Comedy set in Victorian times about a group bet on who'll be the last to die. A veritable who's-who of the sixties British comedy scene, 'The Wrong Box' concerns two brothers (John Mills and Ralph Richardson) who are the last surviving members of a tontine, an investment scheme set up many years before in which the last surviving member stands to receive a fortune. The pair's relatives, however, eschew waiting for fate and instead opt to hurry along the course of nature by a series of hilarious and unlikely attempts on the older men's lives. Michael Caine plays Mills' grandson Michael, a mindless medical student, and the ever-witty Peter Cook and Dudley Moore play Morris and John - Richardson's two schemingly avaricious nephews. Also features guest appearances by the Brit comedy icons Tony Hancock and Peter Sellers.

Features a star studded cast, which includes: Tony Hancock, John Mills, John le Mesurier, Dudley Moore, Ralph Richardson, Nanette Newman, Peter Sellers, Thorley Walters, Peter Graves, Irene Handl, Cicely Courtnidge, Leonard Rossiter, Norman Bird, Michael Caine, Wilfrid Lawson, Peter Cook.

Click Here (or the picture above) - to view this rare (and now newly restored) trailer. Enjoy...!

Phil Davis, Trevor Eve, Jason Isaccs and Ken Stott are to star in a season of new one-off dramas for BBC Four revealing the stories behind some of Britain's best loved television entertainers, and their achievements.

The four-part season will explore the extraordinary lives of Hughie Green, Tony Hancock, Frankie Howerd and the two actors who played Steptoe And Son: Harry H Corbett and Wilfrid Brambell.

A sleepy army barracks is about to be overrun by a film company planning to shoot a science fiction caper. And it's not long before the enticing female stars persuade the boys of the brigade to take part – much to the annoyance of the Divisional Commander who decides to make a surprise inspection.

This wonderful comedy is packed with character and features some of the finest British talent of the age – including Tony Hancock, Peter Sellers and Sid James.

Here's a nice surprise (and maybe early Xmas present for someone - hint, hint!), for those that didn't already know. A hardback book entitled, Fifty Years of Hancock's Half-Hour by Richard Webber, is due to be published within the next couple of months. It'll be nice to have a book wholly dedicated to the actual series of Hancock's Half Hour, and which will no doubt mention all those that featured with him, during both his BBC TV and radio series'. And for me, a good reason, if one were needed, for us hardened (junkie) collectors to rub our hands together in glee, at the thought of being able to add another book to our collections!

From what's written below (which was taken directly from the front flap of the dust jacket), and what I've read elsewhere, this book is not a biography - not that we need another of those anyway - it's more of a companion, in the vain (my words), of Roger Wilmut's great book, Tony Hancock 'Artiste', which is now long out of print of course. Most of what you'll need to know about the series will be included, plus a vast bibliography - very handy - as this will be much updated from Wilmut's original (I would imagine) - which I hasten to add, I'm sure this book is not trying to be. Anyway... I'm very much looking forward to receiving my copy soon. As indeed, I'm sure most of those/you reading this will be!

Synopsis follows:

1954 marked the beginning of a radio series that was to change British comedy forever.
Only two years later the first of 63 television scripts had been screened and Hancock's Half-Hour became the yardstick against which all subsequent British sitcoms have since been measured.
Tony Hancock's genius along with outstanding scripts penned by the writers Galton and Simpson made for a remarkable combination and, more than 30 years after Hancock's death, the shows continue to enjoy enormous widespread appeal.
Until now, no book has ever been written about the series. Fifty Years of Hancock's Half-Hour will, for the first time, tell the full story of how the idea for the show was originally conceived; with behind-the-scenes stories from Hancock's fellow cast and crew members and the reasons behind why the show came to an end in 1961.
With a foreword by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson and including previously unheard scripts, along with numerous photographs - many of which have never been published before - Fifty Years of Hancock's Half-Hour is the definitive companion to Britain's best-loved comedy classic.

The 1st Volume of Hancock's Half Hour's to be released on DVD, are coming real soon now! The wait is nearly over!

