Old-Time Radio Essentials Episode 52: Hancock's Half-Hour

This Friday, see what critics are calling a cold-blooded masterpiece. Hello, Freddy. You're dead. Dead is just a word. Do you think our story was over? Discover the secret. She brought us here for a reason. Behind the mask. What do you think happens when you die? It's time to find out. I'm not afraid of you. You should be. Black Phone 2. Only in theaters Friday. Read it R. Under 17. Not admitted without parent. Welcome to Sunday Showcase.

The following audio drama is rated PG for parental guidance recommended. I'll skip ahead a bit. No, I can't skip ahead. All right, everybody, into the time machine. Take your hands up, Mark! Take your hands up, Mark! No, no, no, no! You don't understand how radio works! All I have to do to return us is fade my voice out like this and cue the organist. And you see, here we are. Wait a minute. 63 Audio presents the Old Time Radio Essentials Podcast.

Greetings, all who gather here, and welcome to Season 5 of Old Time Radio Essentials. If this is your first time joining us... And even if it ain't, I must inform you that this is episode 52, also known as our sixth episode of 2025, a.k.a. episode three of season five. My name is Pete. And I'm Paul. And this is...

This is Pat. We are fans of old time radio, and if you're tuning in, you probably are too. We gather together occasionally, like today, to present an episode from a particular old time radio series. Is it indeed essential? Well, that's what we hope to discover. Now, last time we presented my pick, which was an episode of Wayne and Schuster from 1954 called Rinse the Blood Off My Toga, in case you missed it.

Today is Paul's choice, and what do you have for us today, Paul? Well, your exploration into radio of the great white north gave me the idea to gaze across the pond to the BBC. So today I am pleased to present an episode of a British... comedy series, Hancock's Half Hour. Hancock's Half Hour, eh? And how long is each episode? Um... Hell, figure it out yourself.

Never mind. What can you tell us about the series? It was set up by a guy called Hancock and they only had a half an hour. So there you go. Put it this way. If you like the... Oh, Lord, I'm brain farting the whole series of movies. Carry on? carry on yes the carry on series carry on up the creek carry on up the kyber the

A lot of the main characters that were in those movies are in this half hour, and you can tell because they're just wonderful. Yeah, Kenneth Williams, Sid James, Hattie Jakes. Okay, if you say so. I do. I never heard of any of those peoples.

You need to study more. Yeah, maybe not their names, but if you saw them, you go, oh, yeah, I know that person. Yeah. And a voice, too. Yeah. I lived in the UK for several years, so I heard of the Carry On series. I just never memorized the names of the actors. Carry On. That's C-A-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-I-S-E-R-

R-R-I-O-N. No, it ain't. Now that'd be if they tried remaking them nowadays. Yeah. Anyway. Without further delay, we present Hancock's Half Hour, or Hancock's Half Hour, and the episode entitled Hancock's Hair. from the British Broadcasting Corporation, originally aired on January 11, 1956. And now, friends, adjust your radio dials to the proper frequency. Get comfortable. and listen. We present Tony Hancock, Bill Kerr, Sidney James, Andre Melly and Kenneth Williams in...

Hancock's Arthur. Seven. Eight. Nine.

Ten. Eleven. Six up on the bathroom floor. Four more on the carpet. Two in the fireplace. Good grief! When's it going to stop? That's 23 already this morning. What's wrong, tub? Me hair's falling out. I'm going bald. Ah, there's nothing to worry about. Cheer up, tub. Stop tapping me on the back. It's another three gone. Bill, you should know. What am I going to do?

Hairless at my time of life. Patch. Whether there was thatch. Look, stop exaggerating. Watch a few hairs falling out. You've still got enough there to stop a sofa. I can't see any difference. Ah, this is only the start. I've got my diary here somewhere. Monday, it was two hairs. Just the beginning. Tuesday, it was six. Wednesday, 12. Thursday, 18. Today, 23. When I jump out of bed on Sunday morning...

I'll be knee-deep in them. I'll only have a few strands left. I'll have to arrange them in a pattern across the middle of my head. So what? What's wrong with being bald? One of my best friends is bald. You've seen her. A more distinguished-looking girl you couldn't wish to meet. She didn't let it worry her. What did she do? She went to a tattooist and had a bubble cut. Oh, stop worrying. With a head of hair like yours, it'll last for years. You're the type that goes grey.

A gray, bald hair. Oh, you make me sick. You've got ten times as much hair as I have, and you don't hear me complaining. You're different. It doesn't matter on you. You've got a smooth head. Mine undulates. I look horrible when I'm bald. All those bumps. It'll look like a pink relief map of the South Down. I've got to do something about it. Why not grow a beard and throw it back over your head?

I'll throw you back over my head in a minute. Grow a beard and throw it back. How long will it take? Morning, boys. Quick, give him a hat. Tony, take that tea cozy off. Andre, just the person I want to see.

