The Racehorse

Hancock's Half Hour (Radio) Second Series - Programme 3

Bill has bought a racehorse with Harry's last ten bob. The fact that it has three legs doesn't deter Sid from entering it in the Britannia Steeplechase.

Cast
Harry Secombe
Bill Kerr
Sidney James
Gerald Campion
Kenneth Williams
Alan Simpson

Programme Guide

On reaching this third non-Hancock show, Harry Secombe had apparently settled in very well with rest of the cast. By all accounts, he adjusted from the frenetic comedy of "The Goon Show" to this more conventional style with apparent ease. It could be said that had it not been for Harry Secombe's commitment to the aforementioned Goons, he could quite easily have fronted his own 'fifties radio comedy show.

Harry Secombe was an old friend of Tony Hancock. He invited Hancock on his "Secombe and Friends" ITV show in 1966, when Hancock's career was In the doldrums and offers of work must have been few and far between. They performed a version of the Budgie sketch (with two 'budgies' - Tony and Harry) and on the evidence of the audio recording, Hancock's performance sounds remarkably good.

Harry Secombe wrote a touching tribute to his friend in the preface of Roger Wilmut's book "Tony Hancock - Artiste" and this was later included in Harry's own book "Goon Abroad". It was all the more moving when Harry Secombe read the extract on BBC Radio Four - rather like the best poetry when read aloud, the true feeling and meaning became clear "as a buoy's bell".

This show concerns Bill's buying a horse with the last of Harry's money. Not only that but the horse itself is something of a nag. Nevertheless, in an effort to cash in, Sid James enters the beast in the Britannia Steeplechase.

So ended Harry Secombe's stint in Tony Hancock's role. Unfortunately, now no judgement can be made on these three Secombe shows because there seems to be no recording of them in existence.