Yellowbeard : John Cleese's Opinion

John Cleese's Opinion

i saw John Cleese do a show at UCSB, and he did a talkback afterwards.

He said this was his worst movie ever.

agree?

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

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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Re: John Cleese's Opinion

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.

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WoW 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~

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

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.

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

Lmao 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"

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

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)

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

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)

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

Oh 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~

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

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?

---------
Aagh; you're a HEDGE!

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

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.

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

Very good point.

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

Yellowbeard 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!

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

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).

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I've never heard Cleese say he didn't like Meaning of Life. He just says it's not his favorite.

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--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.

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

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.

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

Yellow beard is available right now on HULU.com

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

"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.😏

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

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.

Young Frankenstein Meets Monty Python

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.

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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.

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

"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."

Re: John Cleese's Opinion




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..






Re: John Cleese's Opinion

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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Re: John Cleese's Opinion

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.

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

It 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.

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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.

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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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Re: John Cleese's Opinion

I have a lot of respect for John Cleese but in this case I would have to completely disagree Yellowbeard in my mind is a classic I rate it up there with the Blues Brothers

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John Cleese should know better than to critisize his dead friend's solo project. Sounds petty and ultimately, pointless.

Plus, if YELLOWBEARD is his worst film, then what the hell are PLUTO NASH and the GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE movies?

Please, all three of the above mentioned are worse, far worse, than YELLOWBEARD.

Also much less funny.

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Keep in mind that when John says Yellowbeard is his worst movie, he also says in public that he hates "The Ministry of Silly Walks" sketch, which is the most popular one with his fans.

I love most of his movies, but his opinion on what is and isn't good should be taken with a grain of salt.

Snoogans.

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Re: John Cleese's Opinion

From the man who is in:
Rat Race
Parting Shots
The Out of Towners re-make
Pink Panther 2 (re-make)
George of the Jungle 1 & 2
Charlie's Angels 2 Full Throttle
Die Another Day

I mean do I need to go on?

Worst movie Cleese has ever been in? Yellowbeard?? it's like the 5th or 6th BEST movie he's ever been in (depending if you like Fierce Creatures or not)

The 3 Python movies (in this order) -
Life of Brian
Holy Grail
Meaning of Life

A Fish Called Wanda

and at 5th or 6th place Fierce Creatures or Yellowbeard

Reasons Yellowbeard is great-
Peter Cook is hysterical in it,
it's another Chapman starring film in a career that was too short and didn't have enough (check out Odd Job if you can find it),
there are more cameos than they know what to do with,
it blends Monty Python, Mel Brooks, Cheech & Chong and Brit Alternative comedians (like Nigel Planer) altogether and while it may not 100% work all the time, it's incredible to watch them try.
It's funnier than John Cleese has been in 20 years.
If the Judd Apatow crowd made it now it would be considered a classic, it has more jokes per scene than they can manage and I like Judd Apatow movies!

Also I have no idea why Cleese says Chapman begged him to do it and then went to the other Pythons to get them in it. The only other Python in it is Eric Idle!! no Jones, Gilliam or Palin. Cleese is a vain, unfunny man now and I wish he wasn't. He used to be my hero but him, Eric Idle, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy and Eugene Levy... what the hell happened!!!


IMDB - people come together and share opinions but we don't like it if you're different

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

Aren't you forgetting DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS? That's one of Cleese's best.

I'm sure YELLOWBEARD is an excellent curiosity with some good moments; I hope to see it soon.

From reading about it, it sounds like one of those movies with a "curse": just look at the number of actors who died soon afterwards, or in the case of Feldman, during production. There is also a long list of actors who died prematurely, though not soon after filming.

Died within six years of filming:
Marty Feldman
James Mason
Peter Bull
Nigel Stock
Graham Chapman

Died later but at comparatively early ages:
Madeline Kahn (57)
Peter Cook (57)
Ronald Lacey (56)
Carlos East (52)

Perhaps it is this unfortunate legacy that makes Cleese rue this film rather than poor quality. It is probably smack in the middle of films in which he has appeared.