You remember when I first met you at that cocktail party when we shared that sausage on a stick? Oh, yes. You had the sausage and I had the stick. Yes, well, I was hungry. But don't you remember when the evening was over? You were going and I thought I wouldn't see you anymore. You remember what I did? You borrowed five pounds off me. No, no, no, no. After that. You remember. No, no, I'm afraid I don't. I called the hostess over and asked for a pair of scissors.

So that you would never forget me. I cut off a lock of my hair and gave it to you to wear in your locket. Well? I won it back. Why? I need everyone I can get hold of. What's wrong? Andre, look at me. Can't you see anything different about me? Yes. Yes, I can. What? You need a haircut. No, I... I don't need a haircut. Nature's cutting it by herself. From the inside.

Andre, I'm going bald. Oh, nonsense. You've a lovely head of hair. My father remarked on it when he came round last week. What did he say? Oh, I don't know. Something about Highland cattle? Oh. Oh, he did, did he? i'll have him when i go around next week i'll shine the head in his face what are you talking about my hair is falling out oh don't be silly it is i tell you 61 hairs have left home since sunday i don't use the thin enemy comb anymore

But it's a healthy sign for hairs to drop out occasionally. They're dead ones, and they make room for the new, strong, healthy ones to grow. You've got too much hair. That's your trouble. It's like a garden when it gets too crowded. The weeds increase, and they gradually strangle all the flowers.

daft comparison to make, just like a woman. I'm losing hair, not Holly Ock. I told him there's no need to worry, Andre. He's probably just a little bit out of condition. I'm not taking any more of those powders. Not with the dog's head on. Dreaming about bones for a fortnight after the round.

No, I've got to get some expert advice. Oh, forget it. Now, believe me, you are going bald. There's nothing you can do about it. I was negotiating for those air cream answers. They won't want me now. The romantic lead stuff on the films. That'll be right hot. They don't go much on the bald lover boys these days, you know. You can wear a wig. No, too risky. A crowd of bobby socks is after a premiere. All admire me here. Me crowning glory. One snatch and I've abdicated.

Now I tell you, I'm finished. Finished. Don't you see? Finished. Unless I can stop the rut now. I know. I'll go down to that new barber, Raymond. See if he can suggest anything. i'll come with you perhaps he can do something for me as well you better put your balaclava helmet on tony why it's windy out you don't want any more to blow away Is this the place? Yes. Maison James. Funny Christian name, isn't it? Of course it isn't. It's French. Maison James? It's the male half of the name. Right.

Josephine and Joseph. Geraldine and Gerald. Maisie and Maison. Perfectly normal. What does the next bit say? Maison James, tonsorial artist. What does that mean? What does that mean? Use your common sense. It's obvious what it means. Paints tonsils as well. But, you know, I think this is the place for us.

This man obviously knows the secret of growing hair. How do you know? Look in the window. That plaster busts a lovely head of hair. If he can grow hair on that, he can grow hair on anything. Come on, let's go in.

Bonjour, monsieur. Good morning. Tell Mr Maison I should like to see him. Have you got an appointment? Yes, I've got to make the labour exchange at our... Oh, no. All right, don't get me wrong, I'm looking for a butler. If you wouldn't mind taking a seat, I'll tell Mr. James you are here. Hey, it's quite a classy place, isn't it, Tubb? Those beautiful white smocks they put over the customers. Yeah, it's a bit different from my old place.

He just used to cut a big hole in a sheet of newspaper. And none of that wiping the lather off the razor blade with the tissue paper. Oh, dearie me, no. That went straight back on the brush, ready for the next boat. Still, you couldn't complain. You couldn't complain. No, no, no. Be fair. It was only nine pence. What with a quick spray over with Attara roses and a... Treppity tip, you stride out feeling like a millionaire. It's marvellous.

Yeah, but they've got all the modern equipment here. What's the stuff that assistant put in on that man's face? It's a styptic pencil. What's that for? If they cut your shaving, it stops the bleeding. Now, that's a good idea. I used to get fed up with walking out the shop with me face covered in fag papers. Hey, look, look, this must be the manager coming over, the bloke with the goatee and the velvet coat. Of course you are, boys.

Welcome to Maison James. Sid? Not Sid. Raymond. I changed it when I bought the thrilly shirt. How long have you been running a barber's? Barber's? Don't be uncouth. Eh? Listen, a barber, this is a coiffure d'hommes. A coiffure d'hommes? What's that? Well, it's, uh... It's French for short back and sides. I started a business last week. I got the idea of that bloke on a telly. He does all right out of it. Oh, you mean Mr. Teasy Wheezy. That's right. Well, I'm Mr. Baldy Waldy.

I see. Well, now I want your advice. I've got a problem. Good. Five guineas, please. I haven't got five guineas. You've got two problems, haven't you? Look, I want you to help me. Look, I'm going bald. Nonsense. You've got a lovely head of air there. And a nice beard. I've still got me balaclava helmet on.

