1982: PALIN and CLEESE on THE MEANING OF LIFE | Film 82 | Classic Movie Interviews | BBC Archive

Iain Johnstone is joined by a reluctant John Cleese (who hates interviews, especially ones including Michael Palin) and Michael Palin, who discuss the trials, tribulations and occasional triumphs of shooting their latest film, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.
Like all right-thinking people, they will do anything to get hold of a coveted Film 82 sweatshirt.
Originally broadcast 20 December, 1982.
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[@kojombasi506]

They’re like giggling schoolboys. Two absolute comedy legends.

[@butcherax]

"If I can't hyphenate 'dog's breakfast' I can't describe the film in one word" 😂 what a wordsmith

[@Hysteria98]

God, this is a blast from the past. Interviews to this day with these chaps never disappoint, lol.

[@hilaryepstein6013]

Thank you for this and thank goodness for Michael Palin's inability to stop talking. Graham Chapman said of Meaning of Life that it was obvious that six different minds had written it.

[@followtheboat]

My favourite Python film by a country mile. This was great, another gem from the BBC vaults. Thank you.

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

I did enjoy it but if did have the whiff of a rushed cash grab

[@MarcosElMalo2]

I laughed so hard the first time watching that I felt high midway through. I was euphoric walking out of the theater.

[@nmeau]

Absolutely the best - they took it to the edge and no-one has gone further since

[@gaskellr44]

I feel it's a mixed bag, not as solid and flowing as L O B, but some great sketches but also some duds, hence why they feel it is their worst. Possibly H G fares better as more good sketches than M O L. but then again, M O L has 1 or 2 killer sketches.

[@taragrace2928]

Michael and John are so delightful!

[@davidbull7210]

John Cleese now wears an "I'm 82" t shirt.

[@notreallydavid]

Love this film - their bleakest, nastiest and cleverest. I wish the guys who made it liked it more than they do.

[@Jalliams]

What a delightfully candid interview. Thank you!

[@TheTruthKiwi]

I love how they never took interviews seriously. So much dry humour 😁😁😁

[@stege9979]

Cleese and Palin...what legends.

[@zingzangspillip1]

I love how it's the interviewer who came up with "Jones is Welsh", rather than John or Michael.

[@deltabilly1]

Hilarious for Cleese to accuse anyone else of talking too much. He just liked the sound of his own voice! (As do I)

[@advancelast1740]

What, like the sound of his voice or yours ?

[@andydixon2980]

@@advancelast1740 I like the sound of Jeremy's voice, more than John's.

[@planetX15]

​Clarkson?

[@78mitch]

John Cleese has a standup tour across Europe now in 2022 ! I already have the tickets for the show this August in Sundsval (Sweden). I'm so happy to see this legend at the sunset of his career.

[@mrmaxaxl]

Whaat?? Kommer han till Stockholm?

[@oskarvikstrom229]

@@mrmaxaxl Menar han Sundsvall? Har inte en susning.

[@coffeecigarettes9422]

I guess he is doing it especially for paying off his bills after several divorces. But anyway I'm sure it will be and I wish you a lovely evening. But don't forget to cheer him up - as you heard during this interview; don't do it like the Icelanders ;-)

[@jamesdettmann94]

Well clearly the sunset of his career is just like August sunsets in Sweden, lasts forever.

[@sebastianb.1926]

Recently watched a David Kelly interview about the Icelandic studio audience for The Builders episode of Fawlty Towers. I have no idea if it was the algorithm that recommended me this precise video in which Cleese passingly mentions the same thing or if it was pure serendipity.

[@jeremyjohnson9817]

Exact same thing happened to me. Must be the algorithm.

[@DusanPavlicek78]

This is absolutely delightful 😊

[@wyskass861]

Comedians and engineer are my favorite types of people.

[@Chasworth]

Crazy

[@Jimfowler82]

I was nearly 2 months old when this was filmed. I still remember people wearing clothes like this deep into the 90s 🤣

[@welshlad6427]

Great film. Great comedy. Great times ❤️

[@brendancadogan6235]

Superb but Welsh.