Contains the following remaining episodes from Series 2 & 3 and a Christmas Special:

1. The Alpine Holiday
2. Air Steward Hancock (The Last Of The Many)
3. The Crown v James S (The Lawyer)
4. How To Win Money And Influence People (Competitions)
5. There's An Airfield At The Bottom Of My Garden
6. Hancock's 43 Minutes - The East Cheam Repertory Company (The Christmas Special)

Thanks, for the above info must go to Mick Curtis (many thanks Mick!), who managed to answer his own question (several days later), which he posed originally on 'The Railway Cuttings' Guest Book.

Mick, I was of course researching this info...,  but you beat me to it! Want a Job? I could do with a decent researcher!

The 6th and final installment will soon be upon us. As in the case of the last two sets, It's going to be a biggie and lighten your wallet by another two thirds of a ton!

The BBC broadcast eighty hours of Hancock on radio and television between 1954 and 1961. Now BBC Radio Collection is publishing, in chronological order, all 74 surviving radio shows from the BBC Archives. An accompanying booklet contains an introduction from the show's writers Galton & Simpson, a history of the show with contemporary press extracts and photos, episode synopses for all shows including the missing ones, and biographies of the cast.

This final set includes all fourteen shows from the sixth series, plus four episodes recorded for the BBC Transcription Service, a 1958 Christmas special, and the recently rediscovered Series 4 episode 'The Stolen Petrol'. A total of twenty episodes are published on ten CDs in a luxury box set.

Another worthy tribute to the comic genius of Tony Hancock and the brilliant writing of Ray Galton & Alan Simpson. Go here: The complete tv and radio guide - The BBC radio series, to see what you can expect in this 6th box set.

I'm sure many would like to take a moment, like my good self, to thank the BBC for finally releasing these six CD box sets - thus allowing us to add something to our collections that will, and indeed does, live in our hearts forever. Thank you the BBC! God Bless Tony Hancock - and a MEGA thank you to both Ray Galton & Alan Simpson!

All that's left for the BBC to do now is release (in chronological order) all the TV show's that exist in their archives on DVDs in a similar way, starting with the second TV series of course, even though only one show exists from this series. Maybe they could seriously consider putting Gogol's, The Government Inspector on there, to fill the space, or any other footage of the lad, and there is some, that they hold a copyright for. The Government Inspector was, and is, a great TV play with Hancock playing a straight role most beautifully, in my humble opinion. How about it BBC ?

Follow this link to Choices Direct, and order your copy now!

'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. This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the ever-popular comedy series, and provides a 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.'

I'd imagine this book will mention Hancock in some way, even if it's only in a word - although it's quite possible it won't! This book will be of value to most Hancock admires though, because like myself, I'm sure, most who have an interest in Hancock also have an interest in Steptoe and Son. The link of course being the great writing team of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson - and hence the book. I'm certainly looking forward to reading it, and hopefully adding it to the Hancock book collection - at least under category c, if not b.

Maybe they could do a similar book about Hancock's Half Hour, with all the words coming from their own recollections of the series and the lad... Just a thought... But hold on! Maybe they're working on it even as I type ? I doubt it. Have you seen the time ? I really must be going... Zzz...

(It's available to buy now. Ironically, I couldn't find any mention of it either at the BBC Shop / or on their own Web site. Hence the link to buy the book at Amazon below)

Order this book now at Amazon.co.uk and get a 20% discount!

'This book explores the origins of the ‘Big Three’ - and just as importantly, the enormous, lasting influence they've had on radio (and TV) comedy ever since. It also sketches in the social context of the shows - and aims to remind us that Hancock isn't only famous for committing suicide, that Milligan did more with his life than have nervous breakdowns, that Kenneth Williams wasn't just a neurotic diarist; to remind us, above all, that these amazing shows have survived because they were extraordinarily good. Where much critical attention has focused on the private lives of the casts, the Pocket Essentials Classic Radio Comedy concentrates on what made them great – the comedy.'

I'm definitely looking forward to reading this one! We haven't had a book that focuses on the lad for quite a while now. So I hope it's going to be worth the wait. Only time will tell, I suppose.. It'll be added to the Hancock book collection - under category b, as soon as I acquire my copy.

(Although the publication date of this book is mentioned as being sometime in the first quarter of next year I get a feeling it could actually be available be to buy before then. So keep those minces peeled!)

