Diaries 1969-1979_ The Python Years - Michael Palin [331]
Fortunately I’m feeling in quite a relaxed and creative mood and have written enough by the time Basil arrives at midday to satisfy me on several of the more problematical areas of the book. Basil, in turn, seems to be enjoying the book a little more now, after what sounds like an horrendous working experience in LA. I’m glad that Basil agrees with me on the changes – which will involve a week’s more work, but which should still enable him to make the deadlines.
He and I leave in a cab at half past one. I to Paddington, Basil to go to the British Museum. Both of us, I think, rather pleased with ourselves.
Tuesday, April 10th
Drive out to Staverton Station. Heavy rain, maybe, but conditions exactly match those of March ioth (a month ago precisely), when we were last here. The shot in the train goes well. Smoking a cigar, leaning back on a soft, plush seat in a railway carriage made for Queen Victoria whilst being paid, filmed and drawn through pretty Devon villages by a steam engine is one of the perks of the job, I must say.
Back to London by half past ten.
Wednesday, April 11th
At 7.30 down to Soho for a viewing of Brian (this must be around the twentieth public viewing). Terry J, with a heavy cold and semi-flu, and I are the only Pythons. But, in a small audience, Barry Took (whom it’s reassuring to see, considering his part in the birth of Python) and Yves de Goldschmidt, our natty, suave, French distributor, who greets me very warmly with the news that Grail is still running in Paris.
‘Otto’ has been cut entirely from the movie for this showing. An enormous improvement. Tightens the impact of the film, confines it beneficially to the major characters without going off into extraneous areas.
Barry liked it and Goldschmidt says afterwards that he reckons it a much more intelligent film than the Grail – but posing many and greater problems for a translator.
Out to London Airport, which is delightfully empty, and meet Al Lev off the New York flight. I’ve taken along a couple of bottles of Penrhos porter, which we crack sitting in the Mini in Car Park 3.
Thursday, April 12th
To Robert Maas [accountant] for a meeting at two o’clock. Oxford Street and the main West End roads swollen with people. Pre-Easter influx I suppose.
Walk through Soho. Despite the crowds, I love its grotty eccentricity – the sex shops next door to the Chinese restaurants, the boiled duck looking very similar to the artistes on display in the strip clubs.
John Goldstone says the censor has been along to see Brian and reckons it would be an AA, and he liked it, but he is concerned about licensing a movie against which there could be legal proceedings. He is sure that the Festival of Light will try and use the blasphemy law (upheld in the Gay News case) to try and stop the film. Lord Justice Scarman’s judgement in the Gay News case1 gives them a ridiculously wide area to play with. JG wants to be sure of the church’s attitude and so does the censor.
Friday, April 13th
Nancy rings from NYC. Apart from wanting me to do another Saturday Night Live stint on May 12th, she says that the Yarns are due to air on May 6th. Following an interview with me which appeared in Publishers’ Weekly in the US, the op-ed page of the New York Times wants me to write a 750-word piece on the state of the English and the elections in particular. A nice little project to take on.
Tuesday, April 17th
I took Anne Henshaw, Jonathan,2 Al Levinson and Helen to Leith’s Restaurant for our thirteenth anniversary meal. With wine from vines just starting to bud when we got married at Abbotsley in April 1966 – and very good food – it set me back