The Secret Policeman's Ball (1979)

Director:

Roger Graef

Writer:

Billy Connolly (writer)

Release Date:

23 October 1980 (Australia)

Genre:

Comedy | Documentary

Plot:

A series of benefit concerts to raise money for Amnesty International. Performances include comedy skits...

Plot Keywords:

Amnesty International | Monty Python | Concert Film | Independent Film

Cast

Paul Abrahams	...	Himself (Piano Player)
Rowan Atkinson	...	Various Roles
Chris Beetles	...	Beetles and Buckman
Mike Brearley	...	Himself
Eleanor Bron	...	Various Roles
Rob Buckman	...	Beetles and Buckman
Ken Campbell	...	Himself
Suzanne Church	...	Herself
John Cleese	...	Himself - Various Roles
Billy Connolly	...	Himself
Peter Cook	...	Various Roles
Anna Ford	...	Herself
Clive James	...	Himself
Clive Jenkins	...	Himself
Sylvester McCoy	...	Himself
Michael Palin	...	Various Roles
David Rappaport	...	Himself / Various Roles
Tom Robinson	...	Himself
Marcel Steiner	...	Himself
Pete Townshend	...	Himself
John Williams

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:AA

Quotes:

Schoolmaster: All right, quiet. Ainsley. Babcock. Bland. Carthorse. Dint. Ellsworth-Beast Major. Ellsworth-Beast Minor. Fiat. German. Havenut. Haemoglobin. Jones M. Jones N. Kosygin. Loudhailer. Mattock. Nancyboy-Potter. Nibble.
[laughter]
Schoolmaster: I have a detention book. Orifice. Plectrum. Poise. Sediment. Soda. Taah. Taah? Under-Manager. Wicket. Williams-Wicket. Williams-Witcherley. Witcherley-Wicket. Witcherley-Williams. And Witcherley-Williams. Wocket. Zob. Hmmm, absent. All right, your essays...

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Zomergasten: (#18.3)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Won't get Fooled Again

Deserves to be carved in stone

It is perhaps a shame that Britain does not have something like the American Congress's official list of historically significant works of art. If there were, this show deserves framing as an iconic series of performances.

"The Secret Policeman's Ball" was the second benefit performance for the charity, Amnesty International. It followed the earlier "Pleasure at her Majesty's" in 1976. The Ball featured a most effective mix of old and new blood; from the old stable, several of the Pythons, Peter Cook at the height of his comic and satirical powers; from the new stable, Billy Connolly and Rowan Atkinson.

There were some old favourites among the acts (the "Four Yorkshiremen" and Python's "Cheese Shop"), but some of the new acts and sketches were inspired. In particular, Rowan Atkinson's sardonic "Schoolmaster", and Peter Cook's "Entirely a Matter for you", written specially for the occasion.

There is a minor musical landmark, with Pete Townsend (of the Who) reportedly forced to play acoustic rather than amplified for the first time in his life, alongside classical guitarist John Williams.

In later years, the subsequent Policeman's Balls were seen as a showcase for new talent with the result that several acts became over-the-top and hammed.