All right, take it off and let's have a look. All right. There. Going bald? You've got more air there than what lands on my floor in a week. I tell you, it's falling out. More and more every morning. Surely you can do something about it. Stand on your head every morning. Will that stop it dropping out? No, but it won't have so far to fall, will it? Oh, yes. Very amusing, yes.

Or then again, you could try massaging your head with beer. How does that work? Well, you pour a glass of beer over your head, stout preferably just before you go to bed, and you rub it well in with your fingers. Yes. Well, while you're asleep, the roots of the air sort of feed on the beer, see? Naturally. Well, when they used up all the beer that soaked in, the air start working their way upwards and they poke out of the top of your head to see if there's any more beer. Yes, yes, yes.

Now you wait till they're about two inches long and then you do it. You what? Tie a knot in them so they can't get back. I say, look here. Stop playing about it. This is serious. Look, don't bother me, anchor. Go home. Going bald. Nothing wrong with your ears. Stop wasting my time. I've never seen a better head of air. Oh, I am glad. I was so worried about it.

i was ready to spend my life savings on it boy pardon what let me have another look yes now why didn't i see it before what galloping baldness It's falling out all over the place. No. Yes. You can always tell. It's a simple test. You just grab hold of a handful and out it comes. Wait a minute. It comes out. As easy as that. And it's your worst kind of baldness? Yes, no skin. Oh, please. You must do something.

Please save me, Barnet. All right, it'll cost you a fortune, but I think I can save it. Anything, anything. Me career depends upon it. It'll be very expensive. Now, let's see now. I'll give you an estimate. How much you got in the bank? 300 pounds.

Yes. Well, I can save the sideboards for that. Any insurance policies, deeds on the house? Well, yes. Well, sign them over to me and that's the back and front taken care of. Now, that just leaves a bit in the middle, doesn't it? What about your mother's house?

Oh, no, I couldn't. Has she got any jewellery she wouldn't miss? No. You had it all last year when you were curing me of that rare tropical disease you discovered I'd got. You said you were the only white man who'd ever seen it, remember? Oh, yeah. You had any more trouble with it? No, not a sign of it, Touchwood. You did a marvellous job on that. A quick dance round me bed in the grass skirt. A crushed rhinoceros horn in me tea.

Marvellous. Drove it right out of the house. I'll always be grateful, Sid. Still, if you could get rid of the baldness, I'd be most obliged. Yes. Well, it's this middle bit that we're worried about, isn't it? Yes, I can't walk around all day with my head poking up. No. Of course, you could always cover it over with boot polish. It's not the same, though, is it? No. Have you got a car? Yes. Yeah, well, I haven't. Now, that's the middle taken care of.

Well, I think we'd better start treatment right away. I'll give you a prescription, go and get it made up, follow the instructions, and come back and see me in a week's time. Right, and thank you very much. What a charming man.

Yes, can I help you? Yes, I'd like you to make this prescription up, please. Well, I can give you the bottle, but you'll have to go somewhere else for the bat's blood and the toadstool. The last time we stopped those, the manager was taken out and burnt. Keep still. What's the matter with you? Hey! What be you doing to my daisy? What are you doing with that file? It's all right, Walter, me old pal, me old beauty. No harm. no harm done. I just want two grams of powdered leftover. Won't be long.

I'll tell you, Fred, I've been working in the zoo now for 20 years, but why anybody should want to swim across the lake and pull out the back tooth of a crocodile, I'll never know. Still, he gave me ten, boys, while turning back, I'm an afterthought. Oh yeah.

Tony, what are you doing? Come in, Snow White. Oh, I... I'm sorry, Andre. You get carried away. Don't you? What are you doing? I'm brewing myself an anti-ball potion. Bubble, bubble, toilet and trouble. What are you laughing at? If only you could see how silly you look, standing over that copper in a pointed hat and a black cloak. I have to get the right atmosphere. Where's me pet chat door? Well, how much...

How much longer are you going to be? Nearly finished. 13 drops of the blood of a bat, stirred with the tail of a boss-eyed rat. Tale of a boss I'd write. Yes, the trouble I had get in that. Wandering around the streets all night long with me flute. Hold still, hold still. Last knock-ins. Boil it, simmer it, and bottle it up. Then spread it thickly on your nut. There. Just give it a stir with me, broomstick. That should do it.

You're not going to put this stuff on your head, Sean. Certainly. It says in this big black book I've got props here. Dip your head in three times a day. See it? Just before the bit about turning princes into frogs. Mount my words, Andre. In three days, my falling hair will be a thing of the past. How's Tony getting along with his hair, Bill? He's been treating it with that stuff for three days now. It hasn't made any difference.

You didn't expect it to, did you? There's nothing wrong with his hair. Still, it's making him happier. He's convinced it's grown since he started treating it. Well, how can he tell? Every morning, as soon as he wakes up, he gets the ruler out. He measures every strand one by one.

