. In 1941, at the age of seventeen, he joined the Watford Home Guard - the inspiration for the brilliant 'Dad's Army'. Two years later Jimmy was called into the regular forces, and sent to Burma with the Royal Artillery, ready for the big push against the Japanese, which never came. Instead he joined the Royal Artillery Concert Party - the armed fighting unit that travelled the Indian Subcontinent, entertaining the troops, and the basis for his second hit show, 'It Ain't Half Hot, Mum'.
Demobbed and back in the UK in 1947, Jimmy, like so many other ex-service, would be comedians, auditioned at The Windmill Theatre ... and failed. Instead he auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art ... and passed. Fellow students included many stars of the future, including Joan Collins, Robert Shaw, Warren Mitchell and Lionel Jeffries. Unlike them, Jimmy spent his summer holidays as a Redcoat at Butlin's holiday camp, yet another part of his life immortalised in a great television series - 'Hi-De-Hi!'.
This highly entertaining and funny book also gives fascinating insights into these much-loved British comedies: the real-life individuals who inspired the characters and events, and behind-the-scenes stories - including how 'Dad's Army' came about, and how it was very nearly dropped, never to appear on our screens.
Born into a middle-class family with doting parents, the young Jimmy Perry had only one ambition: to go on the stage. He didn't mind whether he made it as a great comedian or famous film star, his obsession to get behind those footlights was all encompassing.
Jimmy's school days were a nightmare, but he survived - just. In 1941, at the age of seventeen, he joined the Watford Home Guard - the inspiration for the brilliant 'Dad's Army'. Two years later Jimmy was called into the regular forces, and sent to Burma with the Royal Artillery, ready for the big push against the Japanese, which never came. Instead he joined the Royal Artillery Concert Party - the armed fighting unit that travelled the Indian Subcontinent, entertaining the troops, and the basis for his second hit show, 'It Ain't Half Hot, Mum'.
Demobbed and back in the UK in 1947, Jimmy, like so many other ex-service, would be comedians, auditioned at The Windmill Theatre ... and failed. Instead he auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art ... and passed. Fellow students included many stars of the future, including Joan Collins, Robert Shaw, Warren Mitchell and Lionel Jeffries. Unlike them, Jimmy spent his summer holidays as a Redcoat at Butlin's holiday camp, yet another part of his life immortalised in a great television series - 'Hi-De-Hi!'.
This highly entertaining and funny book also gives fascinating insights into these much-loved British comedies: the real-life individuals who inspired the characters and events, and behind-the-scenes stories - including how 'Dad's Army' came about, and how it was very nearly dropped, never to appear on our screens.
- GenresNonfiction
304 pages, Paperback
First published November 5, 2002
3 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Jimmy Perry
115 books2 followersJames "Jimmy" Perry, OBE (born 20 September 1923) is an English writer, scriptwriter, and actor, best known for devising and co-writing the BBC sitcoms Dad's Army (1968–1977), It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–1981), Hi-De-Hi (1980–1988) and You Rang M'Lord? (1988–1993) with David Croft.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_P...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_P...
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 31, 2017
Whenever I have seen Jimmy Perry interviewed on television, I have always enjoyed the experience and I have always appreciated the work that he, along with David Croft, had put in to develop such series as 'Dad's Army' (my absolute favourite), 'Hi-De-Hi!' and the rest. So when I spotted 'A Stupid Boy' I just had to purchase it. And it is an entertaining story, well told although at times, particularly in his younger days, he does come across as a somewhat self-centred prig. But one has to take this in one's stride and look at the wider picture as he makes his way to get where he always said that he wanted to be - that is the star of the show.
Born in Barnes, south London in 1936, Perry always wanted to be in show business, despite the family having an antique shop in South Kensington. His school reports were not as good as they could have been with one teacher's comment being '... your son shows very little ability for anything. He's wasting our time and your money - we fear for his future.' But young Perry was unfazed for, when his father told him he must have qualifications, he replied 'I don't need any qualifications. I'm going to be a famous film star or a great comedian.' And that was to be his career path, come what may.
Throughout his youth he was a junior entertainer, for family and friends and at school, and he had his heroes, with Bud Flanagan and Chesney Allen being top of the list - Max Miller was a close second. He does say that at the time he was idolising Bud and Ches he did not realise that one day he would know them; Bud, of course, sang the signature tune for 'Dad's Army'. And mention of that show leads nicely to the time that young Perry spent in the Watford Home Guard Commando Platoon and when asked in later life what was the difference between the real Home Guard and 'Dad's Army', his reply was, perhaps surprisingly, 'Not a lot!' Plenty of the episodes of that programme smack of the time he spent with that Watford Platoon.
