Studiocanal has brought to DVD and Blu-ray the 1961 film starring Tony Hancock, The Rebel.
The film was restored by Network in 2021, now released as part of Studiocanal‘s Vintage Classics Collection. Written by long-time Hancock writers, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, it co-stars Irene Handl, Paul Massie and George Sanders.
The Rebel was Tony Hancock’s first feature film, following success in radio and television comedy.
The Story…
Tony Hancock is a frustrated office worker, whom we find barely containing his disdain for the daily routine in an entertaining opening sequence. This is a good start: it sets the mood for the film. It lets us know that we can expect well-observed and inoffensive, lightly curmudgeonly humour. Galton and Simpson draw character types so well. We know exactly who each of the people he encounters are and what their function in the story is. In the beginning, we see the routine and drudgery of every element of getting to his job and the way every one of his colleagues acts and operates in exactly the same way as each other.
As this sequence fades out into the next phase, we find out that Hancock is the rebel of the title, as he tries to act out in tiny ways. He hangs his umbrella the opposite way to everyone else: his boss, played by John Le Mesurier corrects this, silently and deliberately, restoring order and balance to a very clinical world. The set design here is clever as it ensures we are aware just how sterile and staid his work life is: the office in which Hancock works with a row full of other employees is large and empty but for desks. The work takes place in a vacuum, removed from influence and distraction.
Hancock begins sketching his supervisor in his ledger, instead of continuing his work at an adding machine. We quickly learn from this that he is dissatisfied. When he is confronted by his boss, he explodes at him with the pent-up resentment at how unfulfilled he feels by his work. His great passion and ambition is art.
When he goes home, he meets more opposition to this in the form of his landlady, Mrs Crevatte (Irene Handl). In his room, he begins work on his sculpture, entitled “Aphrodite at the Waterhole”. The noise perturbs Mrs Crevatte, causing her to confront him, criticising his paintings and sculpture. Ultimately, the sculpture falls through the floor and into her room below. Hancock decides he should take himself and his art to France where it might be appreciated. On the way, careless handling on the train and at the docks destroys his sculpture, but he continues to Paris, undeterred.
Once there, he finds a fellow artist, Paul (Paul Massie), who offers him board and begins introducing him to the trendy arts community in Paris. Although we, as the audience, can see that Tony’s paintings are rudimentary and somewhat child-like, Paul and his bohemian artist friends all clamour over his work. Paul even becomes disillusioned about his own talents, believing Tony has a far greater grasp of expression than he. The audience can see that Paul is very talented, however.
After some months, Paul decides to leave Paris and pursue a more ordered job in England. Meanwhile, the buzz about Hancock’s talents reaches the ears of an art agent, Sir Charles Broward (George Sanders). When he visits Tony at the studio he had formerly shared with Paul, he is enamoured by Paul’s work. Given no chance to explain that the paintings Sir Charles likes are not his own, he is quickly embroiled in a case of mistaken identity. He initially embraces this, but it soon begins to fall apart.
My Impressions…
The film is cleverly designed so that most of the sets and costumes in the London scenes are drab and uninteresting when compared with the vibrancy of the world that Tony increasingly inhabits once he reaches Paris. This means we can identify with Tony as it becomes obvious how much at home he feels among artists in a land which seems to embrace everything that is important to him.
Although written by Galton and Simpson, this does not feel merely like an extra-curricular adventure for the established Tony Hancock character as written by them for the BBC radio and television comedy series Hancock’s Half Hour. The version of the character as written and portrayed here feels geared to the subject matter. While the familiar conceit is prevalent here, there is not much more in terms of personality traits which can be linked with the previous iterations of the Hancock character. There is enough familiarity to make Tony Hancock’s own audience comfortable. But enjoyment of The Rebel is by no means limited to fans of Galton, Simpson and Hancock’s previous collaborations.
The impressive cast list is almost a little misleading, as many of the talented comedy performers are conspicuous by the fleeting nature of their appearances. Actors such as Liz Fraser, Dennis Price and John Le Mesurier are afforded little more than cameos. While Irene Handl is given more scope and screen time, she is one performer who I am always left wanting more of at the end of any film in which she appears.
There is no mistaking that this film is a Tony Hancock vehicle. However, it is well enough observed and drawn to stand up on its own merit, rather than hanging solely on its star. Also, Hancock himself has a chance to flex his acting muscles a little. He is not limited to a set of tropes which have been carefully mapped out over several series of a sitcom. Instead, he is able to bring a little more nuance to a different version of what is admittedly a similar type of role.
Although there is a moral dilemma in the story, it is satisfying to see the conclusion of how the character resolves it. There is a certain amount of futility, but also a pleasing completeness, to the character’s journey through the events of the film.
I must give special mention to the artwork on the box. The image is a still from a particular scene in the film. A brightly coloured motif in the style of paint splashes contributes an attractive vividness and the theme of art. Coupled with the calming aqua-teal background, this is a very pleasing, appealing image. The idea of Tony Hancock behind the curtain is also very clever: it feels as if we are being invited to find out what is inside.
Picture Quality…
The visual quality is superb. It is so bright and fresh-looking. However, the integrity of its era still remains. The colour palette and the lighting place The Rebel firmly in the early 1960s. This is pleasing, without being distracting.
Extra Features…
The bonus material on this release includes:
- An Irrepressible Streak: Paul Merton on The Rebel
- A Definitive Comedian: Diane Morgan on Tony Hancock
- Commentary with comedian Paul Merton, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson
- Theatrical trailer
In Conclusion…
The Rebel speaks well of every participant. There are pleasing turns from many well-known faces: even a young Oliver Reed. Tony Hancock, “off the leash” in a sense, accomplishes a compelling and sympathetic performance. Galton and Simpson have written a sometimes silly, whimsical story which nevertheless also has heart and laughs along the way. The film is not rip-roaringly funny, but it is fun, amusing, entertaining and satisfying. The set designs and cinematography provide warmth and vibrance.
The Rebel thoroughly deserved its restoration in 2021. It is excellent to see it become an addition to the Vintage Classics collection from Studiocanal on Blu-ray and DVD.
The Rebel is available for pre-order on Blu-ray and DVD ahead of its release on 3rd March 2025.
The Rebel
£14.99