It's becoming a mania with him. Do you know he's given each hair a different name? Oh, no. Yeah. He wakes me up at three o'clock in the morning and says, quick, have a look at Fred. I think he's gained a quarter of an inch and quick, put the lights on. Charlie's on the move again.

Well, where is Tony now? Oh, he won't be down yet. He's still in bed. Then when he does wake up, he'll go straight over to the mirror and... No! No! Audrey! Oh, it's Tony. Oh, what's wrong? Andre, help me. What am I going to do? Be here. Be here. What about it? It's gone green. Tony, what have you done to it? I haven't done anything to it.

It's just gone green. Well, let's have a look at it. Uh-huh. Yeah. Mm-hmm. No, no, I don't like it, Tub. It's not you. I prefer the old color. Go and wash it off. You prefer... It won't wash off. It's just turned green, that's all. Last night it was its normal shade of tabby and... When I woke up this morning, green. Well, it's... It's spring. In the autumn, it'll turn brown, and in the winter, it'll drop off. Good. What am I gonna do? I can't be seen with green hair.

They'll think I'm going moldy. I'd rather be bald. It's that recipe Sid James gave you. There must have been something in it. Go down and make a complaint. Ask for your money back. Money won't take the place of me here. I'm ruined. What sort of a future is there for a man with pea green hair? Go on, tell me. People will shun me. They'll turn away from me when they see me coming. Women will nudge each other and giggle.

Children will follow me and call me rude names. Tubbs, I've been doing all that for years. I won't give them a chance. I'll cut myself off. I'll become a hermit. I live in the woods, up a tree. Don't be stupid. Go back and see Sid. Tell him he's got to do something about your hair or you'll sue him. Yes. Yes, perhaps you're right.

You're right, I'll put the wind up in this. I'll sue him, that's it. It'll make a change for me to get some money out of him. Right, come on, where's me duffel coat? I'll put the hood up. Don't want the neighbours to see me. Just wait till I see James. I'll tell him.

Where is he? Where's James? Come on, where are you? Come on, I can see you. Where are you? Watch all the noise. Well, there you are. There you are. You national elf witch doctor, you. Go on, Tub. Throw back the hood of your duffel coat and show him. I'm going to. There. Look what you've done to my friend. Green hair. Purple. What do you mean? He's right, he's changed again. This is terrible.

it keeps changing color i've got a head like an anisee ball it's got nothing to do with me oh yes it has oh yes it's that black magic stuff you told me to use it's gone wrong I'm going to sue you for fraud. What do you mean, fraud? Your hair's longer, isn't it? Well, yes. Well, there's nothing you can do about it. I said it would grow hair. I didn't say what colour. Oh, that's it, I see. That's the way things are shaping, is it?

Loopholes, eh? You get my hair back to its old colour or there'll be trouble. Have it dyed. I don't want it dyed. I want me old hair back. Just as it was. Lank. lifeless and loose. All right, I'll see what I can do. Has your mother got any more jewelry that you can... You're not having it.

You're doing this for nothing. Well, in that case, I can't give him my personal attention. I'll have to get one of my assistants to see to him. Forward, Francoise. Good. I'd rather have one of his assistants. I don't want him messing about with me here again. I'd rather have one of the lads who really knows what he's doing. Good morning. Don't bother, I'll have a wig. No, don't be like that. Now, what seems to be the trouble? This gentleman's got purple hair. Oh, he's a better boy, isn't he?

Well, I'm putting them in your hands, Francoise. See if you can do anything about it. Certainly. No, no, no. Leave it. Leave it. I'll be all right. I like it. Now, now. If sir will take a grip on himself, we'll all get along much better, won't we? Now. If Sir will just plonk himself down in my chair, we'll have his toes manicured in no time. I don't want me toes manicured. Just get on with me hair. Get it back to its old colour. How about a singe? No, thank you.

Oh, good, because I'm not very good at singeing. I tried one this morning. Oh, dear, when I have a mess up, laugh. I'm still laughing when the fire brigade arrives. Still, he took it in good part, though. He did. He shoved me head in the hot towel. Very interesting. But me hair, it's still purple. I know, I know. I'll give you a shave. Oh, no. Oh, go on.

It won't take long. I don't want to shave. I had one this morning. Oh, sorry. Did I stuff the brush in your mouth? Never mind. I'll soon polish you off. I got that bit from Sweeney Todd. He was alive, wasn't he? Oh, that shook you, didn't it? I tipped the chair back suddenly and you thought you were gone, didn't you? Of course. I'm full of little jokes like that. I just like cheering the customers up.

I don't like talking sport and politics all the time, so I play little tricks instead. I flicked a little bit of soap in your eye just then. Did I cut you? Oh, it's all right. It's only a little one. A couple of stitches that you won't notice. There. Finished. I'll bet you've never had a better shave than that. I'll just wash the soap off and... Oh, dear, I didn't notice that. What? I've still got your baddaclavone on.