He admits that in the Home Guard he was always obsessed with guns so it was no surprise when, after working in a factory all day and attending to Home Guard matters in the evening, he was called up and found himself in the Royal Artillery. It was there that he got his first real taste of the footlights when he joined the Royal Artillery Concert Party. Many of the characters he encountered he incorporated into his series 'It Ain't Half Hot, Mum' and he recalls his military adventures with obvious relish, despite the deprivations that he and his colleagues experienced.
He was posted to the Indian sub-continent and once more his life there gave him ideas for the future 'Hot' series, which is no surprise, for his tales of travelling round India and performing at various outposts are certainly amusing and entertaining. When the war was over demobilisation followed and he found himself back in civvie street wondering what to do.
Like so many other ex-servicemen would-be comedians he auditioned for The Windmill Theatre but to his initial annoyance he failed. Instead he was persuaded to audition for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and he passed with flying colours. Fellow students in his time at RADA were such as Warren Mitchell, Joan Collins, Robert Shaw and Lionel Jeffries but unlike them, Perry spent his summer vacations as a Red Coat at Butlin's Holiday Camps. Once more he used his experiences in a later hit TV show, this time 'Hi-De-Hi!'. And if one has watched the series (and read the book), episodes of his time as a Red Coat often appear in the series.
As well as telling of his own full life, he treats the reader to views of some of the characters who played in his various series and, illustrated throughout with family photographs and shots from the TV series, this autobiography does make for an entertaining read - something that Jimmy Perry would have been extremely proud about ... if only that teacher knew that there was no need to have feared for his future!
Born in Barnes, south London in 1936, Perry always wanted to be in show business, despite the family having an antique shop in South Kensington. His school reports were not as good as they could have been with one teacher's comment being '... your son shows very little ability for anything. He's wasting our time and your money - we fear for his future.' But young Perry was unfazed for, when his father told him he must have qualifications, he replied 'I don't need any qualifications. I'm going to be a famous film star or a great comedian.' And that was to be his career path, come what may.
Throughout his youth he was a junior entertainer, for family and friends and at school, and he had his heroes, with Bud Flanagan and Chesney Allen being top of the list - Max Miller was a close second. He does say that at the time he was idolising Bud and Ches he did not realise that one day he would know them; Bud, of course, sang the signature tune for 'Dad's Army'. And mention of that show leads nicely to the time that young Perry spent in the Watford Home Guard Commando Platoon and when asked in later life what was the difference between the real Home Guard and 'Dad's Army', his reply was, perhaps surprisingly, 'Not a lot!' Plenty of the episodes of that programme smack of the time he spent with that Watford Platoon.
He admits that in the Home Guard he was always obsessed with guns so it was no surprise when, after working in a factory all day and attending to Home Guard matters in the evening, he was called up and found himself in the Royal Artillery. It was there that he got his first real taste of the footlights when he joined the Royal Artillery Concert Party. Many of the characters he encountered he incorporated into his series 'It Ain't Half Hot, Mum' and he recalls his military adventures with obvious relish, despite the deprivations that he and his colleagues experienced.
He was posted to the Indian sub-continent and once more his life there gave him ideas for the future 'Hot' series, which is no surprise, for his tales of travelling round India and performing at various outposts are certainly amusing and entertaining. When the war was over demobilisation followed and he found himself back in civvie street wondering what to do.
Like so many other ex-servicemen would-be comedians he auditioned for The Windmill Theatre but to his initial annoyance he failed. Instead he was persuaded to audition for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and he passed with flying colours. Fellow students in his time at RADA were such as Warren Mitchell, Joan Collins, Robert Shaw and Lionel Jeffries but unlike them, Perry spent his summer vacations as a Red Coat at Butlin's Holiday Camps. Once more he used his experiences in a later hit TV show, this time 'Hi-De-Hi!'. And if one has watched the series (and read the book), episodes of his time as a Red Coat often appear in the series.
As well as telling of his own full life, he treats the reader to views of some of the characters who played in his various series and, illustrated throughout with family photographs and shots from the TV series, this autobiography does make for an entertaining read - something that Jimmy Perry would have been extremely proud about ... if only that teacher knew that there was no need to have feared for his future!
April 5, 2020
Not as funny or gripping as I thought it would be. I did learn some background info about the author and the series he wrote. Skimmed the last 1/2 of the book.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews