Tommy Cooper: Always Leave Them Laughing: The Definitive Biography of a Comedy Legend

The first ever intimate portrait of Britain’s best-loved, but little known, comedy entertainer. Fully authorised, and written by Cooper’s friend and colleague John Fisher.

More than just a comedian, Tommy Cooper was a born entertainer. Working in a golden age of British comedy, Cooper stood – literally – head and shoulders above the crowd, and had a magical talent for humour that defied description.

But there was a man behind the laughter that few people saw. John Fisher was Cooper's friend and colleague and witnessed first-hand the moments of self-doubt and inadequacy that contrasted with the genial exterior. Until his tragic death on live television in 1984, Tommy Cooper lived in constant fear of the day he would be found out by his audience. He could never accept the accolades that came so thick and fast from every direction, and died to the sounds of laughter that he never really believed.

Supplementing his own intimate knowledge with material accessed for the first time from the archives of Cooper's agent and manager, Miff Ferrie, and with the full co-operation of the Cooper family, John Fisher's warm, honest and insightful writing skilfully brings alive the man behind the comedic mask in this definitive biography of a comedy legend.

1100250812
Tommy Cooper: Always Leave Them Laughing: The Definitive Biography of a Comedy Legend

The first ever intimate portrait of Britain’s best-loved, but little known, comedy entertainer. Fully authorised, and written by Cooper’s friend and colleague John Fisher.

More than just a comedian, Tommy Cooper was a born entertainer. Working in a golden age of British comedy, Cooper stood – literally – head and shoulders above the crowd, and had a magical talent for humour that defied description.

But there was a man behind the laughter that few people saw. John Fisher was Cooper's friend and colleague and witnessed first-hand the moments of self-doubt and inadequacy that contrasted with the genial exterior. Until his tragic death on live television in 1984, Tommy Cooper lived in constant fear of the day he would be found out by his audience. He could never accept the accolades that came so thick and fast from every direction, and died to the sounds of laughter that he never really believed.

Supplementing his own intimate knowledge with material accessed for the first time from the archives of Cooper's agent and manager, Miff Ferrie, and with the full co-operation of the Cooper family, John Fisher's warm, honest and insightful writing skilfully brings alive the man behind the comedic mask in this definitive biography of a comedy legend.

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Tommy Cooper: Always Leave Them Laughing: The Definitive Biography of a Comedy Legend

Tommy Cooper: Always Leave Them Laughing: The Definitive Biography of a Comedy Legend

by John Fisher
Tommy Cooper: Always Leave Them Laughing: The Definitive Biography of a Comedy Legend

Tommy Cooper: Always Leave Them Laughing: The Definitive Biography of a Comedy Legend

by John Fisher

eBookePub edition (ePub edition)

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Overview

The first ever intimate portrait of Britain’s best-loved, but little known, comedy entertainer. Fully authorised, and written by Cooper’s friend and colleague John Fisher.

More than just a comedian, Tommy Cooper was a born entertainer. Working in a golden age of British comedy, Cooper stood – literally – head and shoulders above the crowd, and had a magical talent for humour that defied description.

But there was a man behind the laughter that few people saw. John Fisher was Cooper's friend and colleague and witnessed first-hand the moments of self-doubt and inadequacy that contrasted with the genial exterior. Until his tragic death on live television in 1984, Tommy Cooper lived in constant fear of the day he would be found out by his audience. He could never accept the accolades that came so thick and fast from every direction, and died to the sounds of laughter that he never really believed.

Supplementing his own intimate knowledge with material accessed for the first time from the archives of Cooper's agent and manager, Miff Ferrie, and with the full co-operation of the Cooper family, John Fisher's warm, honest and insightful writing skilfully brings alive the man behind the comedic mask in this definitive biography of a comedy legend.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780007280025
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date: 01/26/2009
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
Format: eBook
Pages: 496
Sales rank: 678,765
File size: 2 MB

About the Author

John Fisher has a long and distinguished career as a TV producer working in light entertainment with such giants of comedy as Bob Monkhouse, Spike Milligan, Bruce Forsyth & Tommy Cooper. His most recent work includes Channel 4’s critically acclaimed “Heroes of Comedy”. An authority on popular entertainment, he has written many books on the subject. ‘Jus’ Like That!’, his stage celebration of Tommy’s life, was a recent West End hit. He is also a member of the Inner Magic Circle.


John Fisher has a long and distinguished career as a TV producer working in light entertainment with such giants of comedy as Bob Monkhouse, Spike Milligan, Bruce Forsyth & Tommy Cooper. His most recent work includes Channel 4’s critically acclaimed “Heroes of Comedy”. An authority on popular entertainment, he has written many books on the subject. ‘Jus’ Like That!’, his stage celebration of the life of Tommy Cooper, was a recent West End hit. John is also a member of the Inner Magic Circle.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ix

Acknowledgements xi

Preface: 'I Didn't Let You Down, Did I?' xv

1 All in the Branding 1

2 Laughing Over Spilt Milk 17

3 'Let Me See Your Dots' 45

4 Life Gets More Exciting ... 65

5 Mad About Magic 103

6 Comic Ways and Means 136

7 The Steady Climb 187

8 Cooper Vision: Part One 236

9 Cooper Vision: Part Two 270

10 Method in the Madness 308

11 Health and Home Affairs 347

12 The Days Dwindle Down 376

13 Death and Resurrection 407

14 The Real Me 428

Index 459

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