The Punch and Judy Man

Made in 1963, two years after the memorable 'The Rebel’, this somewhat nostalgic comedy isn’t quite on par with its predecessor but certainly has its moments - in particular a riotous climax.

Here, 'the lad himself' is credited as script writer along with Philip Oakes. Writing a story or treatment is one thing but an actual shooting script is rather a different affair. Hancock plays Wally Pinner, a somewhat disillusioned Punch and Judy Man. You get a pretty good idea of where he's coming from at the film's beginning, as he converses with his wife, Delia (Sylvia Syms), in the kitchen above a seaside curio shop, which she runs. Although they reside in the fictional seaside town of Piltdown, the film was shot in Bognor Regis - just down the road from where Hancock spent his young days (this would have been an area that he would have been familiar with in more ways than one). Wally’s pitch is down on the beach where he works inside a makeshift puppet theatre with his partner Edward (Hugh Lloyd). Nearby we see another beach performer, Charles Arthur Ford (Hancock’s old pal John Le Mesurier), entertaining bystanders with a most unusual piece reciting the exploits of our old naval hero Lord Nelson, complete with life size sand dummies! Wally feels much at home in this environment and one gets the idea this isn't far from the way things were back then in such resorts.

As well as Charles Arthur Ford, seaside photographer Nevil Shanks (Mario Fabrizi) turns up as a cheeky seaside photographer - usually at the wrong moment. Despite their slight differences and comparatively minor fallouts, these men recognise each other in a sense they are a family; one that Wally is happy to be a member of. In contrast, Delia harbours ambitions to better her social status (and that of her husband, of course). Lo and behold, a golden opportunity arrives when the the wife of the Mayor (Ronald Fraser) pays a visit to Delia’s curio shop and asks her about the possibility of her husband's Punch and Judy show being performed at a big shindig being put on by her rather obnoxious husband. In addition, the event will be attended by posh Lady Caterham (Barbara Murray) who will make a speech (an insincere one, as it turns out) and officially switch on the town's lights to celebrate 40 years of Piltdown…

The event is also meant to showcase the local talent. Wally and Edward being among them (or so Delia assumes), she readily accepts on her husband’s behalf. However, when she informs Wally of the 'good' news, he is far from happy. If bettering your station in life means hobnobbing with the likes of the town mayor, his wife and the snooty Lady Caterham, then stuff it! However, Delia is his wife and she won’t give up nagging until Wally caves in. In between, there is a touching scene in an ice cream parlour where Wally takes a little boy who regularly frequents his show (“You left out the alligator”) and treats him to the Piltdown equivalent of a Knickerbocker Glory before taking the wee lad to the bus stop. Well, whatever that equivalent of a Knickerbocker Glory is meant to be, it’s enough to cause you stomach pains just looking at it, thanks to a mix of ice cream, biscuits, fruit, tons of whipped cream and topped with chocolate sauce. It would appear that Hancock actually ate the calorie bomb (well, one should be prepared to suffer for one's art).

As for the Mayor's big opening ceremony - you don't have to be the sharpest tool in the box to see where this will lead. Suffice to say, it all descends into utter chaos courtesy of Wally’s electric shaver causing an unintended mishap during the ceremonial switch-on of the lights, followed by a drunken guest heckling Punch (Wally) during the puppet performance, followed by a punch-up between Delia and Lady Caterham, followed by…

Here, Hancock is clearly making a point about the class divide and saw himself as an outsider. Like so many comics, he was consumed with self doubt. He could have been part of it but he didn't want to be. Sad really, as Tony Hancock was rather a unique one-off with whom 'the man in the street' could easily identify and laugh at. By the time the film was shot, the great Hancock's career was, to a fair extent, in decline and tragically, would culminate in his suicide five years later in a hotel room in Australia. It’s true that ‘The Punch and Judy Man’ can hardly compete with 'The Rebel' and it’s also nowhere near as funny despite stellar performances. The then young director Jeremy Summers did a very competent job and despite everything, Hancock is still Hancock.

Extras on this Blu-ray release:
New! Hard Knocks: Paul Merton on ‘The Punch and Judy Man’ / Excerpt from ABC Series HANCOCK'S HALF HOUR / Audio interview extract with Jeremy Summers / Blackpool Show: Season 1 Episode 7 (1966) / Behind the Scenes Stills Gallery / Theatrical trailer.