Editing Jon Pertwee (section)

===Early career===
While still at school, Pertwee worked as a circus performer riding the Wall of Death on a motorcycle with a toothless lion in the sidecar. He then worked in [[repertory theatre]] before being contracted with the [[BBC]] at 18 as an actor.<ref>{{cite web |last=Foster |first=Chuck |title=Jon Pertwee centenary celebration on BBC Radio 4 Extra |url=http://m.doctorwhonews.net/2019/06/jon-pertwee-celebration-290619184508.html |website=Doctor Who News |language=en |access-date=7 October 2019 |date=29 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Who's Talking: Jon Pertwee |url=http://www.dvillage.org/index.php/ktehsf/kteh-drwho-classic/kteh-whostalking/kteh-whostalking-jp |website=www.dvillage.org |access-date=7 October 2019 |date=1984 |archive-date=7 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707123304/http://www.dvillage.org/index.php/ktehsf/kteh-drwho-classic/kteh-whostalking/kteh-whostalking-jp |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite book |last=Cabell |first=Craig |title=The Doctors Who's Who – The Story Behind Every Face of the Iconic Time Lord: Celebrating its 50th Year |date=4 November 2013 |publisher=John Blake |pages=Chapter 4 |isbn=9781782198246 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G1RlAgAAQBAJ |access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref>

During the [[Second World War]], Pertwee spent six years in the [[Royal Navy]].<ref name="smurthwaite"/> He was a crew member of {{HMS|Hood}} and was transferred off the ship for officer training shortly before she was sunk by the [[German battleship Bismarck|German battleship ''Bismarck'']],<ref name="screenonline.org.uk"/> losing all but three men in May 1941.

Later, he was attached to the top secret [[Naval Intelligence Division (United Kingdom)|Naval Intelligence Division]],<ref name="screenonline.org.uk"/> working alongside future [[James Bond]] author [[Ian Fleming]], and reporting directly to Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] and Deputy Prime Minister [[Clement Attlee]]. In an interview conducted in 1994 and published in 2013, he said, "I did all sorts. Teaching commandos how to use escapology equipment, compasses in brass buttons, secret maps in white cotton handkerchiefs, pipes you could smoke that also fired a .22 bullet. All sorts of incredible things."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pXNfDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT56|title=Operation Big Ben: The Anti-V2 Spitfire Missions|first=Craig|last=Cabell|date=17 March 2017|publisher=Fonthill Media|access-date=26 October 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref>

In 1942, as a [[Sub Lieutenant]], Pertwee was posted to [[HMS Valkyrie (shore establishment)|HMS ''Valkyrie'']].<ref>Isle of Man Examiner, Friday, March 26, 1943; Page: 6</ref> Whilst stationed on the [[Isle of Man]] he was actively engaged in amateur variety shows appearing in character sketches.<ref>Isle of Man Examiner, Friday, July 24, 1942; Page: 3</ref> It was during this time that Pertwee became one of the founding members of the Service Players, a drama society which remains active to this day.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/entertainment/service-players-to-thrill-the-audience-as-they-did-in-1942-569951 | title=Service Players to thrill the audience as they did in 1942 | work=Isle of Man | date=23 October 2022 }}</ref>

During his time in the Navy, Pertwee woke up one morning after a drunken night out while in port to find a tattoo of a cobra on his right arm.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shillpages.com/dw/story/d3/st--3a46.jpg |title=Archived copy |access-date=30 July 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051030012243/http://shillpages.com/dw/story/d3/st--3a46.jpg |archive-date=30 October 2005}}</ref>

After the war, Pertwee worked as a stage comedian, which included performing at the [[Glasgow Empire Theatre]] and sharing a bill with [[Max Wall]] and [[Jimmy James (comedian)|Jimmy James]].<ref name="Cult leader's mission to return to future">[http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/cult-leader-s-mission-to-return-to-future-1.628340 Cult leader's mission to return to future ]. ''[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]''. 15 May 1989. Retrieved 3 July 2014.</ref> He began to work as a comedy actor on radio, becoming known for being able to do a variety of comedic voices and accents.<ref name=":3">{{cite book |last1=Burk |first1=Graeme |last2=Smith? |first2=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WT0FAQAAQBAJ&dq=jon+pertwee&pg=PA81 |title=Who's 50: The 50 Doctor Who Stories to Watch Before You Die—An Unofficial Companion |date=1 October 2013 |publisher=ECW Press |isbn=978-1-77041-166-1 |pages=81}}</ref> He featured ''Waterlogged Spa'', alongside [[Eric Barker]], and ''Puffney Post Office'' in which he played a hapless old postman with the catch-phrase "It doesn't matter what you do, as long as you tears them up."