[@Costa_Conn]

@@brendancadogan6235 he's not Welsh, he's a very naughty boy

[@Cortinaman63]

Welsh Lad: Thanks for your nice comments about "The Meaning Of Life", As an Actor it is always nice to hear from people that enjoy a Production I have appeared in, together with a fantastic fellow Cast & Crew, I am so pleased you enjoyed the film, it was one of my personal Favourite Productions over many years in the industry to have worked on.

[@PeterSteelesWombat]

Two work colleagues who get along like a house on fire, enjoy their work but do the classic British thing of "having a bloody good moan about work". Superb! That moment where Cleese goads Palin with "He never allows a pause of silence to just hang in the air." and he waits knowing full well that Palin can't resist jumping in.

[@gus4u2c]

Meaning Of Life is my favorite Monty Python film! ❤️

[@Cortinaman63]

gus4u2c: I am so pleased you enjoyed the Film, and thanks for your nice comment, as a member of the Cast, with a small featured part in the Film, it is nice to hear the work all my fellow Cast & Crew put in to making this is appreciated and enjoyed by people like yourself, and many thank for your support of the Film.

[@planetX15]

Life Of Brian edges it for me, but the Meaning Of Life is a definite second, both very close, great shows!

[@masercot]

The two were in a movie called "Fierce Creatures" and Palin played a zookeeper who couldn't stop talking...

[@andyloren442]

Love this film

[@MoosesValley]

Brilliant !

[@unchattytwit]

My favourite Python film - brilliant - it was all worth it.

[@Cortinaman63]

Senkigtully 1 ; It was a lot of fun working on this film as one of the Cast, in Part Two "Growth & Learning" and I am so pleased you enjoyed it, thanks for your kind comment, about The Meaning Of Life, it is very much appreciated by myself, and I am sure by my fellow Cast & Crew,

[@theguitardude5613]

My god I love these guys. If you could be anybody? A python.

[@iwaisman]

Thanks

[@chuckselvage3157]

Cleese sarcasm is gold.

[@excelents]

2:30 context for the rainfall comment Ripping Yans starring Michael Palin kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4rTpK1omqZ-hdU "It were always raining in Denley Moor, except on days when it were fine. And there weren't many of those. not if you include drizzle as rain."

[@MrSimonmcc]

I watched that very episode only yesterday.

[@RodericSpode]

I have to watch those again. That's a great line.

[@andyg208]

My grandmother had the exact same tree

[@MrJamBluejam]

Meaning of Life in one word? John: "If I can't hyphenate dog's breakfast then I can't do it in one word". Lovely stuff.

[@andypalin3287]

Palin heaven! 🤘🎸😎

[@MarcosElMalo2]

It was the dog’s breakfast aspect that I loved. It was a a return to form in a way, sketches loosely tied together thematically and absurdly.

[@julianaylor4351]

They ate the salmon mousse!!!! John Cleese was brilliant as The Grim Reaper. 😁

[@nowthenzen]

The world was simple then and we were younger and more beautiful

[@markkavanagh7377]

I wasn't.

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

I fear its too late now but I always wanted a 2 man John and Michael movie where it's mainly them. They all had great chemistry but I always thought these 2 had the best

[@Kasino80]

Considering Terry and Michael had the best writing partnership, it really is quite extraordinary how good these two are together. Most of the Python sketches with them are in the top ten of all their skits.

[@charlie-obrien]

The movie "A Fish Called Wanda" had both Cleese and Palin featured in very funny roles.

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

@@charlie-obrien yes I know, but they had very little dialogue with each other

[@greenvelvet]

When Palin mentioned the most uncomfortable scene in the movie, I thought he was going to mention the 'schoolmaster' scene

[@michaeltimothycole]

Can you upload HangaRRR 17 the complete series.With grandmothers.With the grandmothers corolla forfeits.Uncut.30 minutes.ALL 32 episodes.PLease Paul Leyshon?.

