John Cleese On Monty Python
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This week in the U.K. sees the launch of The Pythons Autobiography by the Pythons, told in the words of the participants. It ranges through the back history of Cleese, Palin, Idle, Chapman, Jones and Gilliam. In today's Daily Express (British Newspaper) John Cleese is interviewed by John Walsh. I have edited the interview to include mainly the paragraphs about the Pythons. He also talks about his ranch in America, his daughter Camilla and his writing amongst other things, but no mention of Q or James Bond.
Though each of the Pythons told their life stories for the book, they haven't been together in a while. They keep in touch by e-mail rather than physical presence. "I had lunch with Michael Palin about three months ago. He's now in the Himalaya's, doing his latest travel programme. Terry Gilliam I tried to have lunch with 12 weeks ago, but he was off to London that day. Jonesy is doing a series of programmes about medieval England, and I've chatted to him now and again. I haven't seen Eric Idle in a very long time. He's been writing songs for a musical of Holy Grail."
"We don't often sit down in the same room together, but the last time we did, we laughed so much - we laugh more when we're together than with anybody else. It's so pleasing that that's still the case."
That left only Graham Chapman, who is sadly beyond the reach of e-mail, having died of cancer in 1989. His shadow hovers over the Babel of voices, not just because his own contributions are included seemingly from beyond the grave (courtesy of his writings and previous Python histories), but because he is the great Python casualty, an outsider in the group, whose contributions became more problematic as his drinking worsened and he struggled to confront his homosexuality. In the book, Cleese calls his former writing partner "emotionally disconnected", and recalls embarassing three hour silences that routinely fell between them.
"I was genuinely fond of him, but the longer the relationship went on, there was a lot I just didn't know - say, twelve thirteenths of the iceberg."
The book ends on an elegiac note when, during the making of The Meaning Of Life, Cleese decided that he'd had enough. "We couldn't figure out what the film was about, what the core idea was...I just thought, I don't wan't to do this anymore. I'd reached the point where I wanted to make my own mistakes, not other people's."
By that stage, Fawlty Towers was being hailed as the greatest sitcom in the history of the world, and he didn't need the Python's any longer. And with that, he took his leave of the British comic stage. "I wanted to move on a bit. I was always watching to see if some competition was coming up, and it used to surprise me how little competition there was."
Cleese shyly admits that he will be back soon on comic TV, in an unlikely setting. "I'm going to do some Will & Grace, partly because I like the show so much - I watch it with my daughter, it's her favourite show - and partly because it's directed by Jimmy Burrows, the only TV director I've ever worked with whom I'd seriously call a genius."
Though each of the Pythons told their life stories for the book, they haven't been together in a while. They keep in touch by e-mail rather than physical presence. "I had lunch with Michael Palin about three months ago. He's now in the Himalaya's, doing his latest travel programme. Terry Gilliam I tried to have lunch with 12 weeks ago, but he was off to London that day. Jonesy is doing a series of programmes about medieval England, and I've chatted to him now and again. I haven't seen Eric Idle in a very long time. He's been writing songs for a musical of Holy Grail."
"We don't often sit down in the same room together, but the last time we did, we laughed so much - we laugh more when we're together than with anybody else. It's so pleasing that that's still the case."
That left only Graham Chapman, who is sadly beyond the reach of e-mail, having died of cancer in 1989. His shadow hovers over the Babel of voices, not just because his own contributions are included seemingly from beyond the grave (courtesy of his writings and previous Python histories), but because he is the great Python casualty, an outsider in the group, whose contributions became more problematic as his drinking worsened and he struggled to confront his homosexuality. In the book, Cleese calls his former writing partner "emotionally disconnected", and recalls embarassing three hour silences that routinely fell between them.
"I was genuinely fond of him, but the longer the relationship went on, there was a lot I just didn't know - say, twelve thirteenths of the iceberg."
The book ends on an elegiac note when, during the making of The Meaning Of Life, Cleese decided that he'd had enough. "We couldn't figure out what the film was about, what the core idea was...I just thought, I don't wan't to do this anymore. I'd reached the point where I wanted to make my own mistakes, not other people's."
By that stage, Fawlty Towers was being hailed as the greatest sitcom in the history of the world, and he didn't need the Python's any longer. And with that, he took his leave of the British comic stage. "I wanted to move on a bit. I was always watching to see if some competition was coming up, and it used to surprise me how little competition there was."
Cleese shyly admits that he will be back soon on comic TV, in an unlikely setting. "I'm going to do some Will & Grace, partly because I like the show so much - I watch it with my daughter, it's her favourite show - and partly because it's directed by Jimmy Burrows, the only TV director I've ever worked with whom I'd seriously call a genius."
Comments
Anyone else think he's a comic genius?
Michael Palin, the best character comedic actor... A performer very much in the Peter Sellers vain, actually.
Eric Idle, the noisiest, most talented musically, and most English in my opinion. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, nudge, nudge. A favorite!
Graham Chapman, arguably the best actor of the group, and unfortunately the one who wasted his talent (bad choices, I guess). A reall loony, the only real Monty Python, in a way.
Terry Jones, the most underrated, yet equally important comedian. Director of Life of Brian, that alone elevates his importance for the group... Not to mention he himself was Mr. Creosote...
And Terry Gilliam... The American. Well, I must say he is the weirdest of the group, in a way, but every bit a Monty Python as the rest. I believe, while Jones is a better comedian actor, Gilliam has proven to be quite a visionary, in the Tim Burton motif. The Permanent Insurence short film, Twelve Monkeys (a favorite) and, most of all, Brazil, clearly showcase, that he is every good a good director as others in his class, like Tim Burton.
Whats saddest is, apart from John Cleese, the others have vanished. Idle, of course, has success with the Python musical Spamalot, and Jones and Palin are doing TV with programs that attract a different medium. Gilliam directs what he wants, struggling at that, and Chapman, well, waits 'till ressurection for the up and coming Python re-union. I just wish they did more movies, on their own, showcasing and starring even, in their own movies. Cleese did that with Wanda, and Idle almost did it with Splitting Heirs.
Do you imagine what would Harry Potter be today, had Gilliam been assigned to direct the first? Or if, as first suggestions were, Michael Palin or Eric Idle played the Brad Pitt character in Twelve Monkeys?
Well?
Um, that's not exactly vanishing is it?
While the late Graham Chapter never quite matched his Python work before his death, Palin, Jones, Gilliam and Idle have all had equally successful careers as Cleese.
In fact they have all equally benefited and suffered from the association with Python. If anything Gilliam's stunning cadre of films have elevated him somewhat, but all have never escaped that ex-Python tag; Cleese included.
My cousins turned me onto Monty Python when I was in 7th grade. I watched it on local public TV every Sunday night. I own the complete collection of TV series, movies and audio CDs---there is nothing in my library more life-affirming.
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
I guess their tour de force has to be Life of Brian.
"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy"
I wish they did a James Bond parody movie, in some sort... What would THAT have been like?
A damn lot better than Casino Royale probably!
I don't think they would have ever done one though, anyway, I'm happy enough with the films they did do!
Who could've played the Bond parody? Chapman again?