The Rebel (1961 film)

The Rebel (1961) (US title: Call Me Genius) is a satirical comedy film. Starring the British comedian Tony Hancock, it was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.

Plot

Hancock plays a downtrodden London office clerk who gives up his office job to pursue full-time his vocation as an artist. Single mindedly, and with an enthusiasm far exceeding any artistic talent (his 'art' has a 'childlike' quality - to put it mildly), he sets to work on his masterpiece Aphrodite at the Waterhole, moving to Paris where he expects his genius will be appreciated. While his 'ideas' and persona gain acceptance (indeed plaudits) among the "beat" set, legitimate art critics, like Sir Charles Broward, (George Sanders) scoff at his work. He manages to achieve success, however, when the work of his former roommate, a genuinely talented painter, becomes confused with his own. The confusion is eventually resolved after a series of art exhibitions, and he returns, down but not out, to London, where he pursues his 'art' in defiance of whatever others may think of it.

The film consists of many scenes parodying modern art and poetry. The scene showing Hancock splashing paint onto a canvas and riding a bike over it, is quite reminiscent of Jackson Pollock's technique. The child-like paintings parody the naive style.

Other information of note

The film explores existentialist themes by mocking Parisian intellectual society in general and portraying the pretensions of the English middle class in particular. It attempts to transfer Hancock's TV comedy persona to the big screen, and several of his regular supporting cast also appeared, including John Le Mesurier, Liz Fraser and Mario Fabrizi. Although the film did moderately well, it was not well received in the USA, where audiences possibly did not understand the highly anglocentric humour.

The railway station used at the beginning of the film named Fortune Green South, was actually Bingham Road Halt in the Croydon suburb of Addiscombe. The station has now been demolished.

Nominated for a BAFTA Film Award in 1962 - Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles: Tony Hancock

In 2002, the London Institute of 'Pataphysics organised an exhibition based around the recreation of all the art works seen the film and presented the exhibition as if it were a retrospective of a real unknown artist called Anthony Hancock.

Cast

• Tony Hancock...Anthony Hancock
• George Sanders...Sir Charles Broward
• Paul Massie...Paul
• Margit Saad...Margot
• Grégoire Aslan...Carreras
• Dennis Price...Jim Smith
• Irene Handl...Mrs. Crevatte
• John Le Mesurier...Office manager
• Liz Fraser...Waitress
• Nanette Newman...Josey
• Mervyn Johns...Manager of Art Gallery
• Peter Bull...Manager of Art Gallery
• Oliver Reed...Artist in Cafe
• Mario Fabrizi...Coffee Bar attendant
• Bernard Rebel...Art dealer
• Screenplay by: Ray Galton, Alan Simpson
• Directed by: Robert Day
• Photography: Gilbert Taylor

Quotes

On Mrs. Crevatte seeing one of Hancock's pictures on the wall:

• Mrs. Crevatte; What's this 'orrible thing?
• Hancock; That, is a self-portrait.
• Mrs. Crevatte; Who of?

On Mrs. Crevatte first encountering Hancock's Aphrodite at the Waterhole

• Mrs. Crevatte; Here, have you been having models up here - have there been naked women in my establishment?
• Hancock; Of course there haven't. I can't afford thirty-bob an hour. I did that from memory. That is women as I see them.
• Mrs. Crevatte; Oh! ... You poor man!

The abstract expressionist painting scene:

• Hancock:" It's worth 2000 quid of anybody's money that is!"

Bibliography

• Brotchie, Alistair & Irvin, Magnus - Encomia for Anthony Hancock: the Rebel (London Institute of Pataphysics), 2002 (ISBN 1900565307)

External Links

Walker, John. (1989) "The Rebel film - Tony Hancock" artdesigncafe. Retrieved 5 December 2011.