Just do the hair, eh? Just the hair. There's a good laugh. All right. Spin it out first. You will not. I'll go on. I'm dying to have a go with these jagged scissors. You keep away with your jagged scissors. Now look what you've done. Juggy dears. Oh, I only nicked it. Now you're making a fuss about bail-up in a week or two. Get on with the hair. All right, control yourself.

While we've both been skylarking about, I've been studying your ear and the answer is quite simple. All you need is one of my special shampoos. Get your ear back to its normal colour in no time. It's very strong. Good. Well, get on with it. Right. Put your head in the basin. Not much room left, isn't there? Now, just rinse it with water.

Oh, so that's the boiling one, is it? I wish they'd mark them. Now, put the shampoo on. Rub it in. Rub it in hard. I've got supple fingers, haven't I? Relaxing, don't you think? Rub it in. Very strong stuff this. My own formula. Oh, look. The water's going all purple. It's working. Now, quick. Head back. Pop it under the towel. Rub hard. There we are. What? You've gone bald.

Tony today? Ah, he's getting over the shock. He still won't walk about the house without his hat on, though. Has his hair started growing again yet? Yes, just sprouting. If only he'd let well alone. At least he'd still have hair on. I think he's realized how silly he was. He won't worry about little things like that again. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine.

Nine more this morning. What? The hairs on me chest have fallen out. Oh, no! Me manly chest's molting. Quick, there's no time to lose. Get the copper going again. Where's me pointed at? At sea, two ounces of bat's blood. and full of berries half a rabbit's ear half a dozen frog's liver the yolk of an alligator's egg And the most important ingredient of all, untie him. No, no. Go on, throw him in. Get in. Get in there.

This has been Hancock's Half Hour, starring Tony Hancock with Bill Kerr, Sidney James, Andre Melly and Kenneth Williams. Incidental music was composed and orchestrated by Wally Stott, played by the BBC Augmented Review Orchestra, conducted by Harry Rabinowitz. The show which was recorded was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson and produced by Dennis Mayne Wilson.

and we're back with old-time radio essentials. This is Pat with Pete and Paul, and that was an episode of Hancock's Half Hour, originally broadcast on BBC Radio on January 11, 1956. And now, Paul. Since this was your pick, please tell us why you chose this particular episode. Well... This particular, well, the reason I picked this series is because I'm a fan of the carry on movies. And like I said, a lot of the main characters in this comedy.

are from the Carry On series, so I'm very familiar with them. And they're... the sound of their voice, the things they can do with their voices and all that, their, their comedic timing. And I really like them. And so that's why I picked the series. And then when it comes to picking an episode, I usually don't go towards the beginning.

or towards the end, I tend to go towards the middle for my first choice. And I'll listen to several of them in the middle because I figure that's when the show is probably its most popular. And so I'll pick one from there and I'll listen to it. It's like, yeah, it should do the trick. And so that's the episode I picked. All right. Well, now I noticed that this was from season three, so you dug deep into the series. I saw that this ran from 1954 to 1961.

So it's a pretty good run for a British comedy series. So not bad there. And for me, I thought it was like typical of the really... What I love about British comedy is that it's just silly. You know, it just goes for, I don't want to say the cheap laugh, but... It really is. It's got some of those, yeah. Whatever is going to make an audience laugh, that's what we get. So here you've got Hancock. At the beginning, he's counting. You don't know what he's counting, and this is such a great premise.

I don't know it's like so serious you know what's going on and then finally the other guy comes in and says what are you doing these are all the hairs I've lost since 9 o'clock this morning whatever he said so

That set the premise for the whole show. It's just so funny. And then you've got other situations where they go to the barber and he's... willing to take everything everything the guy owns his entire life savings and so on to help him but well that's the sid character air quotes help him uh so All the way through was just a lot of laughs. I found myself greatly entertained the whole time I was listening to it. So good choice, Paul. Very good. Yeah.

Yeah, the writers are amazing. Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, they wrote a number of very famous things. They also went on to write Steptoe and Son, which... The premise was sold to the States, which adapted it into Sanford and Son. Right, right. I remember seeing that. But if you watch the original, like the very first episode that was a one-off in an anthology TV series, it's what we'd actually call a dramedy.

and these were real actors in it not mere comedians but you know they had a long track record but going back to hancock it was like the perfect marriage of writers and And Galton and Simpson remembered afterwards. They said, yeah, Tony Hancock went to us and said, look, you guys are writers. You write. I'm the comedian. I'll comed. And boy, could he comed. He was just perfect.

