Tony Hancock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Hancock
Hancock c. 1963
Born	Anthony John Hancock (1924-05-12)12 May 1924 Hall Green, Birmingham, England
Died	25 June 1968(1968-06-25) (aged 44) Bellevue Hill, Sydney, Australia
Occupation	Actor comedian
Years active	1942–1968
Spouse(s)	Cicely J. E. Romanis ​ ​ (m. 1950; div. 1965)​ Freda "Freddie" Ross ​ ​ (m. 1965; div. 1968)​

Anthony John Hancock (born May 12, 1924 – died June 25, 1968) was a famous English comedian and actor. He was very popular in the 1950s and early 1960s. Tony Hancock became well-known for his BBC series Hancock's Half Hour. This show started on radio in 1954 and then moved to television in 1956.

On the show, he worked closely with actor Sid James. Their partnership was very strong. Later, Hancock decided to work alone, which surprised many fans. His last BBC series in 1961 had some of his most famous episodes, like "The Blood Donor" and "The Radio Ham". After he stopped working with his writers, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, his career became more difficult.

Tony Hancock's Early Life and Career

Tony Hancock was born in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. When he was three years old, his family moved to Bournemouth. His father, John Hancock, was also a comedian and entertainer. He ran a hotel called the Railway Hotel.

After his father passed away in 1934, Tony lived with his mother and stepfather. They lived in a small hotel called Durlston Court. Tony went to Durlston Court Preparatory School. He also attended Bradfield College but left school when he was fifteen.

Starting in Entertainment

In 1942, during Second World War, Hancock joined the RAF Regiment. He wanted to entertain the troops. He joined the Gang Shows and traveled around Europe. After the war, he continued performing in touring shows.

He also worked in a comedy act with musician Derek Scott. They performed at the Windmill Theatre in London. This theatre helped many comedians start their careers. People noticed his talent early on. A newspaper review in 1948 praised him. It mentioned him as a "new young comedian" who gave "brilliant thumbnail impressions."

Tony Hancock also appeared on radio shows. These included Workers' Playtime and Variety Bandbox. In 1949, he was praised for his work in "Flotsam's Follies." He also acted in pantomime shows during Christmas.

Becoming a Radio Star

From 1951 to 1952, Tony Hancock was part of the radio show Educating Archie. In this show, he played a tutor to a ventriloquist's dummy. This role made him famous across the country. A phrase he often used, "Flippin' kids!", became very popular.

Around the same time, he started appearing on BBC Television's Kaleidoscope. In 1954, he got his very own radio show. It was called Hancock's Half Hour.

Tony Hancock's Peak Years

Hancock's Half Hour was a huge success. It was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The radio show ran for seven years and had over a hundred episodes. From 1956, a successful television version of the show also began.

The Famous "Hancock's Half Hour"

In the show, Tony Hancock played a character named "Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock." He lived in a rather shabby home at "23 Railway Cuttings" in East Cheam. Most episodes showed his daily life as a comedian who wanted to be a serious actor. Sometimes, his character had different jobs, like an incompetent lawyer.

Sid James was a regular in both the radio and TV versions. The radio show also featured Bill Kerr, Kenneth Williams, and Hattie Jacques. Hancock's Half Hour was different from other comedy shows of its time. It was a situation comedy. The humor came from the characters and their everyday situations. Tony Hancock also had a show on ITV called The Tony Hancock Show from 1956 to 1957.

During this time, Tony Hancock became a massive star in Britain. People would gather to listen to his shows. His character changed a bit over time, but his unique personality was always there. Episodes like "Sunday Afternoon at Home" were very popular.

Working with Sid James

Sid James, who had a lot of film experience, became very important to the TV show. The main cast was just Tony and Sid. The comedy came from how they interacted. Sid's character was more realistic and often poked fun at Hancock's big ideas. In the TV show, their characters seemed to have a true friendship.

Tony Hancock found live TV broadcasts very stressful. So, starting in 1959, all episodes were recorded before they were shown. This was a new thing for British TV comedy. He was also the first performer to get £1,000 for a half-hour show.

Moving On Alone

Hancock worried that working with Sid James made them seem like a comedy duo. He decided to end their professional partnership after one last series. His final BBC series in 1961 was simply called Hancock. Sid James was not in it.

Two episodes from this series are especially famous. In "The Blood Donor", Hancock tries to give blood. He says a famous line: "I don't mind giving a reasonable amount, but a pint! That's very nearly an armful!" In "The Radio Ham", Hancock plays an amateur radio enthusiast. He gets a distress call but struggles to help because he is not very good at it. These episodes were later recorded for an LP record.

