LOS ANGELES:

Variety

Perillo

Jimmy Perry, one of the UK’s most successful comedy writers, has died. He was 93. He is best known for TV series “Dad’s Army”, “It Ain’t Half Hot Mum”, and “Hi-de-Hi”.

At the start of World War II, Perry was too young to fight in the regular army, so he joined the Home Guard, a part-time defense force. He was drafted into the army in 1941, and served with a troupe of entertainers who put on concerts for British soldiers stationed in the Far East. After the war, Perry trained as an actor, and worked as an entertainer in holiday camps, and as an actor-entertainer in theaters and on TV.

He also wrote his own material, and in the early 1960s pitched an idea for a comedy series based on his time in the Home Guard to TV producer David Croft, who took it to the BBC. Croft became Perry’s writing partner and their show, “Dad’s Army”, ran from 1968 for nine years with 80 episodes. It was BAFTA-nominated several times and won in 1971. The show became a firm favorite with British audiences and has been repeated regularly on British television ever since. Two movies based on the series were produced. The first, released in 1971, was written by Perry and Croft, and featured the original cast, led by Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier. Another movie version, written by Hamish McColl, was released earlier this year to mixed reviews. (RTRS)