The Great McGonagall

Interesting in an history of British comedy sense. It has a Goon Show cast does Monty Python skit feel. Unfortunately, it takes a concept that would have been appropriate for a five minute skit and stretches it out an additional hour and a half. A fine supporting performance by Peter Sellers and sporadic gratuitous female nudity (while appreciated) are insufficient to save this from being an albeit quirky and unique but simultaneously mediocre and repetitive low budget comedy.

As an aside, the video copy of this film that I purchased features a full cover picture of Peter Sellers and in the short synopsis on the reverse states that Sellers stars as The Great McGonagall. For the benefit of those of you who have yet to see the film, this is entirely incorrect. Peter Sellers plays the relatively small roll of Queen Victoria and Spike Milligan stars as McGonagall.

Sadly neglected and forgotten gem of a movie showcasing the incredible and anarchic humour of legend Spike Milligan. Spike plays the eponymous hero of the movie, the Great Mcgonagall, the worlds worst poet who "gave up his job as an unemployed weaver to follow the muse." The gloriously inventive non-structure of the movie eschews any sense of order and usurps all accepted movie conventions. The action taking place, for the most part, in a rambling old theatre. Indeed, the whole production has a stagey feel and the viewer almost feels as if they are part of an insane scatter gun rehearsal filled with ad libbing and uncorrected mistakes. In one scene Spike and the wonderful Victor Spinetti, who appears in numerous roles, do several takes much to the annoyance of very real director Joseph McGrath.

There's awful poetry, a cross dressing Peter Sellers as Queen Victoria (favourite quote, "shit, we are not amused!"), Prince Albert replete with Nazi uniform and Hitler Moustache, and gags galore. Spike's comedic genius was sadly neglected in cinema which is a travesty when one considers the hilarious calibre of original jokes here, delivered with a malicious and surreal glee. For further proof of Spike's incredible talent hunt down a copy of The Bed-sitting Room.

This film is totally hilarious. The film is a loose adaptation of the life of William "Topaz" Mcgonagall, said to be the worst poet circa 1890. Milligan is excellent, playing the role with great determination. Spinetti is hilarious in at least 5 different roles. McGrath uses guerrilla filming tactics in his direction, sort of similar to his earlier film "The Magic Christian" also with Sellers, and Milligan. Peter Sellers pulls a sort of "Mouse that Roared" revival, this time playing the role of Queen Victoria. The VHS copy that I own is at least 25 years old. Hopefully Anchor Bay, Crtierion, or some other company will take note of the value of this film, and give it the release that it deserves.

This is an update on my June 2003 comments which I had I posted based on my recollections of the videotape that I'd hired in the early 80's - but which I hadn't seen anywhere since.

So I was surprised to see the DVD listed for release in Australia in October (2004) and immediately ordered a copy. The text on the back of the DVD continues to mislead the viewer by referring to the film as "a high camp farce" and "cult British spoof". However it's clear after finding out more from the internet about McGonagall that the film is all based on the poet's autobiography - most of the circumstances are the same, they're just presented in a slightly absurd manner (but not much more absurd than the poetry itself). The poetry in the film is definitely the original McGonagall.

It's still a very funny film, and even before I found out that McGonagall was a real poet I appreciated the tragedy and pathos of the character. I think it was Spike Milligan who said that someone, or something, suffers in every joke that's ever been funny.

The DVD quality is very good considering the low price - so I'm hoping that Spike Milligan's "The Bed Sitting Room" can be made available too. Spike Milligan and William McGonagall had a lot in common in regard to their ability to make people laugh - but that was exactly the reaction Spike wanted, whereas William struggled to be taken seriously as a dramatic performance poet.

McGonagall is presented as a believably bad poet - someone you could expect to outsell all other Scottish poets combined, simply because his work is so mind-bogglingly banal.

This is an extremely charming, outrageously funny and also tragic film. There is no doubt that some will not be able to tolerate the amount of pathos generated by a good and simple man (like Nathan in Steve Martin's "The Jerk") who just wanted to follow his heart and do his best in life.

McGonagall puts all his heart and soul into his renditions (each one beginning with blood-curdling moan) and yet he is mercilessly scoffed at by the cognoscenti.

McGonagall's fictional poems will haunt you for life, and you'll never be able to see a simple object like a cow or a bridge without being tempted to burst into a long "Ooooooooooooooh!". Peter Sellers also makes a charming brief appearance as Queen Victoria.