The Rebel (1961 film)

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

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Hancock plays as a downtrodden London office clerk who gives up his office job to become an abstract artist. Single mindedly and with enthusiasm far exceeding any artistic talent, he sets to work on his masterpiece Aphrodite at the Waterhole, moving to Paris where he expects his genius will be appreciated. Critics scorn his work but he manages to gain success when someones else's work becomes confused with his own. However, the confusion is eventually discovered after a series of art exhibitions, and he returns, down but not out, to London.

The film explores existentialist themes by mocking Parisian intellectual society in general and portraying the pretensions of the English lower 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, who possibly did not understand the highly anglocentric humour.

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

The film's plot bears some similarities to the Hancock's Half Hour radio episode "The Poetry Society" (also written by Galton and Simpson), in which Hancock's character attempts to ingratiate himself with a group of snobbish pseudo-intellectuals but is rejected because he is unable to imitate their pretentious poetic style.