The Complete Sid James

by Robert Ross

with a foreword by Jim Dale

The Complete Sid James is the indispensable guide to a career that began in South Africa and came to a premature end on the stage of the Sunderland Empire. Compiled with the full support of those who knew Sid best, this book is a fitting tribute to a star whose legend lives on.

30 odd pages dedicated to Sids work with Hancock - Chapter 3 - Twiddling Knobs - Sid on Radio and Record & Chapter 5 - From Crafty Cockney to Family Man - Sid James on Television

Sid James

A Biography

by Cliff Goodwin

This is a revised and updated edition which is a current publication and available to buy now. You may need to purchase it direct from the Virgin Megastore Web site, as it doesn't seem to be available off-the-shelf at most book shops.

April 2001 is the 25th anniversary of Sid James's death. To mark this anniversary, there are celebration programmes planned on both the BBC and ITV, and the possibility of a Sid James season at the Barbican or National Film Theatre

See here for a a brief synopsis of this book

...and June Whitfield - The Autobiography

by June Whitfield

The long awaited life story of one of the best-loved figures in British showbusiness.

'You are the best character comedienne that radio and TV ever had. For a woman to succeed in showbiz there are three golden rules. One, know your lines; two, speak up; and three, be Brilliant. June managed all these in everything she did.' Ronnie Barker

'For Frank and me, the greatest of showbusiness mysteries was how anyone could contemplate doing a comedy show without June Whitfield. It's still a mystery...' Denis Norden

Dear John

by Joan Le Mesurier

Some years after John Le Mesurier's death, his widow Joan re-read her carefully stored cache of John's letters - letters John wrote to her, and letters written to John from his closest friends. The vividness of his words brought back the happiness and heartache of their long marriage and inspired her to write this book - her own letter back to a beloved husband.
Through her own recollections and John's correspondence, Joan reveals the real John Le Mesurier, a man of kindness, charm and integrity. She describes how they first met when John, then a successful stage actor, was unhappily married to Hattie Jacques. It was Hattie - a wonderful woman who became a lifelong friend - who encouraged Joan and John's relationship. Their marriage lasted twenty-one years and survived Joan's love affair with Tony Hancock. Although deeply hurt, John nevertheless welcomed her back.
In Dear John Joan also gives us an insight into their remarkable life together, taking us with her behind the scenes on his many films as well as the hugely popular television series Dad's Army, and into the world of their friendships with actors such as Peter Sellers and Clive Dunn, and maverick Beatles publicist Derek Taylor.

Maroon boards / Gold inscribed spine

Ooh, You Are Awful ... But I Like You!

by Fay Hillier (additional development by William Hall)

Dick Emery was known to millions of households for the galaxy of uproarious characters he created. Whether it was his toothy vicar, the senile Lampwick or Mandy the predatory peroxide blonde with her immortal catchphrase: Ooh, you are awful ... but I like you!, Dick became a firm fireside favourite.
Over the course of twenty years he would become one of the BBC's biggest attractions, breaking the mould of the one-line jokers to create sketches as a hilarious vehicle for his 'rogues' gallery' of characters. His death robbed us of a unique comedy star and an outrageous talent.
...His scandalous lifestyle erupted into the public spotlight in a sensational court battle after his death - between his fifth wife, actress Josephine Blake, and the mistress he loved but never married, Fay Hillier…
Fay was at Dick's bedside throughout his long illness, when they agreed to work together on his book. The result is by turns touching, unswervingly honest and hilarious.

Black boards / Maroon inscribed spine

for a taster from the book - It's Only money

Thank God for a Funny Face

by Hugh Lloyd

with a foreword by Sir Anthony Hopkins

'This is the wonderful autobiography of the best-loved face of British comedy.' Sir Anthony Hopkins

Hugh Lloyd is one of the country's best-loved and best-known entertainers. An instantly recognisable face, his autobiography is a light-hearted history of more than sixty years of high-profile showbusiness. It is a fascinating story populated by the biggest stars of stage and screen: Tony Hancock, Terry Scott, Cliff Richard, Anthony Hopkins, Raquel Welch, Victoria Wood, Alan Bennett and Hugh Laurie. This is a charming book that captures all the humour and excitement of Hugh's incredible life. It will be cherished by his many fans across the country...

Black boards / Silver inscribed spine

Steptoe And Son

by Ray Galton & Alan Simpson with Robert Ross

In 1962, a new sitcom single-handedly brought the gritty realism of kitchen-sink drama into the arena of comedy. Deliberately casting actors instead of professional comedians, Steptoe and Son offered a brand-new kind of humour, trading on, and becoming an icon of, the political unrest and post-war disillusionment of sixties Britain. Harold Pinter with shorter pauses, as one critic wrote.
The fortieth anniversary of the ever-popular comedy series provides the perfect occasion for a book dedicated to enhancing fans' understanding of every aspect of this national institution. Fully authorised by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, the book chronicles the life of the programme in a biography format, based around exclusive interviews with the show's creators, as well as surviving members of the cast and crew, and illustrated with never-before-published photos from the BBC archive. Behind-the-scenes secrets, unearthed from official BBC correspondence, reveal how Wilfrid Brambell's old man Steptoe was almost killed off after the first series, and how a Swinging Sixties icon was almost drafted in as a hip new son for the programme...

Black boards / Silver inscribed spine