Listen Very Carefully, I Shall Say This Only Once: An Autobiography

Reading this droll autobiography of comic writer and comedian Lloyd is like being treated to one of his hilarious performances, despite the ``clamour and confusion'' of his early life as an unwanted child brought up by elderly relatives and in a Dickensian school in wartime England. Quitting school at age 13, Lloyd, who was born in 1930, served stints as a clothing store clerk and plumber's mate, escaping whenever possible to the cinema, all of which furnished material for his career as a scriptwriter and upper class ``twit'' in Six Five Special, New Look and the popular Billy Cotton Show. Later TV hits, collaborating with David Croft in Are You Being Served? and 'Allo, 'Allo, led to his stint on Rowan and Martin's Laugh In in Hollywood, where he worked with the likes of Danny Kaye, Peter Sellers, Twiggy and Goldie Hawn. Don't miss Lloyd's breakout from the hospital and his encounters with extraterrestrials! Photos. (Jan.)