Anthony Aloysius St. John Hancock (1924 -1968) has long been acknowledged as a truly exceptional artist, yet his actual pictorial and sculptural oeuvre continues to be unjustly neglected. Despite a certain cult following Hancock's work is still chiefly known from the bio-documentary account of his Paris years, "The Rebel" (1960), a film whose treatment of his work is far from reverential. Various other circumstances have contributed towards this eclipse: not least the fact that all of Hancock's works have been irretrievably lost to posterity, the result of a combination of tragic accidents and wilful destruction.

The perfect first project then for a new organisation, The Department of Reconstructive Archaeology which has been created precisely for such a purpose. The Department has undertaken to re-create the entirety of Hancock's known pictorial output, as well as his most important sculpture (the magnificent and imposing Aphrodite at the Waterhole). The resulting exhibition, at The Foundry gallery, Old st, will allow for a complete re-assessment of Hancock's contribution to the art of his time. And, although the loss of the actual works precluded their having any significant art historical influence,3 we shall at last be able to appreciate their remarkable presience (Hancock's theories of Infantilism and Shapeism self-evidently share many similarities with Dubuffet's conception of "Art Brut" for example).

One of the joint directors of the Department, Magnus Irvin, will give a practical demonstration - by reconstructing Hancock's only known "action painting" Aphrodite at the Waterhole (on the Horizontal) - on the evening of the exhibition's opening, 7 September 2002 vulg. (in reality New Year's Eve 129 EP by the pataphysical calendar).

The accompanying catalogue, prefaced with an essay by Andrew Wilson (deputy editor of Art Monthly), will contain Hancock's catalogue raisonné, a description of the Department's methodology, as well as appreciations of Hancock's work, and essays on the confusions surrounding its authorship (the works of Paul Ashby and Alastair Grant).

Visit the Web site, for lots more info: The London Institute of 'Pataphysics

The next installment will soon be upon us. It's going to be another biggie and cost you yet another of your limbs!!

Another worthy tribute to the comic genius of Tony Hancock and the brilliant writing of Ray Galton & Alan Simpson. Go here: The complete tv and radio guide - The BBC radio series, to see what you can expect in this 5th box set.

Follow this link to Choices Direct, and pre order your copy now!

"The eye that never sleeps" is the phrase used by the family of Terence Donovan (1936-96), regarded today as one of Britain's greatest photographers, to describe his dedication to photography. It has been borrowed for use as the title of a new major exhibition of Donovan's photographs. The Museum of London is a most fitting venue for this, his first retrospective, which displays just a small part (120 images) of an archive of almost a million negatives, and concentrates on Donovan's contribution to the cultural history of the city he loved. 'Through his London photographs', writes Simon Thurley, Director of the Museum of London, Terence Donovan has 'shown the glamour, the charm, the grit and the seediness of modern London.'

Follow the link below for more info on this current exhibition:

Graves Art Gallery - Terence Donovan: The Eye That Never Sleeps

The photos that appear in the 1960s British Rail campaign booklet - The Truth about the Railways - The Hancock Report - were taken by Terence Donovan. He is regarded today as one of Britain's greatest photographers. From the 25th May to 3rd August these photos, amongst many others, will be on display at an exhibition entitled The Eye That Never Sleeps. I was told, awhile ago now, by someone that had visited the exhibition, that it includes other photographs, taken for this BR campaign, that didn't go on to appear in the completed booklet.

If you live local, or are in the area, during the above dates, then it may well be worth a visit. This is a touring exhibition, so if you miss the Sheffield date, you should be able to catch it somewhere else in the UK in the very near future.

Blue Plaques for Tony Hancock, Hattie Jacques and Sid James

Sunday September 8, 2002

The plaque unveilings will be performed by writers Ray Galton and Alan
Simpson, Sid's widow Val James and Joan Le Mesurier. Many other celebrities
will be attending the ceremony in honour of these three widely popular comic
actors.

Following the ceremony there will be a lunch in aid of charity at the
Grosvenor House, Park Lane, which will be attended by many of the actors'
friends and showbusiness admirers. There will be a cabaret of music and
laughter following lunch, as well as an auction of memorabilia.