[@c.m.9369]

I‘m so glad to hear Cleese describe it as this incoherent mess of a film, because that‘s how I always saw this movie X-D Obviously, it‘s hillerious in so many ways, but damn is it a rambling, meandering piece!

[@CricketEngland]

Would love to see what material was left out of the film..

[@charlie-obrien]

There was a bit about Martin Luther being a rather lustful monk, that was cut out of one of the films. You can view it on KZbin and it's classic Python.

[@OGRE_HATES_NERDS]

its christmas in heaven theres great films on tv

[@wyskass861]

Comedians like these are keen observers of life and can't help be see the many absurdities. Then then point them out in exaggerated fashion in the their comedy. It's a necessary reflection for humans. You can see it when he jokes about the process of making movies. People who perceive can often get tired of th experience but allow us to laugh and notice things we haven't before.

[@ABC-yt1nq]

I think that was the cheapest studio setup I've ever seen. Having said that, Python. Simply awesome.

[@andrewphippsphillips1455]

Classic tree. On a par with the Steptoe Christmas tree

[@charlie-obrien]

But those were some quality sweatshirts the host gave out at the end. There's your budget.

[@ankavoskuilen1725]

Cheap but effectieve, better than meaningless glitter.

[@emailyclake1706]

Superb but welsh. 🤣🤣🤣Taffy would love that one.🤣🤣

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Please put up Rocky III and Rocky IV "Film 82 and Film 85" :-)

[@bewareofchild2462]

thank god for people like this in this world of.... well it's like that.

[@DJ-bj8ku]

If I were a network exec, I’d give them total freedom to produce whatever they wanted. Imagine the possibilities.

[@reconquista1911]

when saying "Happy Christmas" was still legal ;)

[@mickeydodds1]

Where's Barry Norman?

[@mikemorgan7893]

He left the film show for a couple of years

[@treadstone1970]

@@mikemorgan7893 actually Barry Norman always had other reviewers deputies for him while he took a little break. Michael Parkinson and Russell Harty were two who sat in for him on separate occasions.

[@Nifilheimur]

As an Icelander im amazed they managed to find 40 Icelanders that were so dry and boring?? They must have been banned from drinking in the studio then!

[@onlyme219]

Can we talk about that Christmas tree?

[@ozzie-sk9dh]

It was….. THE SALMON MOUSSE 😂

[@lexvonghoul6996]

This is great 😂

[@Mojo16011973]

I want him to talk about trains

[@postmodernrecycler]

Maybe this film is dismissed as a string of comedy sketches, but I prefer to view it like 'The Decameron' or 'The Canterbury Tales': a series of tales told on a journey to the holy of holies. That's right, a tits-out Christmas pageant in Vegas.

[@clayz1]

Here: The fish slapping dance.

[@gaskellr44]

Can you imagine interviews nowadays? Where have all the Intellectuals gone!

[@jaybenny7719]

How hilariously dry! Fantastic.

[@user-xd9yo3le7o]

No expense spared on the Christmas Tree 🤔

[@paulcallan8714]

Just thought the same thing .But maybe we just bling things up to much these days

[@ethanblackhurst8593]

No expense spared on that Xmas tree. BBC looking after my money.

[@andrewphippsphillips1455]

Steptoes Christmas tree, they borrowed it. In those days it wasn't about how garishly you decorate a studio

[@LordBingham1]

Have you ever seen a sadder tree?

[@exessex3522]

"The Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood of England"? Which one is which? I reckon Cleese could do a Jimmy Carrey-class impersonation of Eastwood's squinting, mouth-contorting tough-guy face. So that leaves Palin as Paul Newman. Well, look at him - doesn't he just ooze Butch Cassidy?

[@treadstone1970]

Well John Cleese has actually appeared in a western before.

[@simpsonsdiva]

This is just before I was born...so much brown

[@mikearchibald744]

This was after the seventies, have you SEEN what people wore in the seventies? Eighties stepped down to brown and purple except for pop bands and punk, now everybody all wears black and we think we're more individualized.

