Eric Idle Movies
The "matinee idol" of the motley Monty Python crew, Eric Idle attended Cambridge University, where he served as president of the Footlights Revue. Idle's fellow college troupers included future Pythonites John Cleese and Graham Chapman. After getting his start on such TV series as Do Not Adjust Your Set and The Frost Report, Idle served as performer and co-writer for the zany weekly series Monty Python's Flying Circus. He remained a loyal Python throughout the group's many film, TV-special and book projects. On his own, Idle has co-starred in such films as The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989), Nuns on the Run (1990), Mom and Dad Save the World (1992), and Casper (1995). One of his best screen showings was his sidesplitting bit as an accident-prone cyclist in National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985). Among Idle's contributions to American television was his star turn as snobbish ghost Grant Pritchard in the 1989 comedy/fantasy series Nearly Departed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1969
This first episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus originally aired October 5, 1969. The host of "It's Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart" showcases the deaths of famous historical characters -- and one squealing pig. On "It's the Arts," emcee Tim interviews film director Sir Edward "Eddie Baby" Ross and composer Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson. The English win WWII with the help of The Deadliest Joke in the World. And Pablo Picasso bicycles along the Guilford Bypass. Billed as guest stars were Python cartoonist Terry Gilliam (later a full-fledged regular) and Carol Cleveland. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
In one of several sketches in this early Python episode, two Frenchmen with berets discuss the commercial feasibility of flying sheep. The host of "And Now for Something Completely Different" interviews Arthur Frampton, the man with three buttocks. A performance by Arthur Ewing and His 23 Musical Mice is followed by a lively marriage counseling session (cowboy regalia optional). A wrestling match is staged to determine God's existence. And "The World Around Us" offers a hard-hitting expose of The Mouse Problem. "Sex and Violence" originally aired in England on October 12, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
The first tree to be recognized from quite a long way away is the Larch -- Harold Larch, who, after being hauled into court on a parking offense, summons Cardinal Richelieu as a character witness. Bicycle Repairman once more comes to the rescue. A children's fairy tale segues into a litany of sexual perversion. A diner complains about a dirty fork, and it's a good thing he didn't mention the dirty knife. A milkman pays the price for lustful desire. Anchorman Michael Queen comes to "The End of the News." And Norm asks a stranger about his wife, wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more, say no more. Originally titled "Bunn, Wackett, Buzzard, Stubble and Boot," this episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus was originally telecast October 19, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
After a guitar rendition of "Jerusalem" at the Cardiff Rooms in Libya, an art critic joins Marge and Janet in lunching on a few masterpieces. A bather performs a striptease, much to the dismay of the Colonel. A Sergeant-Major demonstrates the proper self-defense techniques when dealing with an assailant armed with fruit. A tobacconist and a bookseller are enmeshed in international intrigue when the former asks for a copy of "An Illustrated History of False Teeth." And Arthur Lemming of the British Dental Association makes a surprise appearance. Carol Cleveland, Dick Vosburgh, and Katya Wyeth are featured on "Owl-Stretching Time," which first aired October 26, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
The sketch comedy series At Last the 1948 Show was the first big break for rising young British comedians and friends Marty Feldman (Igor in Young Frankenstein), Tim Brooke-Taylor, and future Monty Python's Flying Circus writer/performers John Cleese and Graham Chapman. Prior to the show, they had worked at local comedy clubs and had written and acted in The Frost Report. The show was executive produced by David Frost and aired on the ITV network for two runs of six and then seven episodes in 1967. Described by Brooke-Taylor as a combination of the cutting edge satirical stage revue Beyond the Fringe and British music hall, the show's sketches work within conventional structures and strive for a high degree of professionalism in both writing and performance. The most popular and well-known sketch is "The Four Yorkshiremen," later adapted by Monty Python, where a group of middle-aged businessmen brag about their ridiculously awful childhoods. The sketches are connected by short bits starring Aimi Macdonald, who plays a carelessly vain and occasionally cruel showgirl. Eric Idle made several appearances in bit parts. The Python troupe would essentially be formed from the creative minds behind At Last the 1948 Show and a popular children's sketch comedy series from the same period, Do Not Adjust Your Set. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Browne, John Cleese, (more)
You've seen the Disney classic, now experience the tale of Alice in Wonderland as never before in this live-action adaptation of the timeless tale from the BBC and director Jonathan Miller. Capturing all of the menace and wonder of Lewis Carroll's age-old classic while injecting the story with a pinch of subversive Victorian gothic satire, this surreal updating of the children's fantasy classic features an all-star cast including Sir Michael Redgrave, Sir John Gielgud, Leo McKern, Peter Cook, Peter Sellers, and Alan Bennett. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne-Marie Mallik
