John Thaw Books

It's hard to be negative about a book that a woman has written about the loss of her husband, but I feel that how this book is sold is largely misleading. I had never heard of the author and so her life story held no real interest for me especially since I found the writing less than inspired. I, like many other people I think, bought this book to learn more about John Thaw, and certainly the book is trying to sell itself on this point with John Thaw's name and picture front and centre on the cover. But in reality, only about half the book is about him, the rest is about Sheila Hancock's life and her diary entries about her husband's death.

I felt her diary entries became very repetitive towards the end. While there are indeed some interesting things about John Thaw in the book, I found the information I gleaned was not worth the reading of the entire work. I also found there were very few true insights into the man, or the author for that matter. The book must hit a chord with some readers due to the other glowing reviews here, but be forewarned this is a novel about John Thaw AND Sheila Hancock, if those two people interest you then it may be just the thing. I however was left at the end feeling rather dissapointed.

I started this book because I have fond memories of John Thaw zooming round London in 'The Sweeney' and I dream of one day having a red Jaguar like the one he drove in 'Inspector Morse'. However, there was another side of John Thaw I knew nothing about, a man who struggled with depression and alcoholism....

Sheila Hancock, his wife, tells this beautiful warts and all love story as a tribute to the whole man. We read about the hell he put himself and those he loved through when he was drinking and about his recovering from alcoholism and how this rejuvenated his relationships.

Tragically, John Thaw died of cancer in 2002. The book is a tribute to the man as an actor and (and this was more important to me) a heartfelt love letter telling of the trials, tribulations and eventual triumph of a marriage which, while it might have been made in heaven, put both Mr Thaw and Ms Hancock through more than their share of hell.

For anyone who is a devoted John Thaw fan,(he was the BEST as far as I'm concerned), this is a book that you MUST read. Not only is it a tribute to his talent but it is a love letter from the love of his life. I brushed away many a tear while reading this wonderful but heartbreaking book.
Not only is this an intelligently written book by his wife, an accomplished actress herself, but she shares many photos of John's personal and professional life.
It was wonderful.

I bought this book because I and my wife so admired John Thaw the actor,
Morse, Cavanagh, Mr. Tom, A Year in Province etc. This not your typical
biography of a great actor it's much more. This is a moving story of a
women's deep love of a very flawed and troubled man. Her fears of losing him and her eventual loss of him hits home to anyone who has lost someone
that was the love of their life. She has written a deeply personel story,
and given words to thoughts we all have at the loss of one we so loved.
This book touched me deeply, it's what we all will face eventually as
the one who is dying or the one left behind. There is no gloss here
She portrays their life as it was and who they were. John Thaw was a
wonderful actor, but a greater man for beating his demons and over
comming all the blocks to happiness in his life.He could not have done it without her love and patience. He was a "Lucky Man",read it and weep.

An entertaining tell-all by Sheila Hancock, an actress of whom I had never heard before picking up this book on a whim. As it happens I like the title.

She has many great stories about growing up in some shabby corners of England, and becoming an actress of some repute, as well as a sex symbol on English TV. It sounds as though she's had some limited success in movies, but mostly, I suppose, if you don't watch a lot of British TV from the 70s and 80s, you might not have heard of her.

I never heard of her husband either, but he was also a British TV star who played a cop in two long running series, one based on the Inspector Morse novels by Colin Dexter. His name was John Thaw and most of Hancock's book centers on him, her feelings for him, the complicated romantic relationships of the pair, and mostly about the alcoholism that, left unchecked, turned him into a human monster. Hancock relates some stories about Thaw's working class background that indicate he had vast reservoirs of resentment that fueled his masterful stage appearances. But he wasn't an easy husband, nor a good father; not until the end when, under the light of a guiding star called Udi Eichler, he learned to stop drinking and to sober up. Even though I never heard of any of the characters, I found myself intensely interested in Sheila Hancock's story. I wanted her to be happy, and I wanted John to come to his senses and stop throwing away the good things he had. And yes, all these things came to pass. Alas! Just when he was getting it together (personally speaking), he was diagnosed with late-stage cancer, and so he had only a short time to enjoy this late-blooming springtime of sobriety.

She uses her own diaries and those of her late husband, to good effect. What could be more wrenching than the dream journal of alcoholic John? "Came upstairs. Sheila came out of study. Looks me up and down. I look down. See there is vomit over my jacket and trousers." She might have been a termagant to the poor guy, but believe me, she had every right to be. In some ways she was an enabler, but as we see, she has a heart as big as Blackpool, and a more loveable show biz memoir you won't read for eons. There are, incidentally, a plethora of anecdotes about the famous friends and acquaintances of the couple, including some priceless stories about Peter O'Toole, no acting slouch himself, a man who idolized John Thaw.

