And Now for Something Completely Different (1971)

Director:

Ian MacNaughton

Writers:

Graham Chapman (screen foreplay & conception) &
John Cleese (screen foreplay & conception) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 August 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

An anthology of Monty Python's best sketches from their 1st & 2nd seasons of their original TV show.

Plot Keywords:

Monty Python | Dead Parrot | Song | Twit | Lumberjack

Cast

Graham Chapman	...	Brother / British pedestrian / Mr. Harrison (Apricot) / Sergeant-Major / 'Hell's Grannies' policeman / Jimmy Blankensop / Sir Edward Ross / Restaurant patron #1 / Letter Writer / Oliver St. John Mollusk / Mountie / Town Guild Lady
John Cleese	...	Announcer / Hungarian Man / Self-Defence Teacher / Sir George Head / Policeman / Interviewer / Mr. Praline / Second General / Christopher Columbus / Mungo the Cook / Bank Robber / Accountant #2 (falling past the window) / Vocational Guidance Counselor / Vivian Smith Smythe Smith / Mountie / Town Guild Lady
Terry Gilliam	...	Self-defence nun / Flasher / Uncle Sam / Caterpillar man / Sign holder
Eric Idle	...	Prosecutor / Marriage Counselor / Arthur Nudge / Self-defence student #4 (interested in pointed sticks) / 'Hell's Grannies' analyst / Arthur Wilson / Arthur Wilson Two / Nightclub Emcee / Linkman / First General / Restaurant Manager / Lingerie Shop Owner / Accountant #1 (falling past the window) / Fairy Godmother / Rita Fairbanks / Simon Zinc Trumpet Harris / Mountie / Lady With Cookbook
Terry Jones	...	Stage Manager / Tobacconist / 2nd Hungarian Man / Squire / Self-defence student #3 / Tenant #1 / Flasher / Mouse Organist Ken Ewing / Fat Soldier / Waiter / Nude Organist / Brian / Nigel Incubator Jones
Michael Palin	...	Man with tape recorder / Phrasebook Author / Arthur Pewtey / Self-defence student #2 / Tenant #2 / Lost His Wallet / Shrill Petrol Announcer / Milkman / Ernest Scribbler / Bevis (pet shop employee / lumberjack) / Headwaiter Gilberto / Herbert Anchovy / Gervais Brookhamster / Town Guild Lady
Carol Cleveland	...	Dierdre Pewtey / Storyteller / Milkman Collector / Restaurant Patron #2 / Elsbeth
Connie Booth	...	Best Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Neville Chamberlain	...	Himself - with Munich Accord (archive footage) (uncredited)
Winston Churchill	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Adolf Hitler	...	Himself - Speech to RAD, from T.d.W. (archive footage) (uncredited)
Lesley Judd	...	Distraught Mother (uncredited)
King George VI	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Richard Nixon	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother	...	Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Ian MacNaughton

Writing credits
Graham Chapman		(screen foreplay & conception) &
John Cleese		(screen foreplay & conception) &
Terry Gilliam		(screen foreplay & conception) &
Eric Idle		(screen foreplay & conception) &
Terry Jones		(screen foreplay & conception) &
Michael Palin		(screen foreplay & conception)

Produced by
Patricia Casey	....	producer
Victor Lownes	....	executive producer
David Gil	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Douglas Gamley		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
David Muir		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Thom Noble

Art Direction by
Colin Grimes

Makeup Department
Ivy Emmerton	....	hairdresser
Jimmy Evans	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Kevin Francis	....	production manager
Tim Hampton	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Douglas Hermes	....	assistant director (as Doug Hermes)

Art Department
Bob Hedges	....	property master
Leo Mason	....	construction manager
Tony Noble	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
John Brommage	....	sound mixer
Terry Poulton	....	dubbing editor
Dennis Berry	....	sound supervisor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John Horton	....	special effects consultant

Camera and Electrical Department
Brian Grainger	....	camera operator
Douglas Webb	....	still photographs
Nobby Cross	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Roy Rodhouse	....	best boy (uncredited)

Animation Department
Terry Gilliam	....	animator
Bob Godfrey	....	animation photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ken Lewington	....	costumes

Editorial Department
Pepita Fairfax	....	assistant film editor

Other crew
Zelda Barron	....	continuity
Graham Chapman	....	presenter (as Monty Python)
John Cleese	....	presenter (as Monty Python)
Terry Gilliam	....	presenter (as Monty Python)
Jack Hawtree	....	production accountant
Eric Idle	....	presenter (as Monty Python)
Terry Jones	....	presenter (as Monty Python)
Michael Palin	....	presenter (as Monty Python)
Sally Pardo	....	production secretary (as Sally Hyman)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Playboy Productions (presents)
• Kettledrum Films (as A Kettledrum Production)
• Python (Monty) Pictures (as A Python Productions Film)
• Kettledrum / Lownes Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• Coline (1974) (France) (theatrical)
• Rosenbergs Filmbyrå (1978) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• José Frade Producciones Cinematográficas S.A. (1990) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Cine-Studio (1984) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Sherlock Media S.L. (1999) (Spain) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Outsider Diffusion (1994) (France) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• Carlotta Films (2003) (France) (theatrical)
• Future Film (1996) (Finland) (video)
• Atlantic Film (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Carlotta Films (????) (France) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (video)
• DNC Home Entertainment (????) (Italy) (video)
• Njutafilms (2010) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Transvídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Bob Godfrey Films  animations photographed by
• Dark Star  publicity: France (re-issue: 2003) (uncredited)
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-10 (original rating) (1984) | Iceland:L | Sweden:11 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Netherlands:16 | Finland:K-3 (new rating) (1996) | France:U | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

An obstacle course in the "Upper Class Twit of the Year" scene has the competitors jumping over matchboxes. Vivian Smith-Smythe-Smith is the only one who "refuses" (doesn't jump). In the series, Nigel Incubator-Jones was the one to refuse.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the animation following the "People falling out of tall buildings" sketch, when the caterpillar walks into his house and climbs into the bed the door to the bedroom is still open. Once the caterpillar falls asleep and the camera fades out, when the camera fades back into him, the door is now closed.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Announcer:In this picture, there are forty-seven people. None of them can be seen. In this film, we hope to show you how not to be seen. This is Mr E.R. Bradshaw of Napier Court, Black Lion Road, London, SE14. He cannot be seen. Now I'm going to ask him to stand up. Mr Bradshaw, will you stand up, please?
[Mr Bradshaw stands up and is shot]
Announcer:This demonstrates the value of not being seen.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Special Collector's Edition: Comparativa: La vida de Brian (#1.13)" (2010)

Soundtrack:

Swing-A-Day

An introduction to Britain's famous comedy team.

Being Monty Python's first film that had a theatrical release, it's something completely different. And Now for Something Completely Different is the best of Python's gags from their TV show, "Monty Python's Flying Circus," a fine introduction to their humor. Some of their famous skits are here, including The Lumberjack Song, the dead parrot, Twit of the Year, and the World's Deadliest Joke. Wacky short animations connect the skits together. And in this film, you'll also learn the importance of not being seen.

Grade: 8/10 Rating: PG (crude humor, innuendo, sensuality, nudity, language, violence)