Tony Hancock, The Final Series, Australia 1968,Customs Scene

Only three full episodes of this series, made for Australian television in 1968, were completed. Hancock killed himself halfway through filming.
This is the scene where Hancock arrives at the Australian customs desk.

[@GEricG]

Even a prime Hancock would have struggled with this script. Nothing like the stuff written by Galton and Simpson.

[@roddles49]

His wonderful comic 'timing' was gone by this stage. Shot to hell.

[@Theslavedrivers]

I don't think there's too much wrong with his performance here, as such. But the overly intrusive music, canned laughter and old-before-his-time face certainly don't help ...

[@michaelburden5895]

So sad seeing him like this but he was a great comic, his facial expressions were something to watch i dont think he realised how funny he really was, i love listening to his radio shows and old tv shows, much missed.

[@ajivins1]

There was a quite sad radio interview with Sid James who said the last time he saw him alive was on a street in London. Hancock was weaving around in the road, obviously drunk with people pointing at him. Sid couldn't park anywhere but when he finally did and went back Hancock was gone. Then he went to Australia and events took their course...

[@chrisevans5259]

Poor shadow of this comedy legend, and looks much older than the 44 years he is. A troubled soul, with a alcohol problem and so tragic that he took his own life, my two favorite's of his are the Blood Donor, and the film The Rebel. T Hancock (RIP)

[@tescocadaver]

Things just seemed to go too wrong too many times

[@mashamorgan]

Its so eery this. He actually left for Oz to film this rubbish, had an awful problem with alcohol and until recently I didnt know his divorce came through only days before his suicide. Genius but such a tragically lonely man. RIP Tone love you always !!

[@egapnala65]

No, he had thrown them away years before this. Although there was a show they wrote called "The Emigrant" which also features a stuffed bird through customs routine.

[@thomasalexand]

A salutary warning when you overanalyse your talent. One-by-one he removed those that supported his comic gift until he found himself cornered with nowhere left to go. You are only as good as you're material and Hancock didn't realise how fortunate he was working with Galton and Simpson.

[@JamesRichards-mj9kw]

He had no talent.

[@thomasalexand]

@JamesRichards-mj9kw He was a great comedy actor. He was good in The Government Inspector. It's on KZbin.

[@mooseing22]

Hilarity ensues when the stuffed birds was revealed! Being carried by some pissed old geezer! What a remarkable talent. No wonder he was so well loved. Pure genius carrying the suitcases. As for the bellboy??!! I fell off the sofa and guffawed so heartily my head fell off... then fell back on again. The hat & coat made my nan swallow her own feet! I mean, who writes this whimsical wise cracking banter gags stuff? They can't be mere mortals to create ingenuity, aptitude, brilliance.

[@saxongreen78]

...the salt in this comment turned my arteries to alabaster straws! 😊 (I agree - this show is dross.)

[@markxist]

@tescocadaver Such a tragic and beautiful, honest line from his suicide note. I was only a young child when I discovered Hancock, c/o BBC repeats in the 80s. I became a huge fan and read everything about him (I was an advanced reader for my age) I remember reading that as a child and bursting into tears. It still makes me a little teary now

[@catandpiddle]

thank you so much.

[@xpietmaasx]

he basically got rid of everybody in his professional life (most importantly Galton and Simpson) and painted himself into a corner.......so sad, so destructive....i often wonder what kind of serious actor he could of made, maybe that's the direction he should of taken? who knows?

[@stephenguppy3466]

He did Gogol's The Government Inspector in 1956. A triumph. He would have made a great Bottom, etc

[@Krzyszczynski]

Yes, he was a great comic ACTOR, not really a comedian as such. He never changed or even updated his stage show, which by the end was pretty dire. And he couldn't ad-lib - one of the few known examples was when there was some mistake with the lighting, and he said "hullo someone's put a mouldy penny in the meter".

[@rogerwaring6842]

I have bin a massive fan since i heard him on tape as a kid. Never worry about life when you can listern to hancock. I you cant sleep jyst put the master on and you will zzzzźzzzźz in minutes.

[@nmfranklin66]

Due to his rash decisions ,mostly made whilst clouded by alcohol he seems to have pissed off everyone in the BBC and the world of the British entertainment industry therefore his only way forward and as most drying up TV actors did he chose Australia to try and restart his long dead career .And we all know how this ended... Shame ..A real shame.

