British Comedy Guide

The Rebel or The Punch and Judy Man? Page 2

Quote: Billy Bunter @ 24th August 2020, 10:41 PM

And it had the advantage of being filmed in Bognor Regis.

I understand Hancock wanted it to be filmed in his "home" of Bournemouth

Both great fruit. One an apple, the other an orange. I always thought of them as alternate dimensions, both possible outcomes for what The Lad might have done with his life. ????

I wanted to watch this movie , but I didn't dare , now I'm sure I want to watch it!!!

Quote: JosephSmith @ 4th November 2020, 11:57 AM

I wanted to watch this movie , but I didn't dare , now I'm sure I want to watch it!!!

Dare? ..................Enjoy ;) My favourite is The Punch and Judy Man. Never tire of it.

The Lad and John Le Mez sitting in his "shed" on the beach taking tea is sheer delight. :)

Ah Choices Choices as a die Ancock fan it's something of a invidious choice as I love both of them, and am really loathed to differenciate between them.
They are two totally different movies and should really be appreciated as such, and in their different ways have their own appeal.

I have both as a box set bought for me as a pressie by son Jamie, of a much younger generation and not having seen any of the TV episodes let alone heard the radio ones.
For him the Rebel was easier to get into and enjoy than the Punch And Judy Man, which he can never relate to in the same way as me. And current generations like his look on Punch and Judy shows, in a totally different manner.

Punch and Judy Man is on TPTV now.

Yes I watched it at all for once. Interesting more than riveting for me, but definitely interesting, with its setting and his pairing with his mate Le Mes. It seems to me Hancock had some say in the scripting or direction of this one because there's a fair bit of him doing his trademark mugging to camera, as a sort of aside to the rest of the film; the drawn out ice cream eating scene being a case in point, imo an unnecessary drag on an already ponderous narrative (But by today's standards rather than its own days).

Also a lot of his inverted snobbery in this film, which hid a real desire to be grandiose himself. I don't want to get too film poncy, but I suspect the slow pacing and long drawn out scoping may have been a comedic spoof of Felini-like neo realism. ? Sorry. It just had that feel to it, and the camerawork was quite good, could be another reason why this was in b&w? Would be interesting to read up on this in fact.

Quote: Billy Bunter @ 24th August 2020, 10:41 PM

And it had the advantage of being filmed in Bognor Regis.

Are you sure? I've never seen sand at Bognor but Bournemouth is famous for it, I didn't see a single pebble in the beach scenes.

Quote: lofthouse @ 13th September 2019, 7:12 PM

no redeeming qualities what so ever

No, far from it, I'd say it's a bit of a treasure for Hancockians. As imperfect as it is.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 28th November 2020, 9:02 AM

No, far from it, I'd say it's a bit of a treasure for Hancockians.

Amen to that - love it.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 28th November 2020, 8:53 AM

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Are you sure? I've never seen sand at Bognor but Bournemouth is famous for it, I didn't see a single pebble in the beach scenes.

Ah yes, I just read that excellent article from your link, ta. It is Bognor, must be a bit I've never been to. So he met Wood, his fired producer/director but not G&S, that would've been interesting because they would almost certainly have referenced that at some point later. Arguably the greatest mistake in British showbiz, and as he said, a catastrophic one for AH. This film does have a real melancholy about it as well. It shows his new artistic freedom (evidently to have the camera dwell on him more) just made the film look loosely handled, slow and self indulgent.

After the film The Rebel Hancock wanted to do something that was more personal to him related to his own upbringing.
If you read the blurb on the back of the DVD sleeve this film is based on a screenplay by Tony Hancock and Philip Oakes.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 28th November 2020, 8:53 AM

Are you sure? I've never seen sand at Bognor but Bournemouth is famous for it, I didn't see a single pebble in the beach scenes.

There is a blue plaque outside the Royal Norfolk Hotel in Bognor commemorating Tony Hancock staying there while making the film. There's also a pub called Punch & Judy but I'm not sure that that has anything to do with the film.

Watched The Rebel again the other day and my admiration of it was undimmed. Particularly impressed with Hancock's acting in this, there's few actors other than the likes of Clint Eastwood whose face alone can hold a long lingering camera shot, but Hancock's face was made for it. Such a shame we didn't see more colour film of his expressive mush.

His trademark mannerisms shone out, I thought much more than in TPAJM as did his nervous energy. In Punch & Judy Man he looked tired to me and seemed a million miles away from the woman who played his wife. I don't think it being in b&w helped, it does tend to dull and depress tones and expressions a bit.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 14th December 2020, 12:39 AM

I don't think it being in b&w helped.........................................

Not for me. The reverse in fact, as it added to the period feel of the film. Even if some twat colourised it, I would still watch it in Black and White.

For example, L&H would be ghastly in colour.

Quote: Billy Bunter @ 28th November 2020, 7:26 PM

There is a blue plaque outside the Royal Norfolk Hotel in Bognor commemorating Tony Hancock staying there while making the film.

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