Jimmy Grafton

James Douglas Grafton (19 May 1916 – 2 June 1986) was a producer, writer and theatrical agent. He served in World War II as an officer in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment and was awarded the Military Cross for his actions during Operation Market Garden.

After the war he worked within his family publican business, taking over as manager at Grafton's pub in London while also acting as a part-time scriptwriter. The pub served as a meeting place for many comedians, including Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers and Michael Bentine. Grafton was instrumental in ensuring the quartet were hired by the BBC for their new programme, eventually called The Goon Show. Grafton also acted as a script editor for the first three series of the show. He continued with scriptwriting for other artistes and acted as Harry Secombe's agent for over 25 years.

He died in 1986, at the age of 70.

Biography Grafton was born on 19 May 1916 in Westminster, London;

In 1950 Grafton used his connections within the BBC to arrange an audition for the Goons; he also secured the BBC announcer, Andrew Timothy, to act as the programme's link man. Timothy had also been a fellow officer from Grafton's old regiment during the war. The first audition tape was not successful, but a second, recorded in 1951, led to the hiring of the Goons for their first series, Crazy People; He died in Chichester, West Sussex, on 2 June 1986, at the age of 70;

Selected writing credits Variety Bandbox (Radio) London Entertains (Film 1951) The Goon Show (Radio 1951–53) Goonreel (TV 1952) Down Among the Z Men (Film 1952) Billy Cotton Band Show (Radio Eight years between 1956–65) A Santa for Christmas (Film 1957) New Look (TV 1959) The Dickie Henderson Half-Hour (TV 1959–64; 1971) Secombe and Friends (TV 1966) Mum's Boys (TV 1968) Sunstruck (Film 1972) The Harry Secombe Show (TV 1972–73) Relatively Secombe (TV 1978) Secombe With Music (TV 1980–82) Pepys (TV 1983)

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