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The Great McGonagall (1974)William Topaz McGonagall, the world's greateset poet. Unfortunately the whole of the rest of the world disagreed. His talent made him a sort of Victorian Chris Evans but without the cash. Director:Joseph McGrath |
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Title: The Great McGonagall (1974)
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Cast
| Credited cast: | |||
| Spike Milligan | ... |
William McGonagall
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| Peter Sellers | ... | ||
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Julia Foster | ... |
Mrs. McGonagall
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| John Bluthal | ... |
Mr. Giles /
MacDuff /
Hercules Paint /
British Soldier /
Policeman /
McLain /
Sheriff /
Judge
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| Victor Spinetti | ... |
Mr. Stewart /
Second-Lieutenant Rotlo /
Supposed John Brown /
Gentleman /
Revolutionary /
Cardinal /
Policeman
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Valentine Dyall | ... |
Army Sergeant /
Lord Tennyson /
Doctor /
Native Messenger /
Policeman /
Fop
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Julian Chagrin | ... |
Prince Albert /
Rev. Gilfillan /
Publican /
Balmoral Policeman /
Stagehand /
Ruffian /
Mr Stewart's Assistant /
British Soldier /
Fop
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Clifton Jones | ... |
King Theebaw /
Policeman /
Clerk of the Court /
Mr Stewart's Assistant /
Zulu Chief /
Ruffian /
Fop
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Charlie Young Atom | ... |
Postman /
Policeman /
Sleeper in the Snow /
Theatre Announcer /
Drinker
(as Charlie Atom)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Luie Caballero | ... |
Man with parrot
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
The tale of an unemployed Scotsman, William McGonagall whose ambition was to become England's Poet Laureate. One minor drawback is that his poetry is terrible. Written by Steve Crook <steve@brainstorm.co.uk>
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Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
1974 (UK) See more »Also Known As:
El gran McGonagall See more »Filming Locations:
Wilton's Music Hall, Grace's Alley, Ensign Street, Whitechapel, London, England, UKCompany Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color (Eastmancolor)
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John Brown: No, everything is in working order.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
William Topaz McGonagall was, in fact, a real poet. He is considered the worst poet ever, and Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers read his poems to one another frequently. See more »Quotes
William McGonagall: Is anything worn under the kilt?John Brown: No, everything is in working order.
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McGonagall is presented as a believably bad poet - someone you could expect to outsell all other Scottish poets combined, simply because his work is so mind-bogglingly banal.
This is an extremely charming, outrageously funny and also tragic film. There is no doubt that some will not be able to tolerate the amount of pathos generated by a good and simple man (like Nathan in Steve Martin's "The Jerk") who just wanted to follow his heart and do his best in life.
McGonagall puts all his heart and soul into his renditions (each one beginning with blood-curdling moan) and yet he is mercilessly scoffed at by the cognoscenti.
McGonagall's fictional poems will haunt you for life, and you'll never be able to see a simple object like a cow or a bridge without being tempted to burst into a long "Ooooooooooooooh!". Peter Sellers also makes a charming brief appearance as Queen Victoria.