Tony Hancock: The Definitive Biography

Description

Regarded as the best radio and TV comic of his era, Tony Hancock was a man whose star burned brightly in the eyes and ears of millions before his untimely death in 1968. Now, forty years on, critically acclaimed biographer John Fisher brings the first fully authorised account of his life. Tony Hancock was one of post-war Britain's most popular comedians - his radio show 'Hancock's Half Hour' would clear the streets as whole families tuned in to listen. His peerless timing and subtle changes in intonation marked Hancock out as a comic genius. His character 'Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock' was an amplification of his own persona, a pompous prat whose dreams of success are constantly thwarted. The original British loser that we recognise in Victor Meldrew and Alan Partridge. Wonderfully supported by a cast including Sid James, Hattie Jacques and Kenneth Williams, and working with scripts from Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, Hancock became a huge star. The show was commisioned for TV, showcasing his talent for hilarious facial expression, and he became the first British comedian to earn a thousand pounds a week. Behind Tony Hancock's success however hid the self-destructive behaviour that plagued him all his life. Prone to self-doubt, and wanting to be the star of his own show, he got rid of James, and finally dismissed Galton and Simpson who had created the platform for his success. His private life was wracked by his ever increasing alcoholism and bouts of depression, and his relationships shattered by his capacity for violence. His ratings fell and, feeling washed up and alone after divorcing his second wife, he committed suicide in an Australian hotel room in 1968. Now, forty years after his death John Fisher explores the turbulent life of a man regarded by his peers as one of the greatest British comics to have ever lived.

John Fisher was born in 1945 and educated at King Edward VI School, Southampton and Magdalen College, Oxford. His long and distinguished career as a television producer and executive working in light entertainment for both the BBC and Thames Television has embraced shows as diverse as 'Parkinson,' 'The Bob Monkhouse Show,' 'The Ken Dodd Show,' 'Wogan,' 'Joan Rivers: Can We Talk?,' 'The Best of Magic,' 'This Is Your Life,' 'Des O'Connor Tonight,' 'The Paul Daniels Magic Show,' with which he won the Golden Rose of Montreux, and specials with names ranging from Spike Milligan, Max Wall and Bruce Forsyth to Paul Merton, David Copperfield and Tommy Cooper. His most recent work has included the critically acclaimed series 'Heroes of Comedy' for Channel 4 and its sister show 'Heroes of Magic'. An authority on the history of popular entertainment, he includes amongst his published works 'Funny Way To Be A Hero', regarded as the seminal work on British variety comedians and described by The Times as 'the best book about twentieth-century British entertainers I have ever read,' and 'Call Them Irreplaceable,' an analysis of star quality as seen through the performances of the great solo entertainers of the twentieth century. 'Jus' Like That!' - his celebration for the stage of the life of Tommy Cooper - has enjoyed recent success at London's Garrick Theatre and on tour throughout the United Kingdom. He shares with Tommy Cooper the distinction of being a Gold Star Member of The Inner Magic Circle. An authority on magic and magicians, he is a past recipient of The Magic Circle's 'Magician of the Year' award and was the first person to receive the Houdini Award for services to international magic on American television's prestigious 'World Magic Awards.'

'If God is in the details then this book has a very strong case for being considered divine.' The Word magazine 'Magisterial' The Times 'There is no better example of the tragedy of comedy than Tony Hancock' Mail on Sunday 'Lives up to its title, dispelling myths and replacing all previous accounts.' Independent on Sunday 'an exceptional book' Oxford TImes 'Packed to bursting point with painstaking attention to detail ...a rich gift from Fisher to anyone who was ever a fan. Stage 'an indispensible book...a brilliant and much-needed account of Hancock's extensive theatre work and its originality, a celebration of the audacity of the television work, and a kind of voyage round the comedian's mind and the nature of his comic enterprise. The Guardian