The Rebel

The Rebel

The Rebel (US title: Call Me Genius) is a 1961 satirical comedy film about the clash between bourgeois and bohemian cultures. Starring the British comedian Tony Hancock, it was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The film was made by Associated British Picture Corporation and distributed by Warner-Pathé (ABPC's distribution arm).

Plot
Hancock plays a disaffected 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, he sets to work on his supposed 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 to London, where he pursues his 'art' in defiance of whatever others may think of it.

Cast
Tony Hancock — Himself
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
Mervyn Johns — Manager of Art Gallery
Peter Bull — Manager of Art Gallery
Nanette Newman — Josey
Marie Burke — Madame Laurent
Oliver Reed — Artist in Cafe
Mario Fabrizi — Coffee Bar attendant
Bernard Rebel — Art dealer
 
Release date 2nd March 1961
Running time 105 minutes Colour

Wikipedia