At first, as time went on, he became more depressive, more self-critical. The thing that really pushed him over the edge... was in 1960, he was invited to be on a very famous interview show called Face to Face on TV. And that footage does exist. You can watch it on YouTube. And the questions, you know, it does almost seem like an interrogation because as you get further and further into the episode,

They're zooming in closer and closer on his face. It's almost like he's getting the third degree. But those who knew him and worked with him, they said, yeah, he never, ever should have done that show because it made him.

so overly self-critical, and he decided, no, I've got to be more realistic, you know, because everybody knows, oh, we've got, you know, this character's coming on, we know it's going to be Kenneth Williams doing one of his... over-the-top voices or we know it's going to be this character doing that and gradually he got rid of Kenneth Williams he got rid of Bill Curry finally he wound up getting rid of the writers

and getting rid of Sid James because he said, well, no, people are thinking of us as a double act. No, we're not. So he gradually got rid of everything that had made him so famous and so successful. And Spike Milligan of The Goons, who had... issues of his own afterwards he said you know i knew how tony was going to end up because he got rid of his supporting cast he got rid of his actors finally he got rid of his writers that

Finally, the only thing left would be to get rid of himself. And he did. He'd lost all of his success in Britain. He did what a lot of British performers did when they lost it in Britain. They'd go to Australia. So he started doing a series there, and you could see, like, there's clips of it. He was not well. He'd become a severe alcoholic. And, yeah, 44 years old in Australia in a hotel room.

He overdosed. Vodka and pills. So it's the old story of the tragic clown. You know, the poor, poor man. Yeah. But, you know, you watch him when he's at the peak of his brilliance, like he did TV series and he did commercials for the egg marketing board in Britain as well. And you watch him when he's at the peak of his powers and he is brilliant.

Like Sid James even said, nobody had comic timing like he did. It was just so dead on perfect. You know, he was wonderful in this. I mean, as the star of the show, you know, he really carried it well. You know, so it's really a tragic case about Hancock. But seeing him at the peak of his powers, it is truly remarkable. And when he fired Galton and Simpson as his writers. And that freed them up to do Steptoe, which was an even greater success for them. But, you know, it was always...

Tony was the thing that really launched them Tony Hancock and but you know the character as well of Tony Hancock like there is an interview with the writers and they talk about well they set this series In East Cheam, which, you know, it no longer really existed at that time. You had the town of Cheam. And Cheam was becoming more upmarket and bourgeois and things like that. How do you spell that? C-H-E-A-M. Cheam.

Yeah. But, you know, the idea is, well, he lives at, I think it was 23 railway cuttings. east cheam so he's in the slummy part of this town and even that he lives like right along the railway line because you know railway cuttings it's where the railway track cuts through so he's living in this slummy area but

Also, the premise, like the situation, it would change from episode to episode to suit the plot. At this point, well, he's doing this. Oh, no, no, now his situation is that. Continuity was pretty loose on it. But you knew certain characters would come in. Yeah, this character. Oh, yeah, it's going to be Kenneth Williams. And it's good evening. That was his catchphrase. You knew he was going to show up and do that. Tony Hancock had his catchphrases and stuff.

That's what they had back then. But you look at it, you know, when the series Hancock's Half Hour launched, most comedy in Britain at the time was like musical, you know, rapid fire jokes, double talk, things like that. This was a sitcom. The pace was a bit slower. It was character-driven, even though, yeah, you did have the funny lines and the silly one-off characters and things. You knew the structure. Sid was going to be the con man.

Bill Kerr, who was an Australian actually, Bill Kerr started out as a fairly smart character, but then they soon realized, yeah, he's funnier if he's really, really dumb. So he just got dumber and dumber and dumber. Oh, is he going to talk like this? Hello? Yeah, like the Aussie, yeah. More of a nasal kind of... And he calls him Tub. Was he the guy who came in as the assistant to... Oh, no, no, that was Kenneth Williams.

Kenneth Williams. Yeah, that's Kenneth Williams, yes. Okay. He had the flaring nostrils in the Carry On films and yes. Okay, well. We couldn't see the flaring nostrils in the audience. Oh, you can hear it if you've seen him enough. You can hear it in the voice. But Hancock, eventually, he didn't really...

care for Kenneth Williams because he knew, you know, well, I'm trying to be more realistic here. And then he just comes in and does his poofy, over-the-top character. And no, I want realism. I must have realism. And yeah. Yeah, well, Hancock was really good at visual reactions, like, you know, you can't really see it on the radio, obviously, but once he got to doing TV, and there are some episodes that survive, yeah.

Yeah, and you can see he was fantastic with the comic timing and very expressive face. Very expressive. One thing that didn't work too well on the radio is on this episode when he... After he goes to James' place, the next morning he yells. He runs downstairs, they run upstairs to him, but it sounds like they're standing right in front of each other. And he goes... Help! Why? What's wrong? He goes, my hair's turned green. And I'm like, they're right in front of him. They didn't notice that?

