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Hancock's Last Stand: The Series That Never Was

Author: Edward Joffe
Creator: June Whitfield
Publisher: Book Guild Ltd
Category: Book

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Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

4 reviews
Sales Rank: 333533

Media: Hardcover
Pages: 222
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.2

ISBN: 1857763165
EAN: 9781857763164
ASIN: 1857763165

Publication Date: August 7, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Published by Book Guild Ltd in 1998. Hardcover. Number of pages: 222. Condition: New. New book unread, in print and in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages. No defects. #8379275 (N18-7)

Also Available In:

•	Paperback - Hancock's Last Stand: The Series That Never Was

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Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars

THE AMAZING STORY OF A REMARKABLE COMEDIAN August 19, 2000
21 out of 23 found this review helpful

This is the unique tale of the last months in the life of Britain's best loved tv performer, Tony Hancock, a comedian who was able to empty city streets on the nights when his programmes were being screened. The author, Edward Joffe, was the director and producer of Hancock's final series and, from this privileged position, he was able to observe, at close quarters, the torment and humour surrounding Hancock's flawed genius, a man he appropriately describes as 'a people's Pagliaccio." Hancock came to rely on alcohol and drugs to give him the Dutch courage to face the cameras. Unfortunately his addictions did nothing to improve his brilliant sense of comedic timing which was recognised and admired by his peers and public alike. Here was a man who had the populace falling about with laughter merely by looking straight into the camera lens. As a real life Edward Hyde however, Hancock turned on his friends, his writers and his women - with one exception - his mother to whom he was utterly devoted and regarded as his best friend. His drinking eventually alienated British tv producers who wanted to employ him but gave up when he was unable to live up to his astonishing ability to entrance every viewer in the British Isles and most English speaking Dominions. His numerous attempts to undergo 'cures' at aversion clinics proved dismal and expensive failures. The outcome was that a shrewd Australian entrepeneur seized the opportunity to sign him up for a filmed tv series to be produced Down Under. Joffe flew to Sydney to work with Hancock but spent a lot of time trying to keep him away from vodka bottles. Eventually a key member of the undermanned production team had to be assigned to Hancock as a minder. Although this is a harrowing story, ending with Joffe's discovery of Hancock's body in the home they shared in Sydney, there are moments of real humour illustrating Hancock's sense of the ridiculous such as his impersonation of Laurence Olivier's portrayal of an incident involving Little Tich, performed by a naked Hancock in a busy hotel corridor. Or Hancock's visit to The Pink Pussycat strip joint. Hancock's talent was such that many of his tv shows produced before his decline into chronic alcoholism have been repeated regularly by the BBC, gaining him new generations of admirers. Hancock never fulfilled his ambition to 'make it' in the USA. In view of his fantastic UK reputation he was offered a Hollywood movie but he blew it by pitching up drunk. Had he been known in the States, this book would have been a best seller there. I wonder if the anonymous reviewer read the same book as I did because Hancock's Last Stand is a compassionate work, remarkably laid back, with an easy, conversational, style and very honest with Joffe accepting blame for some of the nightmarish events surrounding public and private outings and Kafkaesque incidents arising from untried film equipment, when senior tv exectives were rendered speechless by what they were witnessing in the studio. The book includes a number of previously unpublished photographs as well as two heart rending notes addressed to Joffe as Hancock lay dying from an overdose of drugs washed down by alcohol. The scripts of 3 completed episodes are published in full. Their quality is such that Hancock afficionados reading them, with Hancock in mind, would have every right to have expected him to return to his original form. As Joffe wryly observes, 'if only...' A great read, even if you've never heard of Hnacock.

2 out of 5 stars

An ill-conceived treatment of a tragic event. May 12, 2000
4 out of 14 found this review helpful

This is an article padded out as a book.It could have been a fascinating memoir if the author had given more space to the actual making of the shows and his first-hand impressions of a performer struggling to manufacture what once came naturally,but too much of the narrative dwells on the well-worn anecdotes and structurally the story is messy and poorly-paced.A good editor would surely have forced the author to organise his account,and his thoughts,more rigorously,and would also have advised against the tasteless reproduction of the star's suicide note.

5 out of 5 stars

THE AMAZING STORY OF A REMARKABLE COMEDIAN November 14, 1999
2 out of 4 found this review helpful

