I wish to be a little silly today...
Monty Python's Flying Circus silly.
I loved the Pythons from the first viewing. Cleese, Chapman, Idle, Palin, Jones, and Gilliam represented the finest in British humor. The accents, the jokes (subtle and otherwise) I found addicting. A lot of people I know find MPFC stupid (of course) and unfunny. They are to be pitied. I would say much of my sense of humor can be attributed to long hours watching many of their shows over and over.
The troupe's way of keeping the viewer off guard was masterful. Rolling credits part-way through a skit or immediately running opening and closing credits one after the other, or Chapman coming in and stopping the action saying it had gotten too silly...you never quite knew what you were in for.
The characters portrayed by each member were all so perfect. Cleese as the Ministry Of Silly Walks employee...could you imagine anyone else doing this.
Ministry Of Silly Walks
Cleese and Palin in the riotous Dead Parrot Sketch...brilliant!
Dead Parrot Sketch
There are various stories as to how the name Monty Pythons Flying Circus came about but the brilliance of Gilliam's opening sequence for the show are undisputed. That alone was reason enough to watch.
The abrupt cutting from one scene to another and Cleese (usually dressed in a dinner suit and impersonating a radio announcer) walking into a sketch to announce, "And now for something completely different". Then off you'd go to...something completely different! It was high comedy and brilliant acting.
Their collaboration resulted in the following well-known sketches:
The Dead Parrot
The Lumberjack Song
Nudge Nudge
Spam
The Spanish Inquisition
Upper Class Twit Of The Year
Cheese Shop
Ministry Of Silly Walks
Naturally the jump to the big screen came...and
There were three real movies made by the Pythons:
Monty Python and The Holy Grail - a full lampoon of the times of King Arthur. The Black Knight, the clapping coconut shells for horse's hoof beats, the Knights who say Ni:
Monty Python and The Life Of Brian -A religious lampoon of the New Testament.
Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life - sort of a birth through death journey. It was the darkest humor and most violent endeavor. The group claimed to want to "offend everyone" with this film.
As with all good things the group went their separate ways. Cleese and Palin did several movies together and Cleese wrote and starred in the film A Fish Called Wanda. Chapman died in 1989. In a 2005 poll of the UK to find the top 50 comedians, Cleese was voted #2, Idle #21 and Palin #30.
If you have never visited the lunacy that is Monty Python please add that to your list of things to do before you die...
This has been something completely different...tomorrow is the Big O!
14 comments:
Ah, I LOVE Monty Python. I watched the movies as a teenager, and from there sought out the TV show. My favourite was always the argument sketch.
Preaching to the converted, here, Chuck! Many's the day you'd walk into school and everyone would be talking about the Monty Python programme that had aired the previous evening! ;-)
Of course, the precursors to MP were shows like 'That Was The Week That Was' and even earlier - the GOONS!
I was raised on these (on the occasions my uncle was press-ganged into baby-sitting us kids we were 'forced' to listen to Goon Show stuf on his old 78's!) - in fact, they were attributed to be among the first people to create the national 'in' joke!
My own kids, now in their mid-twenties, were regularly exposed to the Goons as children - to the extent that even now if one of them starts a line then the entire episode will invariably be re-enacted!
Back to MP - my favourite sketch is hard to choose, but possibly this is a front runner!
Thanks for the trek down memory lane that your post inspire today, Chuck!
;-)
Hi Chuck .. I couldn't get them for ages!! Now they just make me hoot - and the first one with the amazing Heath Robinson factory take with Dali thrown in .. is just brilliant.
All their shows are very clever .. the Dead Parrot as ever .. and Silly Walks ..
Great reminder .. thanks and excellent M - for Monty Python .. cheers Hilary
I love Monty Python. I have The Holy Grail and The Meaning of Life, but I still gotta get the Flying Circus.
Also, as soon as I started reading this I was hoping that you would mention the Dead Parrot Sketch.
Great post!
I'm going to have to refute your claim, Chuck. The Cheese Shop and Upper Class Twit of the Year sketches aren't that well known (although they should be).
Feel free to disagree with me, though. After all, I came here for an argument.
"They are to be pitied" - hilarious!
Dead Parrot and Cheese Shop are two of my favorite sketches.
I love Cleese by have never watched Python. Always too scared it will too gruesome. But the clips are hilarious.
I love Monty Python! You know, he even did some business management classes.
I know, right? Can you imagine how creative they were? Very memorable!
Stephanie: I would argue that is not your favorite sketch and you're just saying that to tee me off!
Sue: How could I forget about the Four Yorshiremen...I know two guys at work that always have to top what anyone is saying and I always break into, "we had to get out of the shoebox in the middle of the road and lick the road clean with our tongues." In full British accent of course...and then just walk away. They never get it and I laugh and laugh and laugh. Thanks for reminding me...I had to watch it immediately.
Hilary: They were just the best at the time...and Benny Hill!
Chiz: The Dead Parrot never ever gets old...well my wife leaves the room when I watch it or quote from it...but it never gets old for ME!!!
Nate: Well I don't think that's an argument at all, you're just saying the opposite of what I said.
Alex: They are to be pitied you know.
Clarissa: You have to check out the Argument Clinic sketch...no violence (unless you pay for it). And Cleese is stellar in it.
Donna: I must ask, "he who?"
I had to comment on this post! Life of Brian is a work of genius. Out of the series the Spanish Inquisition is probably my fave (maybe having seen the Dead Parrot too many times). It's amazing how people walk around now saying "I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition", yet some have no idea where it came from!
Nick: I love the Spanish Inqusition. Whenever I hear someone say, "hey, come on this isn't the Spanish Inqusition"...I always reply, "no expects the the Spanish Inqusition!" Some get it some don't...sort of a Monty Python barometer.
I fart in your general direction!
I LOVED (and still do) Monty Python. I always thought it was by far the best thing on TV back then. I never understood why some people just didn't get it...
great post Chuck!
I kinda grew up watching these guys - well when my Mum was out, 'cos she didn't like them or find them funny but my Dad was a fan.
Life of Brian is my favourite though.
I can still quote endless lines from that film.
From now on I want you all to call me Loretta...
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