[@krashd]

80's grey and brown was preferable to the 70's orange and yellow.

[@mikearchibald744]

@@krashd Thats a matter of opinion, it was garish, but you ever notice since the vibrant colours of the sixties each decade has gotten increasing drab until there is no colour left at all.

[@steveb6103]

Have you confused your cat lately?

[@billybronco4223]

The Christmas tree budget at the BBC was quite low that year.

[@johnhague5155]

I sugest we shoulde as refer to john cleese as John Cheese. An immediate referendum should be called for to clear his name of all those dredful women who rob him of his money. Beastful those ladys. 💛🙏 Amen. JMH.

[@clareswinney1087]

Superb but Welsh! 😂

[@themeaningoflifeexpert]

My free book has the answer to the meaning of life.

[@ctcurry1777]

The worst of the python films in my opinion...but still 10x better comedy than 99% of the crap produced today.

[@mikearchibald744]

Absolutely, when three films are THAT good and for completely different reasons its hard to 'rank' and probably shouldn't even be attempted. The sketch form at least made up for 'and now for somethig completely different". Like they said in the interview, people always say they don't like it til they remember the sketches. Given that MOST comedies have about five good jokes in them, there really needs to be a different name for mel brooks and monty python.

[@charlie-obrien]

I rank it the third best Python film, but as you said that still puts it in the top 50 comedies of all time.

[@mikearchibald744]

"superb, but welsh"

[@Jeff_Vader]

I love it. When I was younger one of my brother's friends was being philosophical after he had a bad day in Wales (don't know what happened) and he came out with the wonderful phrase "I think, therefore I am.....not Welsh"

[@mikearchibald744]

@@Jeff_Vader I'm not laughing at that as its not politically correct:)

[@jonathanhough2203]

@@mikearchibald744 I’m not laughing because it’s about as amusing as eating a bowl of dogshit but yknow….each to his own😐

[@advancelast1740]

Icons

[@MakeSomeNoiseAgencyPlaylists]

and now we got ESSEX......🤮

[@andypike1234]

Sweater

[@aum3.146]

the meaning of life is where they came down from everest. it was a mess

[@zogzog1063]

Boring. Impossible? This is like the outtakes of a comedy where instead of all the best bits ...

[@jamietrev]

Wasn’t that sweet

[@L_Martin]

6:36 that set is absolutely GRIM. why were the 80s so determinedly ugly?

[@mattgilbert7347]

Thatcher

[@Seminal_Ideas]

The BBC at it's best. How I lament the decline of the beeb. Over 40 years ago now. A different country.

[@lexkanyima2195]

How it is a decline ?

[@moaningpheromones]

What the F is that thing he's sitting behind? I witnessed a vandal destroying origami artwork. I saw it all unfold. Isn't it odd we've got armpits but not legpits?

[@sarahdee374]

Love Cleese's work, but always found him kind of a whiny baby in interviews. If being a working comedian and writer is so miserable, maybe he should have quit and went to work digging ditches.

[@garethhanby]

It's called the "Sad clown paradox". Many comedians suffer from it.

[@sarahdee374]

@@garethhanby True. I think Basil Fawlty probably voices a of of Cleese's genuine thoughts. As I said, I do love his work and sense of humor.

[@charlie-obrien]

If he hadn't become a comic actor he would have been a lawyer, and lord knows we've enough of that sort.

[@witness1013]

Horrible. This precisely defines why Brits are NOT funny.

[@jaybenny7719]

We are not funny to you …. 😉

[@richardmell299]

I'm flabbergasted, I don't think I'll sleep tonight with that News.

[@witness1013]

@@jaybenny7719 oh, quite the contrary,as a people, i find you, your love of Royals, and your love if importing welfare takers, very funny!

[@SpotlessLeopard]

Met us all have you misery arse?

[@xenomorph6961]

Someone is still sore about the 'Life of Brian"! That makes me happy :P