Jeremy Summers directs Tony Hancock, Sylvia Syms and Ronald Fraser in this British dramedy where a grumpy seaside entertainer struggles against polite society.

A curious film, made once Hancock had cut loose and shunned all his best collaborators, that found no love on release. I can see what he is trying to achieve and that is admirable. Ultimately, The Punch And Judy Man can’t quite shake loose from the expectations and format of what a British seaside comedy film from this era should be. There are pitch perfect moments of comedy amongst all the ennui but the longest sequence is quite enigmatic. A sad Hancock takes a lonely boy out of the rain and buys him an ice cream. The ice cream parlour owner takes an instant dislike against Hancock but not the boy. The serving and eating of the ice creams becomes a subtle, silent battle of wills told in shifting expressions and deliberate movements. It is a really amazing five or so minutes of misanthropic cinema. Truer than anything else in the film. I get the feeling if the whole movie was like this it would be hated even more.

6

Perfect Double Bill: The Rebel (1961)

You can follow me on Letterboxd here https://letterboxd.com/ValVerdeNights/