Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Directors:

Terry Gilliam
Terry Jones

Writers:

Graham Chapman (written by) &
John Cleese (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

10 May 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy

Tagline:

Makes Ben Hur look like an Epic

Plot:

King Arthur and his knights embark on a low-budget search for the Grail, encountering many very silly obstacles.

Plot Keywords:

Knight | Castle | King Arthur | Holy Grail | Camelot

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Graham Chapman	...	King Arthur / Voice of God / Middle Head / Hiccoughing Guard
John Cleese	...	Second Swallow-Savvy Guard / The Black Knight / Peasant 3 / Sir Lancelot, the Brave / Taunting French Guard / Tim the Enchanter
Eric Idle	...	Dead Collector / Peasant 1 / Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir Launcelot / First Swamp Castle Guard / Concorde / Roger the Shrubber / Brother Maynard
Terry Gilliam	...	Patsy / Green Knight / Old Man from scene 24 (Bridgekeeper) / Sir Bors / Animator / Gorrilla Hand
Terry Jones	...	Dennis's Mother / Sir Bedevere / Left Head / Voice of Cartoon Scribe / Prince Herbert
Michael Palin	...	First Swallow-Savvy Guard / Dennis / Peasant 2 / Right Head / Sir Galahad the Pure / Narrator / King of Swamp Castle / Brother Maynard's Brother / Leader of The Knights who say NI!
Connie Booth	...	The Witch
Carol Cleveland	...	Zoot / Dingo
Neil Innes	...	First Monk / Singing Minstrel / Page Crushed by the Rabbit / Peasant #4
Bee Duffell	...	Old Crone
John Young	...	Dead Body / Historian Frank
Rita Davies	...	Historian's Wife
Avril Stewart	...	Dr. Piglet
Sally Kinghorn	...	Dr. Winston
Mark Zycon	...	Prisoner
Elspeth Cameron	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Mitsuko Forstater	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Sandy Johnson	...	Knight of Ni / Villager at Witch Burning / Musician at Wedding / Monk / Knight in Battle
Sandy Rose	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Romilly Squire	...	Musician at Wedding / Villager at Witch Burning
Joni Flynn	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Alison Walker	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Loraine Ward	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Anna Lanski	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Sally Coombe	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Vivienne MacDonald	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Yvonne Dick	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Daphne Darling	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Fiona Gordon	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Gloria Graham	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Judy Lams	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Tracy Sneddon	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Sylvia Taylor	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Joyce Pollner	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
Mary Allen	...	Girl in Castle Anthrax
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Julian Doyle	...	Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Charles Knode	...	Camp Guard / One of Robin's Minstrels (uncredited)
Zack Matalon	...	Guard who falls into barrels (uncredited)
William Palin	...	Sir Not-Appearing-in-this-Film (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tom Raeburn	...	Guard Eating Apple (uncredited)
Roy Forge Smith	...	Inspector End of Film (uncredited)
Maggie Weston	...	Page turner (hand only) (uncredited)

Directed by
Terry Gilliam
Terry Jones

Writing credits
Graham Chapman		(written by) &
John Cleese		(written by) &
Eric Idle		(written by) &
Terry Gilliam		(written by) &
Terry Jones		(written by) &
Michael Palin		(written by)

Produced by
Mark Forstater	....	producer
John Goldstone	....	executive producer
Michael White	....	producer

Cinematography by
Terry Bedford		(lighting cameraman)

Film Editing by
John Hackney

Production Design by
Roy Forge Smith		(as Roy Smith)

Costume Design by
Hazel Pethig

Makeup Department
Pam Luke	....	makeup artist
Pearl Rashbass	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Julian Doyle	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gerry Harrison	....	assistant director

Art Department
Graham Bullock	....	painter
Roy Cannon	....	property man
Nobby Clark	....	carpenter
Philip Cowlam	....	assistant art director
Bob Devine	....	carpenter
Bill Harman	....	construction manager
Mike Kennedy	....	property man
Tom Raeburn	....	property master
Jim N. Savery	....	stagehand
Charles Torbett	....	property master (as Charlie Torbett)
Brian Winterborn	....	property buyer
Terry Gilliam	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Philip Chubb	....	sound maintenance
Ian Crafford	....	sound effects
Bob Doyle	....	sound assistant (as Robert Doyle)
John Foster	....	dubbing editor
Godfrey Kirby	....	boom swinger
Garth Marshall	....	sound recordist
Hugh Strain	....	sound mixer
Campbell Askew	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Jean-Raphaël Dedieu	....	sound effects editor (2001 theatrical re-release) (uncredited)
Nicolas Gaster	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Valerie Charlton	....	special effects model maker
John Horton	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Julian Doyle	....	special effects photography

Camera and Electrical Department
Howard Atherton	....	camera operator
Ray Hall	....	camera grip
Kent Houston	....	camera operator: rostrum camera
Terry Hunt	....	chargehand electrician
Roger Pratt	....	assistant camera
Ed Sullivan	....	rigger
John Wellard	....	camera focus