Tony Hancock was in a car accident after recording an episode. He was not badly hurt but had a concussion. This made it hard for him to remember his lines. From then on, he sometimes used teleprompters during performances.

Tony Hancock's Later Career

In 1961, Tony Hancock starred in the film The Rebel. He played an office worker who becomes an artist. The film was a success in Britain. In the United States, it was called Call Me Genius.

Breaking with His Writers

Hancock stopped working with his writers, Galton and Simpson, in October 1961. He also ended his partnership with his agent, Beryl Vertue. The writers had created three film scripts for him, but Hancock rejected them. After this, Galton and Simpson went on to write Steptoe and Son.

Hancock then worked on his own film, The Punch and Judy Man (1963). He played a seaside entertainer who dreamed of a better life. The film showed how much Hancock's character was like his real personality. It was inspired by his childhood memories in Bournemouth.

New Shows and Challenges

In 1962, Hancock moved to ATV. He worked with different writers. His new ATV series aired in early 1963. It was shown at the same time as the second series of Steptoe and Son. Many critics felt that Steptoe and Son was better.

Around 1965, Hancock made a series of TV advertisements for the Egg Marketing Board. He continued to appear on British television until 1967. He also tried a role in a Disney film, The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin, but left the project.

His final TV appearances were in Australia. He went there in March 1968 to make a 13-part series. However, he only finished three shows. These shows were not aired for almost four years. They are the only existing TV footage of him in color.

Tony Hancock's Personal Life

In June 1950, Tony Hancock married Cicely Romanis. She was a model. Later, Freddie Ross became his publicist in 1954. She became more involved in his life. He divorced Cicely in 1965 and married Freddie in December of that year. This second marriage was short. It ended just days before Hancock's death.

Cicely passed away in 1969. Freddie Hancock continued her career as a publicist and agent. She helped start the East Coast chapter of BAFTA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Tony Hancock's Death

Tony Hancock passed away in Sydney, Australia, on June 25, 1968. He was 44 years old. His ashes were brought back to England. They were buried in St Dunstan's Church in Cranford, London.

Tony Hancock's Legacy

Statue in Old Square, Birmingham

Commemorative plaque at the foot of the Birmingham statue

There are several tributes to Tony Hancock. There is a statue of him by Bruce Williams in Old Square, Corporation Street, Birmingham. A plaque marks the house where he was born in Hall Green. Another plaque is on the hotel in Bournemouth where he lived as a child. In 2014, an English Heritage blue plaque was placed at 20 Queen's Gate Place in London. This was where he lived from 1952 to 1958.

In a 2002 poll, BBC radio listeners voted Tony Hancock their favorite British comedian. His former writers, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, noted his influence. They said that modern characters like Alan Partridge and David Brent share traits with Hancock's character. They explained that these characters often think they are smarter than everyone else.

Tony Hancock's later life was shown in a 1991 BBC TV film called Hancock. Alfred Molina played him. Other dramas have also featured him. Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa! (2006) had Martin Trenaman as Hancock. Hancock and Joan (2008) starred Ken Stott as Tony Hancock.

Musician Pete Doherty is a big fan of Hancock. His band the Libertines named their first album Up the Bracket after one of Hancock's catchphrases. He also wrote a song inspired by a Hancock's Half Hour episode.

In 1996, Paul Merton appeared in remakes of some of Hancock's scripts. In 2014, five lost radio episodes of Hancock's Half Hour were re-staged for BBC Radio 4. Kevin McNally played Tony Hancock in these. A play about him, The Lad Himself, was performed in 2013.

Recordings of His Work

Many of Tony Hancock's radio episodes were released on LPs in the 1960s. Four TV scripts were also re-recorded for LPs. The BBC later released all 74 surviving radio episodes on CDs. These were put into six box sets. There have also been many VHS and DVD releases of his TV series. His radio shows are often played on BBC Radio 4 Extra.

Tony Hancock's Film Appearances

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Books About Tony Hancock

• David Nathan and Freddie Hancock Hancock, (1969 [1996])
• Roger Wilmut Tony Hancock: 'Artiste', A Tony Hancock Companion, 1978
• Edward Joffe Hancock's Last Stand: The Series That Never Was, June 1998
• Cliff Goodwin When the Wind Changed: The Life and Death of Tony Hancock, 2000
• John Fisher Tony Hancock: The Definitive Biography, 2008

Films About Tony Hancock

• Omnibus: Hancock (1985): A BBC documentary about his life and work.
• Hancock (1991): A BBC One film starring Alfred Molina.
• Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa! (2006): A BBC Four drama featuring Martin Trenaman as Hancock.
• Hancock and Joan (2008): A BBC Four drama starring Ken Stott.