What can I say? From his early days dealing with London "bad boys" in "The Sweeney" (shut it!), through to his more thoughtful policing of the murder hot-bed of Oxford (I live only a few miles away, and I can tell you it's one of the most violent places on earth) it is apparent that Mr. Thaw was one of our proud country's greatest policemen.

John Thaw had a wooden leg, right side, knee down! Just watch him walk.
I loved watching him, miss him.

As his wife I can tell you that John disliked this book intensely. It was not authorised and is full of misrepresentations and inventions. I urge you not to read it.

and wanted to learn more about the man behind the "Morse" code, having been a fan for YEARS! He was indeed a talented actor - and lived life true to his Capricornian nature. This book allowed me to spend time with him in a way I would not otherwise have been able, so I disagree with the reviews saying negative things. I do think he left things out that we will never know; it is his right to do so. He held a longstanding grudge against his mother for leaving him at a young age, but at least he had a wonderful father.....many people don't even have that, so beyond one mention of it was overdone.. He also repeated phrases about his wife when once would have done the job; I don't know why he felt the need to do that - perhaps a fear in him (I can only speculate.) Still I remain a huge and devoted fan of John Thaw and Inspector Morse. I have bought his movies and am glad I had the pleasure of learning more about him thru his book. After all, we are, each of us, only simple human beings.

I Agree With John's wife in the review of this book.The only reason I purchased it was to get more insite into John and his life. Being a huge fan of John Thaw and his work, I found it to be quite shallow and very repeditive on certain issues.Many facts in the book seemed to be incorrect as well. Although I found the photos in the book a nice touch, I thought that the writer focused too much on certain issues and aspects of John's life that John himself found to be incorrect and almost offensive.I'm looking forward to the release of Shiela's Book in Fall of 2004, about her husband,friend and the Talented Late actor whom I'm sure we all miss very much.I will definately purchase that publication as I'm sure it will give John's fans a correct view of his career and his life, which was cut far too short by his death from Cancer on Feb 21/02. John was probably one of the greatest British actors that I have ever seen, and It's my opinion that the author if this book didn't do him the justice he deserved. I still find it hard to comprehend that John is no longer with us and that we will never see any more new work from him .So, please don't waste your money on this book and wait for Sheila's Book to be published.You'll be glad that you did.

The box would give you the impression that John Thaw is the narrator. He is not. All it is is a unknown narrator filling in the spaces of the DVD tapes voices. very disappointing

Attenborough's Chaplin offers a more politicalized perspective on this iconic star of American cinema. The film focuses on Chaplin's (played by Robert Downey Jr.) rise and fall in American film, culiminating in his exile from the United States after Hoover's relentless attempts to prove him a communist threat finally succeeded. Downey Jr. is really quite good as Chaplin, especially in the evolution of his English accent. (Although as the elderly Chaplin, he is a bit creepy). Anyone who is a tried and true fan of Chaplin, however, will find many details to criticize: his facial expressions aren't quite right, his physical movements don't quite capture the grace of Chaplin's. But, overall, it is a fine film, offering a fascinating glimpse of the personal and political life of perhaps the greatest film star of all time.

ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. is at his best. His portrayal of Chaplin gave me a real appreciation of the man and his talents. I am now watching as many of the old Chaplin movies as I can find.

Downey's performance in Chaplin is a one-man tour de force. Done at a time before Downey's own problems started creating problems for his acting career, it is probably the role for which he will be best remembered. Downey shows Chaplin to be a complex, multifacetted man who had many both good and bad qualities, but most importantly, was a creative and even visionary artist whose approach still couldn't halt the advent of the talkies. As Downey says in the movie, "If the little tramp speaks, the mystery is gone." But for better or for worse, the technology and the art of cinema were taking off in a different direction, after which it would never be quite the same. Overall Downey's best movie and one that should stand the test of time.

Byt the way, this is an interesting snippet from a brief bio of Chaplin's life from the IMBD website, which I thought I'd post here:

"In contrast to many of his boisterous characters, Chaplin was a quiet man who kept to himself a lot. He also had an "un-millionaire" way of living. Even after he had accumulated millions, he continued to live in shabby accommodations.

In 1921 Chaplin was decorated by the French government for his outstanding work as a filmmaker, and was elevated to the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honor in 1952. In 1972 he was honored with an Academy Award for his "incalculable effect in making motion pictures the art form of the century." In 1975 England's Queen Elizabeth II knighted him. Chaplin's other works included musical scores he composed for many of his films. He also authored two autobiographical books, "My Autobiography" in 1964 and its companion volume, "My Life in Pictures" in 1974. Chaplin died of natural causes on December 25, 1977 at his home in Switzerland.

In 1978, Chaplin's corpse was stolen from its grave and was not recovered for three months; he was re-buried in a vault surrounded by cement. Charlie Chaplin was considered one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of American cinema, whose movies were and still are popular throughout the world, and have even gained notoriety as time progresses. His films show, through the Little Tramp's positive outlook on life in a world full of chaos, that the human spirit has and always will remain the same.

