Diaries 1969-1979_ The Python Years - Michael Palin [246]
On a less romantic note, she showed me the splintered door frame which was nearly ripped from the wall when fifteen policemen burst in to search her bedroom for drugs.
Monday, August 29th
Watch repeat of Three Men in a Boat. It’s a beautifully and confidently created world. As Eric said when he rang me later, ‘Everything else seems like television.’ But I felt that it was a little too meditative, a little distanced, at times – if Frears had gone just a bit closer to the characters he might have given some substance to their strange friendship. Impressive, though.
Friday, September 2nd
A Python meeting at eleven to discuss what needs to be rewritten, if anything, on the Brian film script. Because the retyped version only became available yesterday, no-one’s had much chance to read it, so we fall to talking of dates, budgets, etc.
John and Eric have very little use, at the moment, for England. John says he’s made a resolution to stay away from England during January, February and March because the weather’s so awful. Eric, having nearly completed the Rutles, will be relaxing and recuperating for several months in the Caribbean.
Tunisia is decided upon for all the filming, so we set aside ten weeks – starting on April 10th (the nearest date after the end of this financial year). John wants to take a masseur, and thinks the whole unit could avail themselves of his services. Eric wants to have a chef specially for ourselves. John suggests only a five-day week (which I heartily agree with). Eric wants First Class travel everywhere, and so on.
Terry G is in France (just as well, for he would be unable to watch this spectacle without making a bit of noise!) and Terry J is very quiet.
I put my foot down over writing abroad in January and March as preparation for the film. My life is here in London, with my family. I love travel, but I love them more. However we agree to meet and write and read and rehearse in the West Indies in January. Even writing this shocks me with its self-indulgence. Is this really the best way to spend our money?
We part on good terms – the great thing about arguments over style is that they never really scratch the surface of our personal relations. We all know we need each other and we all agree to differ. But at least we vetoed a special chef for the actors – on the grounds that there should be good food for everybody.
So Python winds down until January 1978 in the West Indies.’See you next term,’ shouts Eric, as I disappear into the rain.
Monday, September 5th
To the BBC to look at ‘Moorstones’ and ‘Andes’, which are being previewed prior to tonight’s showing to an audience.
Horrified to find – not one minute into ‘Andes’ – that between them Hughes and Millichope have failed to leave sufficient background for the opening titles. Some ten seconds are missing. I really can’t believe that, after nearly a year, these shows are still not complete.
Fortunately Alan Bell, a PA who is in nominal charge of this evening’s audience recording, and Jim Franklin, who fortuitously pops in to see the preview, tackle the situation very coolly and we resign ourselves to some hasty editing before this evening.
To the Television Theatre in Shepherd’s Bush to check on the night’s recording. The audience watch the show on an Eidophor screen in black and white and on monitors above their heads in colour. Terry and I do a silly warm up and we kick off with ‘Across the Andes by Frog’. Not a great deal of laughter and, when it does come, it grates horribly against the laid-back atmosphere of the piece.
At the end, when I ask the audience how many would rather see these shows with the help of recorded laughter, or without, the withouts are in a three to one majority.
Tuesday, September 6th
Much telephonic activity over the shows. Go to the BBC at lunchtime to watch a playback,