This is the unique tale of the last months in the life of Britain's best loved television performer, Tony Hancock, a comedian who was able to empty city streets on the nights when his programmes,"Hancock's Half Hour" were being screened. The author, Edward Joffe, was the director and producer of Hancock's final series, and, from this privileged position, he was able to observe, at close quarters, the torment and humour surrounding Hancock's flawed genius, a man he appropriately describes as "a people's Pagliaccio." Hancock came to rely on alcohol and drugs to overcome his stage fright and give him the Dutch courage to face the cameras. Unfortunately his addictions did nothing to improve his brilliant sense of comedic timing recognised and admired by his peers and public alike. Here was a man who had the populace falling about with laughter merely by looking straight into the camera lens. As a real life Edward Hyde however, Hancock turned on his friends, his writers and his women, with one exception - his mother to whom he was utterly devoted and whom he regarded as his best friend. His drinking eventually alienated British television producers who wanted to employ him but gave up when he was unable to live up to his astonishing ability to entrance every television viewer in the British Isles and most English speaking Dominions. His numerous attempts to undergo "cures" at various alcohol and drug aversion clinics proved dismal and expensive failures. The outcome was that a shrewd Australian entrepeneur seized the opportunity to sign him up for a film series to be produced Down Under. Joffe flew to Sydney to work with Hancock, but spent a lot of time trying to keep him away from vodka bottles. Eventually a key member of the undermanned production team had to be assigned to Hancock as his minder. Although this is a harrowing book, ending with Joffe's discovery of Hancock's body in the home they shared in Sydney, there are moments of real humour illustrating Hancock's sense of the ridiculous, such as his impersonation of Laurence Olivier's portrayal of an incident involving Little Tich, performed by a naked Hancock in a busy hotel corridor. Or Hancock's visit to The Pink Pussy Cat. Hancock's talent was such that many of his television shows made before his decline into chronic alcoholism have been repeated regularly by the BBC, gaining him new generations of admirers. Hancock never fulfilled his ambition to "make it" in the USA. In view of his fantastic UK reputation, the Americans offered him a Hollywood movie, but he blew it by pitching up drunk. Had he been known in the States, this book would have been a best seller there. Hancock's Last Stand is a very compassionate work, remarkably laid back, very conversational and very honest with Joffe accepting blame for some of the nightmarish events surrounding public and private outings and Kafkaesque incidents arising from untried television equipment, during studio production when senior television executives were rendered speechless at what they were witnessing. The book includes a number of previously unpublished photographs as well as two heart-rending notes addressed to Joffe as Hancock lay dying from an overdose of drugs washed down by alcohol. The scripts of the three completed episodes are published in full. The quality is such that Hancock aficionados, reading them with Hancock in mind, would have every right to have expected him to return to his original form. As Joffe wryly observes - "if only..." A great read, even if you've never heard of Hancock.

5 out of 5 stars

THE AMAZING STORY OF A REMARKABLE COMEDIAN November 14, 1999
11 out of 15 found this review helpful

This is the unique tale of the last months in the life of Britain's best loved television performer, Tony Hancock, a comedian who was able to empty city streets on the nights when his programmes,"Hancock's Half Hour" were being screened. The author, Edward Joffe, was the director and producer of Hancock's final series, and, from this privileged position, he was able to observe, at close quarters, the torment and humour surrounding Hancock's flawed genius, a man he appropriately describes as "a people's Pagliaccio." Hancock came to rely on alcohol and drugs to overcome his stage fright and give him the Dutch courage to face the cameras. Unfortunately his addictions did nothing to improve his brilliant sense of comedic timing recognised and admired by his peers and public alike. Here was a man who had the populace falling about with laughter merely by looking straight into the camera lens. As a real life Edward Hyde however, Hancock turned on his friends, his writers and his women, with one exception - his mother to whom he was utterly devoted and whom he regarded as his best friend. His drinking eventually alienated British television producers who wanted to employ him but gave up when he was unable to live up to his astonishing ability to entrance every television viewer in the British Isles and most English speaking Dominions. His numerous attempts to undergo "cures" at various alcohol and drug aversion clinics proved dismal and expensive failures. The outcome was that a shrewd Australian entrepeneur seized the opportunity to sign him up for a film series to be produced Down Under. Joffe flew to Sydney to work with Hancock, but spent a lot of time trying to keep him away from vodka bottles. Eventually a key member of the undermanned production team had to be assigned to Hancock as his minder. Although this is a harrowing book, ending with Joffe's discovery of Hancock's body in the home they shared in Sydney, there are moments of real humour illustrating Hancock's sense of the ridiculous, such as his impersonation of Laurence Olivier's portrayal of an incident involving Little Tich, performed by a naked Hancock in a busy hotel corridor. Or Hancock's visit to The Pink Pussy Cat. Hancock's talent was such that many of his television shows made before his decline into chronic alcoholism have been repeated regularly by the BBC, gaining him new generations of admirers. Hancock never fulfilled his ambition to "make it" in the USA. In view of his fantastic UK reputation, the Americans offered him a Hollywood movie, but he blew it by pitching up drunk. Had he been known in the States, this book would have been a best seller there. Hancock's Last Stand is a very compassionate work, remarkably laid back, very conversational and very honest with Joffe accepting blame for some of the nightmarish events surrounding public and private outings and Kafkaesque incidents arising from untried television equipment, during studio production when senior television executives were rendered speechless at what they were witnessing. The book includes a number of previously unpublished photographs as well as two heart-rending notes addressed to Joffe as Hancock lay dying from an overdose of drugs washed down by alcohol. The scripts of the three completed episodes are published in full. The quality is such that Hancock aficionados, reading them with Hancock in mind, would have every right to have expected him to return to his original form. As Joffe wryly observes - "if only..." A great read, even if you've never heard of Hancock.