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You're right monster; Michael Caine, not John Cleese, is the Brit sharing top billing with Steve Martin in 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.'

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

I's take Cleese's opinion with a hearty dash of salt. He's probably a tad annoyed and bitter - quite understandably though - over how Chapman used Cleese's name to get everyone else on board. It wasn't particularly sporting of Chapman to do that - though again quite understandable in that it might have been the only way he was able to get the actors he did for this movie.
He may also be angry that this movie caused the death of Marty Feldman, and perhaps even that it was Chapman's last movie and not that fitting a memorial to Chapman's comic talents.

That all said, reading through a few Cleese interviews, I get the impression of someone who is easily offended and holds grudges for, well, ever.

As an example, I read an interview with him that was done in 1999 and in it he started ripping into Marty Feldman over a skit Cleese had written for Marty way back pre-Python days.
It was the garden gnome asking for a bank loan sketch. Cleese had written it as a very straight skit where everything is normal until the end when Marty, the borrower who has patiently gone thru the lending application form, tells the manager he's a garden gnome and wants to buy a magical tree. It's basically the same form as the funny walks sketch - all is normal til the end when the punchline smacks you.
Marty took the script, read through it and then totally changed it & ad-libbed his way through it. Marty was a different sort of comedian - he understood that if you can get people laughing immediately, you had them for the rest of the show. He came in dressed as a gnome, sat on the desk and made it all up as he went along. It was one of his funniest skits ever - it's up there with long distance golfer imo.

Anyway, Cleese was still annoyed 30+ years later what Marty had done to his sketch, despite the end product being funnier (even Cleese admitted this) to the originally written one!
He really does strike me as someone who bears grudges for a long long time, esp if he feels he hasn't got his way. He's a brilliant and extremely witty comedian but he really needs to work on letting things go.

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John Cleese is crazy. This movie is awesome.

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That's funny, because I thought John Cleese's character was the only awful part of an otherwise hilarious movie!

Coincidence?...

More idiocy: http://idontknowwhatsevensgoingon.blogspot.com

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It's just horrid. And it killed Feldman.

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I suspect that Cleese identifies Yellowbeard as the worst film he's ever been in because he has an admirable rationale for doing it - his friendship with Graham Chapman.

For his really bad films, he has no excuse but greed or bad judgement.

Pointing at Yellowbeard deflects attention from those bad decisions.


A better question to ask Cleese would be "Regardless of the quality of the film, what has been your worst individual performance?"

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I look back on the cast of this and it contains most of the funny actors that I grew up to,just goes to show you can dress a piece of sh@t up but it is still a turd.

NEVER TRY TO TEACH A PIG TO SING....IT WASTES YOUR TIME AND ANNOYS THE PIG

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

He's wrong. He's done several movies there were worse. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that every movie he's done after this one was worse. Then again, almost all of the movies did before it, were better.

-------------------------------
Defenseless = Safe

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

I think the fact that Feldman died while they were making it soured this film to a lot people, which is a shame because it is funny. I haven't seen in years though, but I remember laughing pretty hard when watching this as a kid.

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The plot completely dies at the end and you wonder why you are watching BUT this movie has some hilarious takes that makes it well worth watching.

"It was that shark wot jogged my mem'ry," perfect line, perfectly delivered.

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According to the trivia page, Eric Idle also thinks Yellowbeard is one of the worst films he's acted in. Well... don't quite see why they're so totally dismissive of it - I guess the story is pretty messy and sloppy (then again the Monty Python movies were never big on plot, either) and the jokes hit the mark rather sporadically, but on the other hand I can't really recall anything that's downright embarrassingly bad - although the prolonged Cheech & Chong bits towards the end come close. It's fairly amusing all in all.



"facts are stupid things" Ronald Reagan

Re: John Cleese's Opinion

and Cleese would go on to do The Adventures of Pluto Nash.

I think he had a stick up his ass about Chapman. this movie is pretty darn bad but there are much worse, as in, movies not even enjoyably bad.

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