Animation Department
Lucinda Cowell	....	assistant animator
Kate Hepburn	....	assistant animator
Terry Gilliam	....	animator (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Campbell Askew	....	assistant editor (as Alexander Campbell Askew)
Nicolas Gaster	....	assistant editor (as Nick Gaster)
Danielle Kochavi	....	assistant editor
John Mister	....	assistant editor
Brian Peachey	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Brian Brockwell	....	accountant
Penny Eyles	....	continuity
Leo Kharibian	....	choreographer
John Waller	....	fight director
John Waller	....	period consultant
Christine Watt	....	production secretary
Richard Burton	....	double: Black Knight (uncredited)
Mark Zycon	....	double: Eric Idle (uncredited)

Thanks
Gary Cooper	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Michael White Productions
• National Film Trustee Company
• Python (Monty) Pictures
• Twickenham Film Studios (technical completion)

Distributors

• EMI Films (1975) (UK) (theatrical)
• Rainbow Releasing (2001) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema 5 Distributing (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1977) (USA) (TV)
• Lauren Films Video Hogar S.A. (1990) (Spain) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Creative Exposure (2001) (Canada) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Manga Films (2001) (Spain) (DVD)
• Sony Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Ambassador Film Distributors (1975) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (????) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (????) (UK) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Pan-Canadian Video Presentations (198?) (Canada) (video)
• Rainbow Releasing
• VTI Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Andrew Ritchie & Son Ltd.  lighting
• Budget Rent-a-Car Ltd.  vehicles
• De Wolfe Music  stock music
• Ron Hellard Ltd.  catering
• Telefilm Lighting Services Ltd.  lighting

Also Known As:

Mønti Pythøn ik den Høli Gräilen (International: English title) (subtitle)
Los caballeros de la mesa cuadrada (Argentina) (Spain) (short title) [es]
Monty Pythons galna värld (Finland: Swedish title) (Sweden) [sv]
Die Ritter der Kokosnuß (West Germany) [de]
Gyalog galopp (Hungary) [hu]
Los caballeros de la mesa cuadrada y sus locos seguidores (Spain) [es]
Monty Python (Italy) [it]
Monty Python a svatý grál (Czech Republic) [cs]
Monty Python e o Cálice Sagrado (Portugal) [pt]
Monty Python em Busca do Cálice Sagrado (Brazil) [pt]
Monty Python i swiety graal (Poland) [pl]
Monty Python og de skøre riddere (Denmark) [da]
Monty Python og ridderne av det runde bord (Norway) [no]
Monty Python sacré graal! (France) [fr]
Monty Python, sacré graal (France) [fr]
Monty Pythonin hullu maailma (Finland) [fi]
Oi ippotes tis eleeinis trapezis (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
To adelfato ton ippoton tis eleeinis trapezis (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French | Latin

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (2001 re-release) | Mono (original release)

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (re-rating) (2001) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (original rating) | Portugal:M/12 | UK:15 (video rating: 1988) | Brazil:18 | Argentina:Atp | UK:12 (re-rating) (2006) | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | New Zealand:M | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-16 | Iceland:L | Ireland:15 | Norway:16 (original rating) | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Appin, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK

Company:

Michael White Productions

Trivia:

In an auction of movie costumes in March 2007, the helmet worm by Sir Bedevere (Terry Jones) sold for $29,000, more than ten times the original estimate.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the witch-burning scene, John Cleese and Eric Idle barely restrain genuine laughter.

Quotes:

[first lines]
King Arthur: Whoa, there!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bloodline (2008/I)

Soundtrack:

Big Country

WHAT is the capital of Assyria? I don't know that!

I do know, however, that Monty Python and the Holy Grail is one of the funniest movies ever made. Let's face it, if the Python hadn't showed up in 1969, someone would have created them by now, or the world would be a much sadder place. Alongside Life of Brian, which is the sextet's masterpiece, Holy Grail is an excellent start if you want to get addicted to their surreal humor.

As suggested in the title, the film deals with the Arthurian stories, freely reinterpreted by the Python ensemble: after recruiting his knights, including Sir Lancelot (John Cleese), Sir Robin (Eric Idle), Sir Bedevere (Terry Jones) and Sir Galahad (Michael Palin), King Arthur (Graham Chapman) embarks on a mission from God (also Chapman, voice only though): to seek and find the Holy Grail. No need to say, the journey is going to be perilous, but also hilarious, our heroes doing their "best" to screw everything up.

As in Life of Brian, there are so many good bits choosing just one or two feels reductive and disrespectful, given the material. It's pure comedy gold from start to finish, a non-stop gag marathon: from the mock Scandinavian subtitles in the opening credits to the argument about swallows, from the Killer Rabbit to the Black Knight and the jaw-dropping epilogue, you will keep grinning like never before (if you're unfamiliar with these comedians, that is). Actually, after some serious thinking I can select two particular sequences as particularly memorable: the Knights who say "Ni!" and the Bridge of Death. The rest of the film is ace too, but those two scenes are the ones I can't stop thinking of fondly whenever the movie is mentioned.

Oh, and let's not forget Terry Gilliam's vital contribution: he doesn't appear that much as an actor (his Bridgekeeper is absolute genius, though), but he compensates that with the remarkable animations used to depict part of this epic adventure. Speaking of epic, this picture has one of the most brilliant tag-lines in comedy history, if not film history in general.

Oh yes, the world wouldn't be quite the same without the Monty Python. Even the most miserable person on the planet will laugh like a lunatic after viewing any of their films.

P.S. Ni!