i saw John Cleese do a show at UCSB, and he did a talkback afterwards.
He said this was his worst movie ever.
agree?
I wholeheartedly agree. I watched this movie because I am a huge fan of Marty Feldman and Monty Python, but I was very much disapointed.
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I saw John Cleese tonight. He did a one man show at UCLA. He's touring with it. Was great, I highly recommend it. Afterwards he did a Q & A. When asked what was the worst film he had ever been in, he answered Yellowbeard. He said that he thought it was bad from the moment he read the script and had no intention of being in it. But one day Graham (who he called Gray) came to him and begged him to be in it. He agreed. Then Graham went to the other Pythons and said John's doing it, and they all said if John's doing it it's probably going to be OK. So they joined in. Then because they were in it, Graham persuaded Marty Feldman to do it, and that was the movie Marty was working on when he had a heart attack in Mexico City and died in an ambulance, stuck in traffic. I've never seen Yellowbeard, and it doesn't appear to be out on DVD. Anybody know anything about its availability. I'd like to see the worst movie John Cleese was ever in, I have a feeling as bad as it is, it's still probably entertaining.
shareWoW that's interesting. I wish cool people would come to my college hahaha. That's cool about the Q and A. And awww about Marty Feldman. He's soo great, I'm a big fan of his...the more you read it seems there was a lot of tragic elements surrounding his death. =( Oh yeah, I actually recently purchased this on DVD off of E-Bay. It was a two disk and came with the doccumentary "Group Madness" which is pretty cool, because it's so candid and everyone's hanging around, a good behind the scenes thing. "Yellowbeard" in itself, as the film...I've seen most of it. I thought it was pretty funny, to be honest. I mean yeah, it's probably flimsy, but I think that if you're a fan of enough of the people it in, it's funny. Peter Boyle and Marty Feldman are really funny in it, and John Cleese is funny as the blind man, but I think he's deff. underused.
~ANGELA~
It's really not that bad. It is the worst movie Cleese has been in, but his track record is exemplary. This is a good rental (if you can find it), but it's by no means a terrible film.
shareLmao Yellowbeard is hilarious. *Whacks yellowbeard with bat repeatedly.... 5 minutes later* "Do you want something?!"
"Someday we'll know if love can move a mountain"
No,Cleese has done some *beep* terrible films (Fierce Creatures?Die another day?George of the jungle?Rat race?Rockstar?)over the last 20 years,and as Idle and Gilliam have commented -he'd do anything for money.
Yellowbeard is not a great film but it is brilliantly mad,ridiculously uncommercial and completely barmy. Thus it does has a certain charm to it,just like Graham Chapman himself (plus Peter Cooks in it so it's definitely worth watching)
John dies in the middle of this great comedy, so maybe thats why he thinks it was his worst, the movie was and is very funny, he was also funny in other movies that he was not the featured star as well, like Rat Race, and to say that fierce creatures was not funny....wow, then i guess a fish called wanda was not funny, i don't think so, I have not seen one of his films where he was not funny, and this one was excellent (for as long as he was in the film)
shareOh yeah...I can see that. While I find the scene where Peter Boyle and Marty Feldman bump off John Cleese's character HILLARIOUS...lol the whole Marty playing that little horn thing so that Cleese's character will think he's in differing locations based on the music...and the headstone that says "born whenever it was and then DIED: THIS AM" hahaha...I can totally see how UNDERUSED Cleese is in this film. You know? I think he should've had a much BIGGER part and while I think it's a good film, I was surprised at the short amount of time that he's actually in the film. So you bring up a good point.
~ANGELA~
Yeah, he has a very small part and it is a film full of people I love...it's great in its own way.
It combines the Pythons, Mel Brooks' crew, Peter Cook, David Bowie, and Cheech and Chong.
What more could you ask?
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Aagh; you're a HEDGE!
It was a bit role that needed to be filled (I couldn't see the story working as well as it did without Pew oddly enough even though he's such a minor character), and of the Python crew Cleese was the best suited to the character. I can understand why Chapman wanted him for Pew.
I remember this as one of the first movies I ever saw, and caused in part my love of British comedy. I doubt an American cast could have pulled off this sort of movie even with the parts rewritten to accept their massive egos.
