Universal's excellent two-movies-for-the-price-of-one series continues with this spiffing release of Tony Hancock's two feature films, The Rebel and The Punch and Judy Man.

And for fans of the great English comedian, is there need to say anything more? This is an indispensable disc for all lovers of British comedy in general, and of the boy from East-Cheam in particular. Mouth-wateringly delectable, in fact.

In The Rebel, Hancock has moved to Paris, to prove to the world that he is in fact The Great Artist. And suave art-dealer George Sanders agrees -- except there's a flaw in the pigment. The paintings Sanders is raving about are by Hancock's flatmate.

Script is by Alan Simpson and Ray Galton, who crafted the phenomenally successful radio series 'Hancock's Half-Hour', which created the Tony Hancock persona. So it's no surprise that this preserves, and enlarges upon, that familiar figure.

The Punch and Judy Man comes from other writers, and is a successful attempt to break away from the 'Tony Hancock' mould. But Hancock being Hancock, vestiges remain in this warm, very moving portrayal of a seaside Punch and Judy man battling bureaucracy and small-town snobbery.

These low-budget movies are lovingly crafted. The Rebel is a minor comedy classic, while The Punch and Judy Man is gentle and poignant -- wonderfully evocative of its age. Both movies comprise a lasting memorial to that tortured, melancholic genius, Tony Hancock, the man who died thinking he could never quite live up to, or break free from, the persona he and his writers had created.

The transfer of The Rebel is in fairly washed-out colour and shows quite some wear, but I don't think it worthwhile waiting for a better version of this movie -- the market is probably too small for Universal to seek out a better print or attempt a costly restoration.

The Punch and Judy Man is a black-and-white movie, in generally very adequate condition. Sound on both movies is serviceable for these dialogue-based movies.