In contrast to many of his boisterous characters, Chaplin was a quiet man who kept to himself a lot. He also had an "un-millionaire" way of living. Even after he had accumulated millions, he continued to live in shabby accommodations.

In 1921 Chaplin was decorated by the French government for his outstanding work as a filmmaker, and was elevated to the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honor in 1952. In 1972 he was honored with an Academy Award for his "incalculable effect in making motion pictures the art form of the century." In 1975 England's Queen Elizabeth II knighted him. Chaplin's other works included musical scores he composed for many of his films. He also authored two autobiographical books, "My Autobiography" in 1964 and its companion volume, "My Life in Pictures" in 1974. Chaplin died of natural causes on December 25, 1977 at his home in Switzerland.

In 1978, Chaplin's corpse was stolen from its grave and was not recovered for three months; he was re-buried in a vault surrounded by cement. Charlie Chaplin was considered one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of American cinema, whose movies were and still are popular throughout the world, and have even gained notoriety as time progresses. His films show, through the Little Tramp's positive outlook on life in a world full of chaos, that the human spirit has and always will remain the same."

I don't care for the light used in this movie. Rest of the movie is really good.

`Chaplin' has a lot going for it. It's a biopic and that always rests well with me. The subject of that said biopic is a man who was famous for his ability to entertain. The star cast in that important role of lead delivers a performance so electrifying there's no wonder why he received the Oscar nomination. The rest of the cast is so star studded you're drawn to the prospect of what you'll see, even if every apart from the star is limited in their screen time. It's faithfully directed by a man who adored and respected his subject. But, without a script, without a story none of this really matters. So, what makes `Chaplin' a film worth every second is the fact that it tells quite a story.

The life of Charlie Chaplin was one filled with rises and falls. He started off struggling but then rose almost immediately before falling back down only to be lifted up once again. It's a rollercoaster of a way to live, but it makes for one interesting journey for the audience. Charlie Chaplin started his life dirt poor. What made things worse was the fact that his mother, for her own good, was admitted to an asylum while Charlie was still quite young. His mothers theatrical aspirations did have an impact on Charlie though, a good one, for he soon made a name for himself as a comedian of the stage. It wasn't until he moved to the states to pursue film roles though that he became the face behind silent film.

`Chaplin' would be little more than a good story without the brilliant performance given by Robert Downey Jr., a performance that captures the essence that was Charlie Chaplin and exposes this man to the full. Downey Jr. understands Chaplin and brings so much light and charisma to this role, a role that defined him as a star and not just a Hollywood bad-boy. I only wish that Robert Downey Jr. could receive more roles of this nature for he really sinks his teeth into this performance and drags out something everyone can admire and respect. He captured the emotional depth of this man while embellishing the signature charm and comedic grace of the legend himself. A far cry from a mere mimic, Downey Jr. slipped away inside this man and recreated him from the ground up.

Sadly, this was released the same year as `Malcolm X' so I can't truthfully say that Robert Downey Jr. was robbed of the Oscar. In fact Denzel Washington was robbed of the Oscar, but that's for another review.

The film exposes the good as well as the bad times in this mans life, from his womanizing days, his many marriages and his confrontations with J. Edgar Hoover, a volatile relationship that caused much heartache in Chaplin's life. It never rushes things but takes it time to flesh out this man and create a feeling of truly knowing him inside and out. Apparently the original cut of the film was nearly four hours long, and while that seems like a long time I'd be interested in seeing the film in its entirety for I'm sure there is so much more of this mans life that would be intriguing to discover. Still, with all the cuts made to the film it never appears condensed or lacking.

The film sports a slew of supporting performances, all of which are brilliantly crafted by the cast. Geraldine Chaplin plays her own grandmother Hannah effortlessly with such commanding presence and Paul Rhys is able to play second fiddle to the star without giving up is star power entirely. The beautiful actresses who played the women in Charlie's life all do splendid jobs, Diane Lane in particular is stunning and makes the most lasting impression. Moira Kelly is wonderful as Chaplin's loving wife Oona, but she lacks the screen presence that Lane brings to her performance. Milla Jovovich is stunning as Charlie's first wife Mildred and Dan Aykroyd is in top form as Mack Sennett and delivers an exciting and well rounded comedic performance. The cast is so extensive it's really hard to single out everyone, but one performer that needs to be mentioned is Kevin Kline who just delivers effortlessly as Charlie's good friend Douglas Fairbanks. He's charming and graceful and so in tune with her character it's an utter joy to watch.

`Chaplin' delivers everything you could ask for in a biopic. It's interesting, informative, entertaining and commanding, giving us reasons to laud, admire and sympathize with a man who brought so much joy to so many people.