December 5, 2012

"Palin Rejects 'Seventh Python' Claim in Court Case."

That's Michael Palin... testifying in a case about whether the producer of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" deserves a share of the profits from "Spamalot," the Broadway show based on the movie.
Of [Mark] Forstater, Palin said: "He was not the creator of the film. The film had been created by the Python team entirely. Mark was not part of our team."...

[Eric] Idle and [Terry] Jones, who sat at the back of the small, modern courtroom in central London, occasionally chuckled at what was being said, but mostly Idle had his eyes closed and Jones could not resist a yawn.
How do you know he couldn't resist?

24 comments:

Strelnikov said...

Are we sure the entire trial isn't just a Python skit?

Scott M said...

How do you know he couldn't resist?

He's famous for being able to resist yawning.

Bob Ellison said...

It wasn't the seventh python. It was the fifth beatle.

rehajm said...

Are we sure the entire trial isn't just a Python skit?

I'd like to have an argument please...

Wince said...

Not gill-cup!

"You have been found 'Not gill-cup' of the charges against you and may leave the court a free man."

("No, no, no. Don't be silly. How can you find someone 'not Esther Williams'?")

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Forstater should see some coin if it was his fault they couldn't afford real horses.

ricpic said...

A producer has nothing to do with the creation of a film?

Ann Althouse said...

"A producer has nothing to do with the creation of a film?"

Seems extreme, but depends on what you mean by "creation."

Note that the movie was directed by Terry Gilliam (one of the original 7).

This should have all been nailed down in contracts.

MisterBuddwing said...

And, of course, when producer Samuel Goldwyn was asked by a reporter, "When William Wyler made 'Wuthering Heights'..." Goldwyn snapped back, "*I* made 'Wuthering Heights - Wyler only directed it."

Interesting, Professor, how you went out of your way to say, "That's *Michael* Palin." When I see the name "Palin" and "Monty Python" in the same sentence, I know exactly who's being referred to - Sarah Palin didn't cross my mind until I read the entry a second time.

BaltoHvar said...

No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!!

'fraid all the quotes and quoters 'll come out here...

Shawn Levasseur said...

Has Cardinal Richelieu been called to testify yet?

Strelnikov said...

"I'd like to have an argument please..."

No, you don't. You're merely contradicting me.

Shawn Levasseur said...

"No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!!",

True, but the Spamish Repetition should be coming along any time now.

CWJ said...

Yes Ann, ideally this should all have been covered in contracts. I agree. But.

Would a broadway musical spin-off of a movie have been anticipated in the 70s when Grail was made? Back then that particular street ran one-way in the other direction, I believe.

OTOH, Forstater made Holy Grail. Someone else made Spamalot. I think Forstater has every legal claim to the movie; extending that to the musical seems a stretch.

kimsch said...

# Including the majestik møøse
# A Møøse once bit my sister...
# No realli! She was Karving her initials on the møøse with the sharpened end of an interspace tøøthbrush given her by Svenge - her brother-in-law - an Oslo dentist and star of many Norwegian møvies: "The Høt Hands of an Oslo Dentist", "Fillings of Passion", "The Huge Mølars of Horst Nordfink"...
# We apologise for the fault in the subtitles. Those responsible have been sacked.
# Mynd you, møøse bites Kan be pretty nasti...
# We apologise again for the fault in the subtitles. Those responsible for sacking the people who have just been sacked have been sacked.
# Møøse trained by YUTTE HERMSGERVØRDENBRØTBØRDA
# Special Møøse Effects OLAF PROT Møøse Costumes SIGGI CHURCHILL
# Møøse Choreographed by HORST PROT III Miss Taylor's Møøses by HENGST DOUGLAS-HOME Møøse trained to mix concrete and sign complicated insurance forms by JURGEN WIGG
# Møøses' noses wiped by BJØRN IRKESTØM-SLATER WALKER Large møøse on the left hand side of the screen
in the third scene from the end, given a thorough grounding in Latin, French and "O" Level Geography by BO BENN Suggestive poses for the Møøse suggested by VIC ROTTER Antler-care by LIV THATCHER
# The directors of the firm hired to continue the credits after the other people had been sacked, wish it to be known that they have just been sacked. The credits have been completed in an entirely different style at great expense and at the last minute.

sakredkow said...

I'm more of a Firesign Theatre kind of guy.

Methadras said...

How do you know he couldn't resist?

Because nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.

Rich Rostrom said...

Because yawns are irresistable.

"The Autocrat of Russia is the most powerful man in the world, but he cannot stop a sneeze." -- Mark Twain.

SeanF said...

The complaint about "couldn't resist" is a bit pedantic, isn't it? I mean, presumably he didn't resist.

On the other hand, speaking of being pedantic:

MisterBuddwing: Interesting, Professor, how you went out of your way to say, "That's *Michael* Palin." When I see the name "Palin" and "Monty Python" in the same sentence, I know exactly who's being referred to

This would be a valid comment if she had put "Palin" and "Monty Python" in the same sentence before specifying which Palin - but she didn't.

:)

Wince said...

phx said...
I'm more of a Firesign Theatre kind of guy.

So's Rush Limbaugh.

Astro said...

But more to the point: What does Andrew Sullivan think?


/Yeah, I really don't care either.

Paul Brinkley said...

The seventh Python, the fifth Beatle, and the second gunman walk into a bar...

BaltoHvar said...

You guys know there was a 5th Beatle, right? Who was also a sixth 'Stone.

No fair Googling...

Have guess -

With respect to George who was involved in a number of Python shenanigans, including the greatest "Mock-umentary" of all time pre-dating Spinal Tap by about 5 years: The Rutles.

Sam L. said...

Dank you, kimsch! Mooses are mein peoples. Llamas mek me schnEEEEEEZE!

Expecting the Spanish Inquisition since 1972, and have the MP t-shirt what sez it!