[@EdWood2006]

What a sad sad end. What happened to him? This is awful. Rest in Peace.

[@peterm1826]

poor bastard cant help but feel sorry for him all comedians spent their lives making people laugh but on the inside there is torment and pain

[@antoniod]

The writers were obviously trying to write in G&S' style.

[@tescocadaver]

Things just seemed to go wrong too many times

[@LQUID8R]

Interesting to finally see this - when you see him in the cynical grumpy Hancock persona , he looks like he is enjoying himself - even though this has its moments he really looks like he is struggling to get through it.

[@grahamherbert3612]

I still watch 'The Rebel' a couple of times a year, my ten year son does the lines, "It's a self portrait" "Of who" "Laurel and hardy".

[@paulspydar]

he was way ahead of his time, I know that is often said & sounds a bit of a cliche but imo it really is appropriate for Tony...He was trying to portray the comedy in life & wanted to do it without _jokes_ , No funny voices , laugh tracks etc as he thought that too easy & lazy...Probably the reason why he didn't use a character name but his own,,Interesting fellow...

[@NoosaHeads]

Australia looks a lovely place in the 60s.

[@arthursteven5601]

Sad seeing his appearance near the end of his life. Why o why did it all go wrong for this talented comic great

[@MarkHarrison733]

He had no talent.

[@arthursteven5601]

@@MarkHarrison733 rubbish ....

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@arthursteven5601 Without the writers he had nothing. People watched any unfunny crap when there were only one or two television channels.

[@JamesRichards-mj9kw]

@@arthursteven5601 He could not accept his homosexuality.

[@Nuttybott]

I wonder why this was made in colour? Australian TV was still black & white in 1968...

[@stephenguppy3466]

Still hoping for the international market.......ie USA and BBC who had started colour in 1967.

[@richardl772]

Not a lot of humour here…….everyone just seems tired and angry.

[@stephenguppy3466]

Great never fan.....never seen this before......wish i hadn't......oh dear......

[@edwardferry8247]

Painful 😢

[@ProjectFlashlight612]

@p717 That is so incredibly untrue, it is almost funny in itself.

[@saxongreen78]

It's atrocious beyond words. So much to be said for killing off the booze a taking long hiatus when your flow is off...just imagine - a BBC comeback series in the 1970s (a peak era for great TV and movies)...or even a cameo in a _Carry On_ with Sid...anything but this!

[@JamesRichards-mj9kw]

Hancock had no talent.

[@peterm1826]

this was 1968 how could it be 5 pound a week when Australia changed from pounds to dollars in 1966

[@stephenguppy3466]

Hancock had the idea that the series could be sold to Britain........hence the pounds ......

[@saxongreen78]

...also, prices could still be given in Pounds for a short time after Decimalisation - but, probably not in 1968!

[@Calypso47]

That's Geoffrey Rush as the customs agent, isn't it??

[@mikedowns8293]

Nope.

[@GERAINT17]

@DiverUK WTF?

[@mySelf-yx4hw]

That was terrible,i guess that he worked out that the universe didn't revolve around him i think that they would have canned it even if he hadn't died 🤨

[@MarkHarrison733]

He was never funny.

[@Marvin-dg8vj]

​@@MarkHarrison733 he could be for a period when delivering someone else's lines, in other words the stuff written by Galton and Simpson .He didn't give them much credit by the look of it

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@Marvin-dg8vj He was never funny in the 1956-60 series.

[@Marvin-dg8vj]

@@MarkHarrison733 if that is case why are you commenting on somebody you don't like and dont think was funny?

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@Marvin-dg8vj Democracy?

[@lindabiggs3905]

Must have been of its time, didn't find it funny,,

[@rockabyebaby6111]

Tony Hancock Cypriot ?? Ha ha ... whoever wrote this has never travelled with a Cypriot... their suitcase would be stuffed with Halloumi.. lountza...loukanika.. etc..

[@dundee520]

hahahaha happy st georges day

[@cinemachimpmovieman]

This is the best thing he ever done !!!! Hilarious !!!

[@stephenguppy3466]

You can never have seen or heard his 50's material then.....

[@GERAINT17]

@No1RebelRebel He killed himself, probably on the basis of the guff inthis clip. Jesus I hope your comment was a wind up, and not the result of the lack of general knowledge and awareness of social history of the X-factor generation.