Hancock

Tony Hancock's fall from grace during the Sixties has been well documented. From the heights of HANCOCK in 1961, including such classics as "The Blood Donor," he made two indifferent films (THE REBEL and THE PUNCH AND JUDY MAN), abandoned his regular script- writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, moved from the BBC to ITV, made a series of abortive comebacks on stage and television, and eventually committed suicide at the age of forty-four in Australia.

Throughout that period he had become a hopeless alcoholic, repeatedly going on and falling off the wagon, and in the process being abandoned by two wives, Cicely and Freddie. In the end he was almost completely self-destructive in his fruitless search for more "truthful" forms of comedy.

William Humble's script chronicles this process of decline in faithful fashion. As portrayed (quite uncannily brilliantly) by Alfred Molina, Hancock comes across as a thoroughly dislikeable person blessed with phenomenal talent but pathologically unable to relate to those around him. Even his closest friends such as John le Mesurier (portrayed rather inaccurately by Malcolm Sinclair) can do little or nothing to help him. It was as if Hancock had a mental self-destruct mechanism inside him; dissatisfied with his almost continual run of success from the mid-Fifties until the early Sixties, he was always looking for the unreachable.

Tony Smith's SCREEN ONE production vividly represents the televisual and cinematic worlds of the time, especially in Britain. Most of the productions were relentlessly small-scale, appealing to local audiences (or audiences with some British blood in them); they were hardly likely to exert transatlantic appeal. Hancock was well aware of such limitations, but possessed neither the personality nor the staying-power to build himself a reputation in America. Cast as the third lead in a Disney production as an aging actor, he was summarily replaced during filming, on account of being perceived as being an alcoholic and proving "difficult" on set. As portrayed in this film, there was a considerable amount of truth in both charges: Hancock behaved rather like a spoiled child, unaware (or perhaps unwilling to acknowledge) that he was working in a foreign country.

The production ends with Hancock, increasingly isolated and bereft of hope, answering questions in desultory fashion from the Australian press, on arrival for his last (and unfinished) television series in 1968. As he burbles on about future plans, including pantomime, summer seasons and (most ludicrously) a version of KING LEAR, we understand just how desperate he had become; well aware of his shortcomings, he could see no other course but to end his life.

In 1989 Alfred Molina played pianist John Ogdon in the BBC Screen Two film, Virtuoso.

The writer and director reunited with Molina for this BBC Screen One film about Tony Hancock.

By this time Molina had already played several real life characters. He was Kenneth Halliwell in Prick up your ears.

Hancock was a much loved British comedy actor. With acclaimed writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, he had a hit show with Hancock's Half Hour.

Only he felt he could achieve a lot more such as movie success and maybe become a big star in America. That proved elusive as he drank too much. Although obliquely noted in this movie. Hancock had trouble remembering his lines. In later seasons of Hancock, he had the help of cue cards.

Molina gives an astonishing performance as Hancock. He physically resembles Hancock. The film concentrates in the last years of his life, after his hit BBC comedy show finished. Where he had veered away from his regular script writers.

Only Hancock hit a downward spiral in his career fueled with booze and bitterness. A movie in American failed to come off. His stage show was his usual comedy routines, not the new reinvention he promised the press.

While recording a show in Australia. Hancock committed suicide in 1968, he was only 44 years old. He looked much older when he did Hancock's Half Hour.

It is a shame that Hancock never realised how popular he was with the British public. The movie gives an insight as to some of his demons.

If there was a bum note. The actor playing John le Mesurier never convinced me.

To his credit Molina did not attempt the voice ,! I am not so sure about his body language either ! In short, the actor did a good albeit forgettable job. The incidents and discussions may have been true in their telling ? Frankly this film was, fo me a failure as it is so minimal and weak as to not worth testing my patience . In his time he had been a very funny man, as in his numerous 30 minute radio B X s when his brilliant actors voice flexibly gave us the comical voices from audible amazement, stress, horror, abject fear and humorous compassion for the underdog, which inevitably was always his situation ! This film displays none of those important elements all of which brought him the fame and fortune which he never acknowledged as of any significance ! He also had a long running tv series which again left him unconvinced , irrespective of his utter brilliant portrayals of his unique world with which in all those series he was the butt of everyones major joke ! This film fails for any viewer hoping for any happy reminiscences of those long lost days of mirth.

At this point I profusely apologize to IMDB for this lack of a true review . As we can all see, there are only 3 previous reviews all correctly claiming their individual interests and valid opinions . Clearly any Brits may like myself have viewed this film for about 15 or 20 minutes and given up for the reasons mentioned above . I do genuinely appreciate Molina and have seen many examples of excellence from him, which this is also in terms of good acting, which personally , had I been asked would have advised his agent to dissuade him from this role . In conclusion, British film makers have either bravely or stupidly attempted to revive many media artists , after they had past and in my opinion inevitably failed to truly capture any of them giving their audience something of historic accurate value ? Even on the rare occasional look alike with a reasonably acceptable well mimicked voice , or if not using the real artist which very often had copyright problems banning that solution, leaving either another to do the voice if the actor failed to get it the way producers required . A very sensitive and challenging heart rending time for all concerned . Michael ....BOOKMAN ........

Now as far as film making goes this made for TV drama is quite exceptional. Molina is brilliant playing one of Britain's most famous comedians. However, the fans of Tony Hancock should be warned, this film is a portrait of the troubled man behind the legend. I have no idea how close to the truth this films is, but Hancock is not portrayed in a favourable light. This film suggests that Hancock had a drinking problem and that the talent of the famous TV show was in the scripts. These points of view are sure to anger some of Hancock's fans.

We have a TV movie biography of one of Britain's famous funny men. A viewer might expect a light-hearted romp. That is the furthest from the truth. One may not like the approach of the film makers, yet there is no denying that this is a compelling show, well above the average.

Alfred Molina managed to convincingly play a comedian who died 25 years earlier and was more than a half a foot shorter than him. I like the blend of humor and drama and in a purely fictional sense, this is a good movie to watch if you want to understand clinical depression which is the most accurate thing about this biopic. I remember reading that Spike Milligan once said of Tony Hancock that he was a man who got rid of everyone in his life and that eventually he was going to get rid of himself. No truer words sum up severe depression. That is why group therapy is key for treating the illness instead of just drugs , people who are sick tend to isolate themselves and it's better they share their ordeal if only to remember they're not unique with it. Misery doesn't necessarily love company, many prefer to cut themselves off and suffer alone until they can't bear it anymore.

The tv movie gets several things wrong while trying to be totally accurate in other ways. It starts with a good rendition of the Blood Donor, a snippet of Hancock's standup act, a scene from the Punch and Judy Man. It misrepresents The Festival Hall show which implies he forgot the whole thing and did his old stuff to fill time. The biggest issue people have with this is how it implies Galton and Simpson quit working woth Tony Hancock when the truth was Hancock fired them. There is a scene in a cab toward the end which sounds like it came entirely from a line from the one man play The Last Half Hour. I picked up a few other things that originally was in the one man play but in a different context.

Biopics are lousy if you think they are faithful interpretations of reality. I remember Harold H Corbett's daughter's reaction to the Steptoe and Son biopic. Again, it was hardly a faithful interpretation of reality. Dramatic license gets stretched a little more every year for the sake of sensationalism and laziness on the part of the script writer.