Diaries 1969-1979_ The Python Years - Michael Palin [289]
Saturday, July 1st
A Python read-through at Anne’s. We begin by trying to do the quiz in the ‘Complete Monty Python’ fan book. The questions are incredibly hard, and the entire team scores only 60% – on our own material!
Read-through a little stilted to start with. Graham has a long list of suggestions and each scene is rather heavily post-mortemed. Then we suddenly find three hours have gone by and Terry J hurries us all through. The state of the script isn’t bad, but doubts are voiced about Judith’s role (by Terry G) and Brian’s. The usual arguments that they’re rather dull parts – and as soon as we start to work on the Brian/Judith relationship we lose the comedy.
Indecision still over the casting of Judith. Gwen is good, but I feel Judith needs to be tougher, stronger, more dangerous than Gwen could ever be. We need a stroppy feminist with a sense of humour to play the role.1
Tuesday, July 4th, The Bull Inn, Bethersden, Kent
‘Roger of the Raj’ shoot begins. Meet Richard Vernon and Joan Sanderson at breakfast as well as Jim and co.
Richard and Joan haven’t rehearsed together and it’s only when we’re in and sitting round the dining room table in this beautifully furnished Elizabethan manor house, with the sparks rigging the lights, that they have a chance to play the scene together. Joan tends to overplay, Richard to underplay, but they are both very willing listeners and extremely gentle, approachable folk.
Happy to be working again with this tight, efficient little unit and with the increasing feeling that the series now has acquired a much greater prestige than I thought (Joan Sanderson was telling me of its high reputation among ‘the profession’), I feel as easy, confident, optimistic and relaxed as I can ever remember on filming.
Friday, July 7th, Bethersden
The pattern of filming now well established. Up at a quarter to eight, down to breakfast (coffee and grapefruit juice only) at eight o’clock. Various ablutions and bodily functions, then a ten-minute drive through Kentish fields to High Halden and down the long avenue of trees that leads to Harbourne Hall.
Here we have ensconced ourselves comfortably. The BBC has taken over, installing wires and cables and new shutters and blinds on the windows and palm trees and Edwardian lamps and cane tables and chairs. This is India for two weeks.
Today is the Regimental Dinner, for which several actors, including John Le Mesurier, have been imported, and the dark back room in the servants’ quarters which houses Make-up and Wardrobe is overflowing.
John Le Mes, it transpires, is a great friend of Derek Taylor’s, and Derek, who was taking a short break over here from his irksome life in Warner Bros, LA, had reassured John Le Mes that he was a great fan of the Yarns. So maybe Derek was instrumental in securing John.
The scene works marvellously. All the performances are strong and first rehearsal brings the house down. Of course the volume of laughter never greets the scene again, as we plod through it during the day, but the actors work hard to keep the freshness, despite all the technical delays and waits.
John Le Mes wears his slippers for the last shot. He doesn’t drink any more now – after a bout of hepatitis – but chain-smokes instead. He looks physically frail, but his eyes are sharp, bright, lively and humorous.
Monday, July 10th, Bethersden
The last of our day shoots. From tomorrow until the end of the week we work all through the night.
Catch up a little today. But I feel that some of the ensemble work between Roger Brierley, Richard Vernon and Joan’s lacks something – some spark. It’s almost as though they’re finding it too easy. So I’m up and jumping around and giving hints and encouragements whenever I can.
Jim is very good here and lets me work with the actors as much as I like.
But I have the first feelings of