THE CHRISTMAS EVE PARTY

Hancock's Half Hour (Radio) First Series - Programme 9

Hancock's party was so noisy that he has been brought to court by the entire district. In flashback, we hear both their and his versions of what happened.

Cast
Tony Hancock
Bill Kerr
Moira Lister
Sidney James
Alan Simpson
Kenneth Williams

Programme Guide

In this third programme of a Christmas 'trilogy', there have been high-jinks; merriment with perhaps just a dash or two of over-indulgence down at the Hancock household.

Hancock's Christmas Eve party has spilled over from the confines of the house and provoked the entire neighbourhood into taking him to court. The programme takes place in court, where the various sides tell their conflicting versions of the night's events. In flashback, the differing stories are played out and the court is left to decide which version is the nearest to the truth.

A good idea which has obviously been used before and since, most notably , and on more than one show, by Eric Sykes in his long-running BBC-TV comedy series with Hattie Jacques. Hattie's predecessor, as the first female foil in "Hancock's Half Hour", Moira Lister, was, meanwhile, giving good support to the male protagonists.

Moira Lister, in common with Sid James, was born in South Africa. She first appeared in the English theatre in 1937, before returning to her native country and then finally re-emerging in the U.K., in Shakespeare, in 1945. She remained in this country to carve her career in radio, television, films and the theatre.

Her role in "Hancock's Half Hour", although very well played, never broke out of the restricting cocoon of 'Tony's girlfriend'. Possibly, had her character been allowed to develop more, she might have rivalled the popularity of Hattie Jacques. This was not to be, though, and in 1959, Moira, recalling her days in the Half Hours, said:

"Tony thwarted one of my dearest ambitions, for I had always wanted desperately to go to South America and one day, about a fortnight after I started the series, I got the chance to appear at some sort of festival in the Argentine. I went along and asked Tony, very nicely, if he would release me, in view of this wonderful chance. He flatly refused - saying that we had built up a situation in the show and that it would be spoilt if I left."

"At the time, I was very much put out - I still haven't managed to get to South America, but I realise now that Tony was absolutely right. A show has to come before any personal considerations."

After the end of this series, Moira left the show and her career continued to prosper. In 1971, she was awarded the Variety Club Silver Heart for the Best Stage Actress of the Year, for her performance as Joanna Markham in "Move Over Mrs. Markham". All of which disproves the theory that all who left the Hancock shows then sank into show business oblivion.