And Now for Something Completely Different (1971)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Ian MacNaughton

Writers:

Graham Chapman (screen foreplay & conception) &
John Cleese (screen foreplay & conception) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 August 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

An anthology of Monty Python's best sketches from their 1st & 2nd seasons of their original TV show.

Plot Keywords:

Monty Python | Lumberjack | Blackmail | Dead Parrot | Twit

Cast

Graham Chapman	...	Brother / British pedestrian / Mr. Harrison (Apricot) / Sergeant-Major / 'Hell's Grannies' policeman / Jimmy Blankensop / Sir Edward Ross / Restaurant patron #1 / Letter Writer / Oliver St. John Mollusk
John Cleese	...	Announcer / Hungarian Man / Self-Defence Teacher / Sir George Head / Policeman / Interviewer / Mr. Praline / Second General / Christopher Columbus / Mungo the Cook / Bank Robber / Accountant #2 (falling past the window) / Vocational Guidance Counselor / Vivian Smith Smythe Smith
Terry Gilliam	...	Self-defence nun / Flasher / Uncle Sam / Caterpillar man / Sign holder
Eric Idle	...	Prosecutor / Marriage Counselor / Arthur Nudge / Self-defence student #4 (interested in pointed sticks) / 'Hell's Grannies' analyst / Arthur Wilson / Arthur Wilson Two / Nightclub Emcee / Linkman / First General / Restaurant Manager / Lingerie Shop Owner / Accountant #1 (falling past the window) / Fairy Godmother / Rita Fairbanks / Simon Zinc Trumpet Harris
Terry Jones	...	Stage Manager / Tobacconist / 2nd Hungarian Man / Squire / Self-defence student #3 / Tenant #1 / Flasher / Mouse Organist Ken Ewing / Fat Soldier / Waiter / Nude Organist / Brian / Nigel Incubator Jones
Michael Palin	...	Man with tape recorder / Phrasebook Author / Arthur Pewtey / Self-defence student #2 / Tenant #2 / Lost His Wallet / Shrill Petrol Announcer / Milkman / Ernest Scribbler / Bevis (pet shop employee / lumberjack) / Headwaiter Gilberto / Herbert Anchovy / Gervais Brookhamster
Carol Cleveland	...	Dierdre Pewtey / Storyteller / Milkman Collector / Restaurant Patron #2 / Elsbeth
Connie Booth	...	Best Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Neville Chamberlain	...	Himself (with Munich Accord) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Winston Churchill	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Adolf Hitler	...	Himself (speech to RAD, from T.d.W.) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Lesley Judd	...	Distraught Mother (uncredited)
King George VI	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Richard Nixon	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother	...	Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Ian MacNaughton

Writing credits
Graham Chapman		(screen foreplay & conception) &
John Cleese		(screen foreplay & conception) &
Terry Gilliam		(screen foreplay & conception) &
Eric Idle		(screen foreplay & conception) &
Terry Jones		(screen foreplay & conception) &
Michael Palin		(screen foreplay & conception)

Produced by
Patricia Casey	....	producer
Victor Lownes	....	executive producer
David Gil	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Douglas Gamley		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
David Muir		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Thom Noble

Art Direction by
Colin Grimes

Makeup Department
Ivy Emmerton	....	hairdresser
Jimmy Evans	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Kevin Francis	....	production manager
Tim Hampton	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Douglas Hermes	....	assistant director (as Doug Hermes)

Art Department
Bob Hedges	....	property master
Leo Mason	....	construction manager
Tony Noble	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
John Brommage	....	sound mixer
Terry Poulton	....	dubbing editor
Dennis Berry	....	sound supervisor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John Horton	....	special effects consultant

Camera and Electrical Department
Brian Grainger	....	camera operator
Douglas Webb	....	still photographs
Nobby Cross	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Roy Rodhouse	....	best boy (uncredited)

Animation Department
Terry Gilliam	....	animator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ken Lewington	....	costumes

Editorial Department
Pepita Fairfax	....	assistant film editor

Other crew
Zelda Barron	....	continuity
Jack Hawtree	....	production accountant
Sally Pardo	....	production secretary (as Sally Hyman)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Kettledrum / Lownes Productions
• Kettledrum Films (as A Kettledrum Production)
• Playboy Productions (presents)
• Python (Monty) Pictures (as A Python Productions Film)

Distributors

• Carlotta Films (2003) (France) (theatrical)
• Cine-Studio (1984) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Coline (1974) (France) (theatrical)
• José Frade Producciones Cinematográficas S.A. (1990) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Outsider Diffusion (1994) (France) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• Rosenbergs Filmbyrå (1978) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Sherlock Media S.L. (1999) (Spain) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• Carlotta Films (????) (France) (DVD)
• Columbia Pictures (1972) (USA)
• Columbia TriStar (video)
• DNC Home Entertainment (????) (Italy) (video)
• Future Film (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Transvídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Bob Godfrey Films Ltd.  animations photographed by (as Bob Godfrey Films)
• Dark Star  publicity: France (re-issue: 2003) (uncredited)
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Monty Python's And Now for Something Completely Different (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Finland:K-3 (new rating: 2001) | France:U | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG | Finland:K-10 | Iceland:L | Sweden:11 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Shot between the first and second seasons of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" (1969), this film contains several sketches that had been written for the second season but not yet performed, including the "Hungarian Phrasebook" sketch.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the mountaineer sketch, Eric Idle clearly breaks character and suppresses laughter when John Cleese reads from the dictionary.

Quotes:

Self-Defense teacher: Now, it's quite simple to deal with a banana fiend. First, you force him to drop the banana. Then, you eat the banana, thus disarming him. You have now rendered him helpless!
Self-Defense student #2: Suppose he's got a bunch?
Self-Defense teacher: SHUT UP!
Self-Defense student #4: Suppose he's got a pointed stick?
Self-Defense teacher: ...SHUT UP!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Destroy All Humans! 2 (2006) (VG)

Soundtrack:

The Lumberjack Song

supremely silly skits

Monty Python used this collection of sketches from their first and second TV series (re-packaged and staged again) to break into the American market. A gamble, but a successful one.

All the greats are here – Parrot Sketch, Dirty Fork, Hell's Grannies, Fresh Fruit Self Defence, Marriage Guidance – and more besides. The animated links, specially created for the movie, are funny and well put-together: and new versions of Killer Cars and the story of the Spot are excellent. In many cases the film versions of the sketches outshine those in the TV series and are more memorable, particularly those which first appeared in series 1.

This is a very good introduction to the team and a strong reminder of their early work for the BBC.