Monty Python Speaks [Paperback]

David Morgan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1999

Monty Python, the genius comedy troupe from Britain, single-handedly revolutionized sketch comedy and paved the way for everything from Saturday Night Live to Austin Powers. Now, in their official oral history, founding members John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin take readers behind the scenes in this no-holds-barred look at their lives and unforgettable comic works like "The Spanish Inquisition," "Dead Parrot," Monty Python's Life of Brian, Monty Python and the Holy Grail (inspiration for the hit Broadway musical Spamalot), and many, many more, with never-before-seen photos and rare interviews from friends and collaborators.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Sensibly eschewing any attempt to emulate the inspired lunacy of Monty Python's Flying Circus, this excellent oral history offers instead a straightforward but fascinating peek behind the scenes. Extensive interviews with the team of madmen who created the legendary British television series and four feature films (except Graham Chapman, who died in 1989) give a vivid sense of the dynamic interplay of personalities that revolutionized contemporary comedy, disdaining punch lines and blackout skits in favor of something much weirder and more free-form. The writing duo of Cambridge grads Chapman and John Cleese favored confrontational, deliberately shocking pieces like the infamous Undertaker sketch ("I think we've got an eater!"). Oxford alums Terry Jones and Michael Palin took a more surreal approach to writing ("Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition"). And Eric Idle, who preferred to write alone, was the cheeky one ("nudge, nudge") as well as a respected sounding board for others' ideas. Terry Gilliam, the sole American, provided the wacky animation that gave the show its visual style. It was, as Gilliam remarks, "this amazing chemical balance... I don't think you could invent a group that would work better." All the Pythons are frank about personal and creative differences, making this a thoughtful assessment rather than a hagiography. --Wendy Smith

From Publishers Weekly

The Pythons and several key colleagues look back in a broad retrospective, presented in oral history format, that begins just before the 1969 premiere of Monty Python's Flying Circus, the landmark TV series, and follows the story into the troupe's movie years and beyond. More than anything else, the book reveals that the blend of anarchic themes, unconventional show structure and chaotic pace that defined Flying Circus was not the product of madcap rebels, but rather the result of hard work by ambitious craftsmen determined to reinvent a form. Fans will be disappointed to find few intimate looks at specific shows and skits. Comparisons of the Pythons' philosophical differences and writing styles are handled in broad strokes. Not until the discussion of the group's film work (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian, The Meaning of Life) will readers encounter specific accounts of clashing artistic attitudes: for instance, how an actor's director (Terry Jones) views production differently than a cinematographer's director (Gilliam), and how the other writers and actors (especially John Cleese) absolutely hated the tedious process of filming. By the time Morgan is done with Life of Brian, the philosophical battles are over, and the discussion consists of good and bad business decisions. Although the book is redundant at times, such clever mates can't help offering some insightful and entertaining perspectives on comedy writing, television and film.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: It Books; First Spike Edition, First Printing edition (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380804794
• ISBN-13: 978-0380804795
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #999,690 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Python Speaks tells the team's story in their own words, April 27, 2000

By 

Steven Bailey "Cinemaven" (Jacksonville Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Monty Python Speaks (Paperback)

Monty Python member Michael Palin says, "I think there's a danger in Pythons analyzing their own work. I think we shouldn't do it." Unfortunately for him, he and the other Pythons spend 315 pages doing just that, in a delightful new book titled MONTY PYTHON SPEAKS. For the uninitiated, here's a quick history. Monty Python is the collective name for a group of five Britons--Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin--and a transplanted American, Terry Gilliam. They are responsible for 45 of the funniest half-hours ever broadcast on television (in Britain beginning in 1969, America in 1974) and some equally inventive movies. Chapman died of cancer on the very eve of the group's twentieth anniversary--"Worst case of party-pooping I've ever seen," said Terry Jones.

