Diaries 1969-1979_ The Python Years - Michael Palin [195]
8.30: Limousine arrives, pack the cases and the best journey of all begins – out to Kennedy, with Alan Price’s ‘O Lucky Man’ score playing on the cassette, with a kind of appropriateness. I had seen the hard side of New York today, the constant pressure to say something, to stand up in case people don’t recognise you. That’s the trouble with the city, that’s why it’s unrelaxing – because of the fear that if you sit down and relax for half an hour everyone will forget who you are.
Monday, May 10th
Last twelve months have been the driest since records began in 1727. Drought conditions near in some parts of the country. Cathy Gib took it all very seriously and was going around putting bricks in the cisterns.
TG and Maggie come round in the evening – talk of Jabberwocky. It may now be largely shot in Chepstow and Pembroke Castles and far less in Shepperton Studios than originally expected. I approve. Arthur Lowe wants to be in it, but Iain Cuthbertson has said no.
Monday, May 17th
Began a Ripping Yarn script about a Northern family, but was only able to work on it for about an hour, then a series of prolonged phone calls.
With Helen to the Academy, where we saw Spirit of the Beehive, a beautifully photographed, unpretentious, unspectacular, gentle Spanish film by Victor Erice. Delightful and satisfying. And afterwards Piero kept his restaurant upstairs specially open for the two of us (even the guitarist came back and played for ten minutes!) – superb meal. Piero has achieved a consistent excellence at the Pavilion, which has never let us down.1
Wednesday, May 19th
The weather’s cooled down perceptibly. Writing easier and actually I make a good start on a First World War Ripping Yarn set in a prison camp.
Down to 14 Neal’s Yard, which is, since last Monday, the leasehold property of Messrs Palin, Doyle and Gilliam. We discuss how the buildings will be used. André and the studio are settled and it’s looking good. He could have builders in on Monday.
Home around 8.00. Watched Liverpool win UEFA Cup Final at Bruges.
Thursday, May 20th, Sheffield
Caught 13.05 from King’s Cross for the opening night of Their Finest Hours.1 Arrive at the Crucible about 7.15. Jill Foster is there and we meet Norman Yardley and his wife as well. Yardley, a childhood cricketing hero,2 is gentle and genial and his wife, a bright attractive lady, is nice to us as well
As soon as Underwood starts I know we’ll be alright – the audience warm instantly to the situation, the cast play it impeccably, the pace sustains and so do the laughs, coming with a volume and consistency which I just didn’t expect. The whole of Underwood works like a gem, including the ending, when an entire cricket team walks through and the mother rises up to the strains of the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’. Came out feeling almost tearful with emotion and gratitude to David Leland and the cast.
Buchanan was slower, but the effect of the boxed-in cast worked superbly. Clarity a problem, but much, much better performance from Philip Jackson as the Italian – he was splendid – and Julian Hough hardly missed a laugh as the Frenchman. Again the audience reaction sustained well, apart from a morose, fidgety lady, who finally left half-way through Buchanan and was, I heard later, the Guardian critic!
Friday, May 21st, Sheffield
Woke up in the small hours with a dream of awful reviews. Terry had had exactly the same dream!
At 7.30 a knock on the door – a cup of tea, The Times and the Morning Telegraph. Nothing in The Times, but I hardly expected it – but Paul Allen in the Morning Telegraph gives us a useful and quite charitable review. He was impressed with the experiment with the boxes, and also said there