On 15 November 1948, at the Wood Green Empire, he was billed as "The Most Versatile Voice in Radio – Jon ('Tear 'em Up') Pertwee from the Radio Shows ''Merry-go-Round'' and ''Up the Pole''". From 1959 to 1977, he performed the  role of the conniving [[Chief Petty Officer]] Pertwee in ''[[The Navy Lark]]'' on [[BBC Radio]].<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-jon-pertwee-5615100.html | title= Obituary: Jon Pertwee | work=The Independent |first=Nick | last=Smurthwaite | date=21 May 1996 | access-date=28 July 2019}}</ref> The fictional ship in the series HMS ''Troutbridge'' almost shared its name with the real HMS ''[[HMS Troubridge (R00)|Troubridge]]'' whose commanding officer at one point was a relative of Pertwee's, who wrote to the BBC to provide details of comic incidents on the ship which were then used in '' The Navy Lark's'' scripts.<ref name="MemoirNavylark1">{{cite book |last1=Pertwee |first1=Jon |last2=Howe |first2=David J. |title=I am the Doctor: Jon Pertwee's Final Memoir |date=1996 |publisher=Virgin Publishing |location=London |isbn=1-85227-621-5 |page=21}}</ref> After [[Ronnie Barker]] left the series, Pertwee took on various additional roles, including a villainous character called the Master, whose voice Pertwee said was an impression of [[Herbert Beerbohm Tree]].<ref name="MemoirNavylark1"/>

Pertwee did not appear in the [[The Navy Lark (film)|1959 film version of ''The Navy Lark'']]. In his 1996 memoir he attributed this to producer [[Herbert Wilcox]] refusing to employ his co-star [[Dennis Price]] on the grounds that "he was gay", a decision Pertwee made clear that he thought "was ridiculous". Shortly after voicing his support of Price he found out he had been dropped  from the film's cast and replaced by [[Ronald Shiner]].<ref name="MemoirNavylark2">{{cite book |last1=Pertwee |first1=Jon |last2=Howe |first2=David J. |title=I am the Doctor: Jon Pertwee's Final Memoir |date=1996 |publisher=Virgin Publishing |location=London |isbn=1-85227-621-5 |page=20}}</ref>

Pertwee was known as a [[Danny Kaye]] [[look-alike]], and his impersonation of Kaye can be seen in the crime film ''[[Murder at the Windmill]]'' (1949).<ref>[[Windmill Theatre#Film depictions]] Windmill Theatre</ref> He played Charlie Sterling in the comedy film ''[[Will Any Gentleman...?]]'' (1953), which also featured future [[First Doctor]] actor [[William Hartnell]] playing Inspector Martin.

On stage, he played the part of Lycus in the 1963 London production of ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'' with [[Frankie Howerd]] and appeared in the smaller role of Crassus in the 1966 [[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (film)|film version]]. He appeared as Sidney Tait in the comedy film ''[[Ladies Who Do]]'' (1963). In 1966, Pertwee starred alongside [[Donald Sinden]] in the original [[West End theatre|West End]] production of the long-running comedy ''[[There's a Girl in My Soup (play)|There's a Girl in My Soup]]''. In this period he appeared in three [[Carry On (franchise)|''Carry On'' films]]: ''[[Carry On Cleo]]'' (1964) as the soothsayer; ''[[Carry On Cowboy]]'' (1965) as Sheriff Earp; and ''[[Carry On Screaming!]]'' (1966) as Dr. Fettle. In a lost interview from 1986, which was rediscovered and published in 2008, he said he had not wanted to appear in more ''Carry On'' films because he believed the series had adversely affected the careers of other regular actors such as [[Kenneth Williams]], [[Sid James]] and [[Joan Sims]].<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Sfx |date=2009-10-07 |title=FROM THE ARCHIVE - Jon Pertwee |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/from_the_archive_jon_pertwee/ |access-date=2022-08-14 |website=gamesradar |language=en}}</ref> In 1967 Pertwee was chosen by ''[[Dad's Army]]'' producer [[David Croft (TV producer)|David Croft]] for the role of [[Captain George Mainwaring]], but he turned it down – possibly because he preferred to extend his role on Broadway in ''There's a Girl in My Soup''.<ref>{{cite book |last=McCann |first=Graham|title=Dad's Army: The Story of a Classic Television Show|year=2001|publisher=4th Estate|isbn=9-781841-153094}}</ref>{{page needed|date=July 2017}}

His television career had started off with small parts in children's shows featuring [[Richard Hearne]]'s Mr Pastry character. Later he made an appearance in ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]'' episode "[[From Venus with Love (The Avengers)|From Venus With Love]]" (1967) as Brigadier Whitehead, and later, he guest-starred as a vicar in ''[[The Goodies (TV series)|The Goodies']]'' episode "[[Wacky Wales]]" (1975).