For Python fanatics (I count myself among them), the new book is akin to the Holy Grail that the group sought in their infamous 1975 movie. The surviving group members and many of their associates are interviewed by David Morgan, and as befits their comedic style, the Pythons are quite open and frank about the group's highs and lows. Among the many illuminated topics and tidbits are:

* Graham Chapman's alcoholism, about which he was quite open himself. (While filming one of their movies, Michael Palin came across a half-empty bottle of gin belonging to Chapman. Palin had seen the bottle completely full earlier in the day.)

* Their first American TV appearance. It was on a 1972 "Tonight Show," where guest host Joey Bishop introduced them with the immortal line, "This is a comedy group from England. I hear they're supposed to be funny."

* Python didn't have a chance in America until a PBS station manager in Texas--"Dallas, of all places," says Cleese--took a chance on them. Friends of the station manager were afraid his station would get burned down.

* Their then-manager absconded with the funds from their 1980 appearance at the Hollywood Bowl. They made no money from the gig until they released their 1982 movie of the concert.

* When ABC-TV brutally edited three of their TV episodes for a 1975 special, the Pythons sued the network, on the grounds that they'd rather make less money than have someone else censoring their work.

The ABC incident points up two concrete truths about Python: (1) Like them or not, their particular world view is uncompromised, and their fans appreciate their honesty. (2) Said view shouldn't be left in the hands of people who just plain don't understand them. The people who would "sanitize" it are the same kind of people that Python's comedy satirizes.

But maybe I romanticize Python only because I grew up with it. I completely don't get the followings for "South Park" or THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, but I can still recite reams of Python dialogue. For others with similar bents, the new book is must reading.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good behind the scenes account, March 18, 2000

By 

Andy Orrock (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Monty Python Speaks (Paperback)

If your intent is to locate and memorize the word play of "The Dead Parrot" sketch and other classic Python routines, well you've come to the wrong place, squire! Instead, this book is an insightful account of how six very diverse personalities gelled to form one of the 20th century's greatest comedic ensembles.

I'll second the opinion offered by the California reader from Jan. 14, 2000 - this book is mainly about the Python writing process. In particular, it details the style and output of the 'Oxford team' (Jones and Palin) vs. the 'Cambridge team' (Cleese and Chapman). Then throw Idle's clever word play and Gilliam's revolutionary graphics into the mix. The book details how a side-splitting cohesive whole was formed from these disparate elements.

Like earlier reviewers, I'd like to see more on the post-Python careers. Terry Gilliam gets a fair shake with mentions of 'Brazil,' 'Jabberwocky,' and 'The Fisher King,' but the Cleese/Palin team gets short-changed with no mention at all about 'Fierce Creatures,' their under-rated 'Fish Called Wanda' follow-up.

Furthermore, as a fan of Michael Palin's BBC travelogues, it was disappointing not to get some snippets about some of those excellent works ('Around the World in 80 Days,' 'Pole to Pole,' etc.)

All in all, if you're a Python fan, this is a quick bit of enjoyable reading that will fill in and broaden your knowledge of the group.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine account - and there ARE new things to learn., January 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Monty Python Speaks (Paperback)

Having read several other accounts of Python's history - "Life of Python," "The First 20 Years of Monty Python," and "Life Before and After Monty Python" - I must disagree with some of the other comments on this site. This tome DOES offer some fresh insights into the inner workings of Python. Specifically, the group dynamic - and especially the dynamic between the two writing teams of Chapman/Cleese and Jones/Palin - is discussed in greater length than in previous books. The contributions of the late Graham Chapman are especially scrutinized, as the others reveal information surpressed until after his death. Plus, several anecdotes regarding on-set occurences pop up. True, Idle's comments are a bit cheekier and less illuminating than those of his cohorts, but Idle - always considered the most cutting and acerbic Python - is probably (and quite understandably) sick to death of talking about Python when he's done so much quality solo work. Again, the main reason to read this book is to learn more about the WRITING PROCESS of Python... and it's fascinating stuff. And, the writing was always what Python was primarily about. As they've said themselves, they were essentially a writer's collective which performed their own material as a defense against other performers mucking it up. A great read!