Let me interrupt. As I was listening, I pictured it like that episode of the Brady Bunch where Greg pulls a towel off his head and his hair is bright orange. Yeah. Remember that one? Yeah. So I've pictured like maybe Hancock pulls the towel off his head and says, my hair's turned green. Yep. I was kind of helped by that much later episode of the Brady Bunch. Or the Dick Van Dyke show. Yes. Right. Where she dyes her hair blonde. And it's all lettuce.

Yep. Yeah. But the, you know, other things like just some of the terminology in this, like they refer to a balaclava helmet. You know, we know a helmet is a hard thing, but no. in britain they call balaclava you know like the knitted hat that covers your whole face and only shows your eyes they call it a balaclava helmet even though no it's like a knitted balaclava thing they were talking about yeah um

You know, it's I love the British isms, but, you know, like, oh, and I've got to tell you, you know, they say, oh, well, he went to Australia and never came back. Yes, he did. The satirist Willie Rushton. was married to an australian lady and hancock's um family like you know hancock's brother said look can you bring his ashes back because hancock was cremated down there so willie rushton

brought Hancock back to England and You know he arrives in customs. Of course the customs guards recognize him Oh, you know, you're comedian. They say anything to declare Um, and what have you gotten that anything to declare? What have you gotten that bag? And he says, I've got Tony Hancock takes out the plastic urn and puts it right there on the counter. So, yes, contrary to popular... Bells to their knees. I'm not worthy. Popular belief misconception. Hancock did...

return to England. Willie rushed and brought him back. Folks, this is why we have Pat on the show. Researching, researching, yeah. Okay, so let's vote. What are we voting on, dear listener? Well, as a reminder, and you should have been paying attention, we shouldn't have to remind you, we are voting on one, whether this particular episode is a true representative installment of the overall series.

And B, whether or not it is a true essential, a standalone show that belongs in every radio aficionado's collection. So again, Paul, since this was your selection, you go first. Yes, it was a true representative of the overall series. I listened to some from the beginning, some from the end, some from the middle. All good.

They're all funny. I mean, everyone is just wonderful timing, wonderful voices and everything, and the plot lines and all that. So, yes, this is indicative of the series. And B... I think this is a true essential, and everyone should have this in their collection. If they at all like British comedy, which if you don't, then there's something wrong with you. But if you...

Like British comedy, you really should have this in your collection. And if you want, you can bookmark the stuff on YouTube because it went over to TV. Mm-hmm. So... That way you can more easily watch some of the TV episodes and come back to the radio, and it's easier to put a face to it then. Good. Now, for me...

I've heard some in the past, but I didn't remember really. It's been so long ago that I didn't remember what the premise was. But listening to this one, I was reminded of all of the wonderful British comedies I've... listened to and viewed over my life. I grew up in Peoria and they had a public TV station. Paul can vouch for this. They play British shows all day long almost.

python uh last of the summer wine and keeping up appearances and dad's army and all of those wonderful british comedies um so I grew up watching those. And so when I started listening to radio and I discovered BBC programs, BBC radio programs, I naturally just folded those into my life as just a natural thing. So for me, listening to this, anticipating what the punchline was going to be.

when he's doing all the counting and everything. And then it repeats the joke and then it repeats the joke. And then there's a new situation and there's a new situation all in the space of a half an hour. It really affected me. just said, I need to listen to more. So I feel, yes, I agree. This is very likely a representative installment and it is so terrific it's so funny that this would belong say if it was the 1980s this would belong on one of those compilation cassette tapes

that you would buy at Cracker Barrel. So if you never got to listen to any other episode of Hancock's Half Hour, this would be the one that you would love. Because it's just terrific from start to finish. And because it isn't interrupted by commercials. Although, you know, the best comedies of American radio integrated the commercials into the show and made them funny.

But because this wasn't interrupted by any sort of sponsor, it was a fluid thing from start to finish with the comedy. So it was just a nice, compact... half hour of comedy. And so, yeah, it definitely belongs in any aficionado's collection. So that's, that's how I feel about it. That's all I have to say about that. Yeah, I really enjoy it too. I listened to, watched all those BBC shows that the PBS station, it was Buffalo station, WNED.

And of course it would spill over the border. So we'd get that. So yeah, watching those shows, hello, hello, are you being served? All those things. Oh, that was my parents' favorite show. Are you being served? Holy cow. Mr. Humphreys, I'm free. I'm free. Mrs. Slocum's pussy. Yes, very sophisticated comedy. Yes. Hi, bro. Watching that stuff and then subsequently discovering the BBC stuff or the BBC radio stuff. Yeah.

goon show i'm sorry i'll read that again just love love love that we have so much to be thankful for when it comes to um youtube and archive.org uh because people have those recordings and they made them available i was very lucky to be stationed in the navy in scotland in the 90s where i could listen to BBC radio comedies on the air and then buy the tapes, the collections.

of the Goon Show and Flywheel Scheisser and Flywheel, which was the remake of the Marx Brothers comedy from the 30s and so on. And it just... Well, the fact you don't need a guide dog, a compass and a map to try to find the comedy section in a record shop. Yeah. I lived in England in the summer of 1991. And, you know. I had never had this situation where you go in a record shop and it's a huge section of comedy.

