Another Python question: John Cleese

[DeRick]

George seemed to have a close relationshin with all the Python's, except maybe for John Cleese. Cleese wasnt even at The Concert for George. Did Cleese just not "mix" well with George or what?

[tristanjblythe]

Cleese does appear in quite a few Handmade Films - Privates on Parade and Time Bandits spring to mind. I've seen John C interviewed in which he says very nice things about him. I just don't think they became very close friends that's all.

Also I think this rather ignores the late Graham Chapman, who I don't think was that close to George either. He did go the Wings launch party and was drinking buddies with Ringo (through Keith Moon I believe) before they both quit.

I would say he just fell in more with the others. Eric Idle (who directed Crackerbox Palace video and obviously The Rutles) and Micheal Palin seem to have been closest to him (and Rutle/part-time Python Neil Innes too). The stories he and they tell tend to be about them (not Terry Jones even).

However I think all the Pythons and all the Beatles had respect/admiration for each other's work. In his autobiography Chapman refers to the first time he heard the Beatles as being very liberating and Palin has said the day the White Alum came out he did no writing work so as he could go out buy and listen to it over and over!

[DeRick]

I always thought that George should've had a hand in "A Fish Called Wanda" at least did the soundtrack. That movie was as close to "Python" as you could get. (that & "Splitting Heirs")
I'm not ignoring Graham, i was just wondering why Cleese wasn't at the Concert for George. I think i read somewhere even Graham was part of the "inner circle" with George, Eric Idle & co.
And i think Lennon & Harry Nilson was part of that "drinking crowd" as well along with Ringo, Graham & Moon.

[Berkeleyan]

Cleese is not the gregarious kind of person.
Regarding the Phytons: The Terries, Michael and Eric were always gregarious and friendly to fellow artists. NotJohn Cleese, who have always run away from sentimentality and emotions. Chapman was a book apart: had drinking problems and emotional ones also, because he was homossexual and acceptance of his life style was low in the 60's and 70's.