Although he was my least favourite Python (because of his whiney voice), Eric Idle made me laugh to my core on two distinctly different occasions.
Once was on a Radio 4 programme. He was asked to introduce a mythical group of guests to a society party.
'May I introduce
Mr and Mrs Fantsfootumbrellastand
And their daughter
Ella'.
The second time was in one of the best films I have ever seen, Terry Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
Reportedly, the film ran out of money due to Gilliam's wonderful excesses, and had to be drastically simplified. The sequence that makes me laugh so much is one where Idle's character is supposedly running round the world; all you see is his face as he puffs, pants, eyes popping and cheeks rapidly inflating and deflating, with a simultaneous expression of focus, determination and utter stupidity fixed on his face.
I love it!
I must watch that film again.
He really made me fall off the sofa onto the floor laughing when I was a kid, and The Spanish Inquisition episode was first shown. At the end someone says "I wasn't expecting the Spanish Inquisition", and the Inquisition are racing to the scene on a bus as the closing credits roll. Just as they're nearly there the credits end and the screen goes black. Followed (in my memory) by Eric's whiny exasperated voice saying "Oh, Bugger!"
ReplyDeleteHe does have a whiney voice and he looks like a slimey car salesman but he is funny. I think he was the Python who most wore brown. x
ReplyDelete