I think Pew might of even been Chapman's way of saying to Cleese to accept the fact he's not always going to be the centre of attention. As he has an annoying habit of hogging the camera.
Very good point.
shareYellowbeard is scheduled to come out on DVD in July. MGM/UA is releasing a bunch of its comedies from the lates 1970s and early 80s and Yellowbeard just happens to be one of them. I plan to buy it as soon as it comes out. While there are parts of the movie that fall flat, just a few of the funnier moments make it worthwhile. Plus I love the fact that it is just so incredibly non-PC!
shareI don't consider Cleese's opinions about Python related films to to be that correct. He doesn't like Meaning of Life either, which has better, more subversive writing, is a trippier (good) film, and demands much more from the audience than, say, Brian (which doesn't have enough in it to reward repeat viewing, I say).
shareI've never heard Cleese say he didn't like Meaning of Life. He just says it's not his favorite.
share--I don't consider Cleese's opinions about Python related films to to be that correct. He doesn't like Meaning of Life either, which has better, more subversive writing, is a trippier (good) film, and demands much more from the audience than, say, Brian (which doesn't have enough in it to reward repeat viewing, I say).--
Well I say you're off you're head (And I say it amiably, because no matter your opinion you're obviously a Python fan, so your taste is by no means bad.) Brian was the bomb, although I found Meaning Of Life funnier than Holy Grail, and at times have enjoyed it more than Brian. Certainly it is a very funny film, but to say it has better and more subversive writing than Brian is straight up untrue. It's a series of sketches, so it shouldn't be compared to a film with a plot to begin with, but if you're going to do so you should state why you think the writing's better. As for Meaning being more subversive than Brian, I have to completely disagree with you, considering Life of Brian was one of the first film's to satire religion. That being said, Meaning of Life was definitely the darkest of the Python films.
Dwight Frye and Peter Sellers and Massimo Girotti and Kram and Dorsett and Pidgeon Anglis and Robes Keefauver and St.Fettucini and Ben Affleck and Hitler and Mausoleum Schwartz and Gabby Hayes and Delores Del Rio disguised as Ermin Philpoots all came to mine.
Nothing exists more beautifully than nothing.
"Then Graham went to the other Pythons and said John's doing it, and they all said if John's doing it it's probably going to be OK. So they joined in."
and then Palin, Jones and Gilliam dropped out.😏
Interesting RE Cleese's statement calling "Yellowbeard" the worst movie he was in. I'd agree with the list of Cleese movies someone here posted that were REAL squirmers. I suspect Cleese calls "Yellowbeard" his worst movie at public events because he actually wants people who are so inclined to watch it for themselves.
If John Cleese still feels that way, then the old saying that an artist is not able to judge his/her own work may apply.
While the script may not be the best writing effort, and there are clear flaws in Mel Damski's direcorial approach to the material. One could easily argue that the talents of the Young Frankenstein crew mixed with half of the Pythons actually brings the movie to a higher level than could have otherwise been possible.
The part of Pew certainly took a hell of alot more talent than his recurring role as Nearly Headless Nick in Harry Potter. The latest Cleese movie I remember enjoying is A Fish Called Wanda, which is also getting older now.
I can see why people lambaste this movie, and surprisingly Cheech and Chong were one of the drab elements of the film. I normally love most of what they do, but for some reason they seemed off in this, perhaps also due to the directing.
For me I remember watching this on HBO over and over and over when I was a kid, along with Nate and Hayes, and while the films are flawed in their own rights, they both have a special place in my repertoire of DVDs as does Young Frankenstein.
And I must also say Peter Cook as the drunken Lambourn is priceless, I match his performance to that of Chapman's Yellowbeard. His talents will be missed in the present day mired Hollywood.
I would also suspect that John's feelings about this movie were personal between him and Chapman. He has often said that he only did the role as a favor to his Python troopmate, and that he felt Yellowbeard was the worst script he had ever read at the time. Cleese and Chapman had a history of competition within the Python troop, especially when it came to the leads in their legendary films Grail and Brian. In both instances Cleese campaigned for the lead, and in the end lost out to Chapman via vote within the group. I would guess that is one of the reasons Cleese broke off to do his own stuff in the 80's.