Visit The Heritage Foundation Web site by going here: The Heritage Foundation

Laughter In The Air - hardback - 1976

Laughter In The Air - paperback - 1976

Took's Eye View - hardback - 1983

Comedy Greats - hardback - 1989

A Point of View - hardback - 1990

Star Turns - hardback - 1992

40 Years Of British Television - introduction by Barry Took - 1994

Most of you have would've noticed the two Radio Times issues / covers, featuring Hancock, that had been protruding from the main page for well over a couple of months now (the main page pic, as I call it). If you'd read the text that popped up (I've changed it now) when you hovered your mouse pointer over this pic, then you'll have been aware I'd been promising a section of The Cuttings would be dedicated to all the Radio Times issues that featured Hancock on the cover, and I may add, for quite awhile now. I've been working hard at creating this new section over the last month or so and am now very pleased to announce it is finally ready for your viewing pleasure! Railway Cuttings has just become the first Web site, ever in the history of the WWW, to bring you this information, in detail and with pictures of all seven Radio Times issues. Indeed, this will be the first time 99.9% of us have ever even seen one, let alone all seven, and all featured in one place! I hope you all enjoy this new collection, as much as I did while putting it together. Go here: The Radio Times collection to see history in the making. I know you can't wait, if you haven't already used the link on the main page that is, which I'm sure you have!

My next task, here at The Cuttings, is to include the Lobby card sets from Hancock's two main films, namely: The Rebel and The Punch & Judy Man. These are great colour stills used at cinemas to promote the films while being shown. I'm going to dedicate a section of The Cuttings to them very soon. I've already re-added the film pressbooks / campaign brochures I have in my collection. You can see them by going here: Hancock related film pressbooks. Most of you will probably have already seen them by now, as they've been there awhile, although I posted no real news about them here. I am missing two of the pressbooks / campaign brochures and hope to acquire these one day. More info will be posted here as and when I have it…

Many items of memorabilia have been added since I last updated this news page. I haven't been sitting idle. I had rather been relying on the 'The Cuttings was last updated…' line of text just under the heading on the main page to notify all of the changes / additions going on here at The Cuttings. Those that are regulars will be familiar with this and know what is new and roughly when it was added. Those that are completely new to The Cuttings will not be any the wiser, and will therefore benefit from these added items straight away. Most are too numerous to mention, but I will briefly mention the most major additions, as I remember them:

The Hancock book collection has had a few new additions. Several books have been added, plus a new Quicksheet (which is actually 3 quicksheets at the moment, one for each category, a, b and c). It should help all of us, even me, to find books easier, rather then having to trawl through all the book pages (there are currently 17) before you finally found what you might have been looking for.

As mentioned above, the Hancock related film pressbooks has been re-added to The Cuttings after a short period away. They now have there own dedicated section under the above heading.

Several rare audio tapes have been added to the Hancock audio collection

I finally managed to get hold of a copy (two in fact) of Hancock's first film: Orders are Orders (and on a release I never knew existed). You learn something new every day! This film was released twice by two different distributors / labels during the 80s. It's now deleted of course and very rare. It has never been re-released since. It must be due a re-release soon. I sure hope so. Click the above link or go here: Hancock film collection, to see the videos cover and read a brief synopsis about the film.

The poems from the radio show: The Poetry Society are now accessable, via a link, from the main page of Railway Cuttings. In the past you could only get access to these great poems from a link at: The complete tv and radio guide. These are great poems that can be heard (mp3 format) as well as read. It was a shame I seemed to have hidden them away. Go and hear them now! The Ashtray by Anthony is my favorite. All the others are great! Thanks must go to Ray & Alan for these gems...

The main page picture has finally been changed. Sorry about the long delay in doing this. I'm sure, but hope not, that some of you were getting rather bored of it. I hope you like the new one. Very similar to the last, but nice. It has rather gave away my surprise though...

The next installment will soon be upon us from the good old beeb. And it's going to be a biggie and cost you a fortune, but I'm not complaining! The shows that are included in this 9 CD box set are as follows;

Back from Holiday | The Bolshoi Ballet | The Income Tax Demand | Michelangelo 'Ancock | Anna and the King of Siam | Cyrano de Hancock | The Expresso Bar | Hancock's Happy Christmas | The Diary | The 13th of the Series | Almost a Gentleman | The Old School Reunion | The Wild Man of the Woods | Agricultural Hancock | Hancock in the Police | The Emigrant | The Last of the McHancocks

Yet another worthy tribute to the comic genius of Tony Hancock and the brilliant writing of Ray Galton & Alan Simpson. Go here: The complete tv and radio guide - The BBC radio series, and see what you can expect in the 5th box set.

Follow this link to Amazon.co.uk, or go and pre-order Online now!