Diaries 1969-1979_ The Python Years - Michael Palin [318]
Ronnie Eyre, a theatre director who recently completed an epic series on world religions called The Long Search, thought the film funny and important. He felt the script was at most points saying things and making thought-provoking observations – only occasionally, as in the Pilate’s Wife raid scene, did it become one-dimensional.
Michael Rudman, looking, if possible, younger than when he was at Oxford fifteen years ago, said he only saw five films a year, but felt that this was going to be a big success. Jim Beach was greatly impressed – especially with Pilate – and I received many flattering remarks about my various hammy performances. Humphrey Barclay was full of praise and Michael Peacock,1 who didn’t like the haggling sequence because of its lack of urgency and wasn’t keen on Otto, thought both script and performance were on the whole stronger than the Grail. He also thought Terry’s direction was better than the Grail.
Saturday, January 13th
Terry J rang from a dubbing theatre at half past nine and, as in a call yesterday, referred to his paranoiac feeling of being ‘ganged up’ on by Julian and others at Neal’s Yard during the editing. Terry G and Julian had sat together at the viewing and at a meeting afterwards Terry G had demolished all of the work Terry J had done.
Purposely try to avoid taking sides with either Terry. It won’t help. Terry J must just be allowed to work as uninterruptedly as possible in order to make the film ready for the January 19th viewing. In a way TJ’s call was a cry for help and support and I said I was prepared to go in and look at any edited film if it will help to get things ready any faster – but if it’s merely to help TJ make a point, I said I felt that may be a waste of time at this stage.
Rachel’s birthday party got under way at 3.30. Six or seven children. Alison brought Sally. They are at the age when a party is still very exciting and quite a new experience. Willy helped to entertain them – playing monsters in a very avuncular fashion. At one point I saw him leading them all upstairs for a puppet show. But within five minutes they were down again, leaving Willy sadly reflecting that only Sally Jones had really wanted to watch.
Wednesday, January 17th
J Goldstone tells me that the Warner Brothers chief – John Calley – is very enthusiastic about the movie, thinks it could be one of the greatest comedies ever, but the only part they all seemed to find offensive was Graham’s brief protestation, after his mother tells him he’s the illegitimate son of a Roman, that he’s a ‘Hebe, a Kike, a Hooknose, a Yid, a Red Sea Pedestrian and proud of it!’ Memorable words, written almost a year ago to the day by TJ and myself in Barbados, and now the only section of this deeply controversial film which offends every member of Warner Brothers1 Board of Directors!
It’s still sleeting as I drive out to the BBC. The dull, harsh, uncomfortable weather seems to reflect the spirit of the times. More people are on strike at the moment than at any time since February 1974, when Heath confronted the miners and the country was put on a three day week.
I still regard the strikes and the disruptions that seem to hit British industry so severely every now and then as a healthy sign. A sign that there are people out there, amongst the computers and the rationalisations, concerned to defend their quality of life by shouting out in indignation rather than submitting Claim Form No. 478B to be heard at the Arbitration Committee’s Headquarters by some faceless civil servant in eight months1 time.
But there are still plenty of instances of the most wasteful and debilitating lack of personal trust and co-operation. The rail strikes this week seem to be a prime example. The two rail unions, ASLEF and the NUR, hate each other, with the result that, whilst many of the country’s road hauliers are on strike, the railways,