So I brought back a whole suitcase full of comedy tapes, comedy videotapes. I actually had to get one of those multi-region, multi-format VCRs back then because it was cheaper than having like dozens of tapes converted.

dozens of vhs tapes i remember that oh yeah format totally so yeah this is really an essential especially if you study the comedy history and that yeah you know it's taking the mickey out of the bourgeois aspirations of hancock taking the mickey out of the characters and really he is most of the time the author of his own downfall just it's his own personality his own characters etc

Yeah, and that's the best kind of comedy. Yeah, character-driven. You've got the pompous character who gets deflated, and that's just so wonderful. Well, it's just like Jack Benny. Jack Benny's character is very much that way, too. Jack Benny and so on.

mcgee was very much the pompous character who would get deflated by his wife gildersleeve yeah yep that's what we yeah i mean it's what we want that's we it's what we love so um yes this is hancock's half hour is an essential series and this is an essential episode the situations are loosely the same you know he's going to get conned by sid we're going to see how it affects him etc you know that that is representative

But if you go through the series, you can see how it develops, you know, how he gets rid of this supporting player, that supporting player, how it changes that way. So there is definitely an arc through the whole thing. So yeah, it's, yes, it's a thumbs up from me on both. Well, good.

Well, folks, this brings us to the end of episode 52. Or, if you live in a parallel universe, episode 3 of season 5, which is 42 if you divide it by 6, and we put it over it on anyhow. My brain hurts. Pat Rosemank and me, Paul Airbici. Next go around will be Pete's pick, Stout of Your Nose. And what show will you be bringing us, Pete?

As you know, next month is October and we normally use that slot for our annual Halloween special. And this year is no exception. But we're also bringing in essential listener Jack Ward. Hello, Canadian Pat. will be making that selection. Something spooky, I'm sure. Well, if Jack's picking it, then yes, it will be something spooky. And now, Pat.

Paul, tell the masses what they need to know. Old Time Radio Essentials is a production of 63 Audio, a proud member of the Mutual Audio Network. Subscribe on any podcatcher you may use by searching under Mutual Audio Network. Narada Radio Company and Moonlight Audio Theatre. We love hearing from listeners. So if you're a listener, as opposed to a watcher, considering this is a podcast, and if you have feedback or a suggestion for a future episode, write us at F.

6.3 at gmail.com. If we take your suggestion, you'll get some nifty Narada swag. We don't have a Patreon. We don't ask for money. Just your time and your ears. Feedback is one of the only ways we can tell if you're listening. So be sure to drop us a line and thanks. Now... Before we close, do either of you have any projects coming up that you'd like to plug? No, but somebody that we know, Trevor Rines, he's been in some productions with us. He is in...

an audio drama competition. I think it's called Evil Idol, I think. It's on... YouTube and you vote for your favorites. Give them thumbs up if you like them. There is a limited window for doing that. Which I think is closed by the time this will hit the air. Oh, bummer. If you want to hear something really cool, Trevor Rhimes does this. I've listened to it and he narrates the story. The Devil's Confession. The main character is a priest. It is brilliant.

Lucifer comes and confesses. It's a pretty interesting story. Oh, it is. Even if you can't vote, you should go listen. I recommend it. And Trevor is the regular announcer for my series, The Seller. And so you'll be hearing him as well next month when we have our fifth and final mini series of The Cellar. Very good. Paul, anything you've got going on? Yes, I've got Project Audion this month. I love working with Larry and the guys. And for October, it's being released in October? Yes.

Okay. We're going to be doing it. What would it be? Let me see in October. What do we got here? It should be around the Friday the 3rd, I think, we're going to do the live part. Great. And I also have on darker projects, I've got a new Quantum Leap coming out. Oh, I'm in that one too. Yes, you are. Cool. Good. Cool. All right, well, I want to plug the, like I mentioned it already, the fifth and final miniseries of The Cellar. We're...

kind of canceling the cellar after five, after one full 12 episode series and five mini series. I'm just, I'm kind of running out of steam when it comes to that. And I'm going to devote my time to other. uh projects um but we've got three terrific stories we've got a vampire story and a Possessed by the devil story and the zombie story. So it's three excellent episodes of The Cellar that are...

full of terrific characters. So don't miss that. That'll be released on Mutual, but also through the Narada feed and the Moonlight Audio feed. So you'll be up. You'll be able to see them, hear them rather, on all three of those. But good. So I'm looking forward to hearing yours, Paulie, for sure. And why don't we wrap things up and vamonos, hey!

Thank you, Polly. Thank you, Pat. And please do listen to join us next time, won't you, for another fun installment of Old Time Radio Essentials. Bye-bye for now. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Oh, no. Wait a minute. 63 audio. Mutual.