I agree with those who say John has had much worse movies. This movie is crazy and hilarious from begining to end...maybe sometimes he just doesn't like to feel his partners' work can be better than any of his. He can be all high and mighty, he's really a God, but I think he understimates his colleagues works sometimes.This movie is fresh, spontaneous, all of the great comedians in it are brilliant and I absolutley love it, so no, I don't agree with mr. Cleese opinions on the film.
share"Yellowbeard" is at times tired and lame, but it also has real laughs and a fun story to carry a viewer through. I agree Cleese has been in worse films, like "Die Another Day."
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Feirce creatures and die another day definately worse... and others..
Yellowbeard is an all time classic - a candidate for funniest ever... EVER !!
Professor Death..
Professor Rape !!
How about Professor Anthrax ?
If this movie doesnt impress you, its lines dont crack u up, well then theres a good chance your sense of humour is flawed or non-existant.
Maybe a PC wowser blouse would be offended but who cares about them ?
Best brit / yank cast combo ever... edges out a fish called wanda there..
Blind Pew was great-
I may be blind but I have acute 'earin'
I dont care about your jewelry cloth-eyes..
Considering the brilliance of Fawlty Towers, Im amazed Cleese cant see the greatness of this flick.. Perhaps he was jealous of chapmans script ??
Only explaination I can think of..
I loved this film as a kid, but am amazed now at how many famous people were in it. CLeese, Cook, Mason, Boyle, Cheech and Chong, Chapman, Feldman, Bowie and Idle. God knows why Cleese hates it so much......he's done worse.
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I remember seeing Yellowbeard when I was a kid, before I'd seen any Monty Python and I remember that although brief, Blind Pew's part was hilarious. Cleese has been in worse films than this. He just isn't as funny anymore and has given up on trying to make good old farces such as Fawlty Towers, Clockwise and Fierce Creatures because of the way the latter was received. Its a great film with a hilarious ending but no-one seemed to like it. I think they compared it to A Fish Called Wanda (what with it being a sequel and all) too much. I much prefer Creatures to Wanda (overrated IMO). Since its so unpopular, he gave up and thought that if no-one likes this film and I know its funny, I'll give them rubbish and take their money. Just look at the Sainsbury ads he used to do as an example.
shareIt seems Mr. Cleese has completely forgotten about "Privates on Parade." I'm still trying to. "Yellowbeard" was neither Mr. Cleese's worst film nor performance. "Privates" wins on both counts. An alleged comedy whose only funny scenes occur as outtakes during the closing credits is the best summary I can give for that film. I remember taping it as soon as it came out on television, then taping over it.
The problem with "Yellowbeard" was that it had so many fantastic actors in the cast that it was impossible giving all of them enough good lines without the film lasting six weeks. This means that most of the cast has to be underused. I personally believe it was the best thing I have seen Peter Cook do without Dudley Moore, slightly ahead of his Richard III in the original "Black Adder." James Mason was also excellent, and it was probably Chapman's best acting performance, ever. Marty Feldman was not as good as he had been in "Young Frankenstein," but he still nearly stole the show. Had he lived and the plot not changed, it may have been as good as anything he did.
Apart from the fact that so many brilliant comic actors from this film are no longer alive, there's no reason not to watch it. That and Mr. Cleese's comments are the only two negative things about it. I just re-watched it before posting this, and it's still very much worth watching.
Hear hear. Just before I read this comment I wanted to mention this as worst Cleese film.
I made the mistake of picking up Privates DVD in a supermarket for less than 2 euro's, but it's a doily now. This is by far John Cleeses (or anybodies) worst movie.
I think, while Yellowbeard is not the greatest of movies, it does attempt to bring together several different strains of trans-atlantic comedy, it was fairly ambitious considering the locations used and it still has some funny funny moments - unlike 90% of John Cleese's output since 1991
We have had 16 years of unfunny, un focused Cleese and it's crap and it's annoying and he's better than that but instead he'd rather be a bitter twisted old unfunny man....
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