Tony Hancock: Inside His Life in Words & Pictures LIMITED EDITION DUSTJACKET

Limited Edition Hardback book with dustjacket. 750 pages.

Tony Hancock was one of our best loved comics and his legendary Hancock’s Half Hour series for the BBC was the inspiration for many comedy shows that were to follow.  With radio episodes regularly repeated on the BBC, it remains as popular today as ever.

Now, for the first time, readers are able to look behind Hancock the comedian and tell his life story through the phenomenal archive amassed by his brother, Roger, combined with material held by the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society.

Lucy Hancock (Hancock’s great niece) tells the story of his life through pictures, correspondence and much more, most of it never published before.  The book also includes a complete chronological timeline of Hancock’s life featuring stage shows and broadcasts previously unpublished.

This amazing collection of archive material is a must for all Hancock fans.

Colour and bw images throughout.

This is a HUGE book and over 2kg in weight. The postage reflects the heavy weight of this book.

This is a sample of three chapters to illustrate the new material found to go alongside the text.

Go West Young Man

·        Theatre Appearances:

                                                              i.      Cinderella Programme 25.12.47

                                                            ii.      Photo Hancock as Joly Jenkins in Ted Riding Hood 23.12.50

                                                          iii.      New Brighton programme 23.03.51

                                                         iv.      Palace Black pool contract 15.10.51

                                                           v.      Glasgow Empire telegram 24.03.51

·        London Laughs (Adelphi Theatre) April 1952 – Dec 1953

                                                              i.      Telegrams:

1.     Jimmy Edwards

2.     Larry Stephens

3.     Jack Hylton

4.     The Flippin Kid

5.     Hattie Jacques and John Le Mesurier

6.     Mother and Bob

                                                            ii.      Theatre Programme

                                                          iii.      Christmas wishes advert

                                                         iv.      Letter from Rounce to Hancock in Tripoli 3.02.53

                                                           v.      Letters re Hancock’s sketches March 1952 in London Laughs

                                                         vi.      Letter from Ralph Reader re London Laughs

                                                       vii.      Letter re Hancock’s salary  in London Laughs.

·        Royal Variety Performance 3.11.52

                                                              i.      Telegrams :

1.     George Fairweather

2.     Graham Stark

3.     Peter Sellers

4.     Phyllis Rounce

5.     Ralph Reader

                                                            ii.      Theatre Programme

                                                          iii.      Theatre Poster x2

                                                         iv.      Three letters dated 2/10/52 (invitation), 20/10/52 (acceptance) and 23/10/52 (rehearsals)

                                                           v.      Certificate commemorating Hancock’s performance

·        Programme for Brighton Hippodrome 1954

·        21/06/52 Press Cutting Birmingham Mail – Upcoming Star

·        Talk of the Town

                                                              i.      31/07/54 Press Cutting TV Mirror

                                                            ii.      Theatre Programme

                                                          iii.      Theatre Poster

                                                         iv.      Picture Souvenir

                                                           v.      19/11/54 Press Cutting Press Journal

                                                         vi.      1/12/54 Press Cutting Tatler

                                                       vii.      Letter to John Scrivens re Hancock’s time away from the performance

·        Solicitor’s letters dated 20th October 1953 referencing the dispute over the expiry date of the contract with International Artistes.

Hancock Versus Steptoe & Son

·        Production stills from each episode – 48 in total.

·        Extracts from the original Ray Whyberd script for The Assistant (which was never made) – 9 pages

·        TV Times front covers and article which was presented over several editions

·        Ticket for the episode ‘The Memory Test’

·        Extracts from the ITC booklet (20 pages) on the series – 9 pages

·        Extracts from the contracts for The Assistant – 4 pages

·        03/01/63 Press Cutting Coventry Evening Telegraph

·        06/01/63 Press Cutting – unknown source

·        14/01/63  Press Cutting The New Daily

·        Fax relating to the aborted Tony Hancock Special in 1992

·        Proposed running order for the aborted Tony Hancock Special in 1992.

A Comic In A Comic

·        Film Fun First strip 12.07.58

·        Example of an early Hancock and James strip 26.09.59

·        Front cover of Film Fun Annual 1960

·        Example of Hancock and James strip on front cover of Film Fun from 2.07.60

·        Example of a later Hancock and James strip from 08.04.61

·        The final version of the strip – in fact the final strip 08.09.62

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