Useful Thoughts and Actions Taken

Michael Palin – Ripping Yarn – Murder at Moorstones Manor

  Murder at Moorstones Manor Scotland, 1926. Sir Clive Chiddingfold (Frank Middlemass), the irascible proprietor of Moorstones Manor has his birthday. His sons Hugo and Charles (both played by Palin) drive up with their fiancées. Hugo, the elder, is only interested in motors and seen as a loony by the rest of the family. He even leaves his fiancée Dora (Candace Glendenning) on the moor, when she makes him choose between her and the car. Charles, the younger, arrives with his fiancée Ruth (Ann Zelda). During dinner, Ruth drops unconscious into a cottage pie, due to Sir Clive’s stories of cruelty. Read more…

By Fudgy McFarlen, ago

Terry Jones Michael Palin Rippin Yarn – The Testing of Eric Olthwaite

    Howard Molsen has a new shovel. Its a lovely shovel. It has a great big brass handle.  Know what he is going to do?  He’s going to put it next to the other one. The Testing of Eric Olthwaite Denley Moor, 1934. Eric Olthwaite (Palin) is interested in precipitation patterns in West Yorkshire, shovels and black pudding (his mother makes pudding so black, that even the white bits are black). His family avoids him. His mother (Barbara New) always gives him something to do the moment he starts talking, his sister Irene (Anita Carey) simply tells him to shut Read more…

By Fudgy McFarlen, ago

Michael Palin Terry Jones – Ripping Yarns – Across the Andes by Frog

  Across the Andes by Frog Peru, 1927. Walter Snetterton (Palin) is an explorer unluckily forgotten. His expedition had been trying to prove that frogs could scale the highest mountains. He wanted to cross the Andes by frog. The expedition starts in the sleepy village of Quequeña, where they are not quite greeted by the British Consul (Denholm Elliot), and meet some problems. Due to the Cup final, the only guide available is an old woman (Eileen Way), who nonetheless is able to climb the mountains much faster than Snetterton and his men. Then the natives think the frogs bring bad Read more…

By Fudgy McFarlen, ago

Michael Palin Terry Jones – Ripping Yarns – Curse of the Claw

  The Curse of the Claw Last episode of the first series of Michael Palin’s and Terry Jones’ priceless "Ripping Yarns", in which the two Ex-Pythons wittily lampoon cultural cornerstones of the British Empire. The terrifying story of a man who dabbled in the dark mysteries of the Orient, and lived to tell the tale. Three days out of London I began to notice what a beautiful chief petty officer Mr Russel was…. The Curse of the Claw Maidenhead, 1926. In a dark and stormy night, Sir Kevin Orr (Palin) is visited by a bunch of strange men: Captain Merson (Keith Read more…

By Fudgy McFarlen, ago

Michael Palin – confessions of a trainspotter

This video shot in 1980 is the beginning of what later because "Great Railway Journeys" with Michael Palin hosting.   This first video is about the history of the train system in Great Britain and is probably the most authentic piece on the topic by Palin because he is working off material in his early life when he was a train fanatic.  One can not help having some nostalgia for 1980 when watching this.   

By Fudgy McFarlen, ago

Do not sit down in this motel – The Erectus Motel

  You are liable to get something up your arse. Let me analyze the genesis of this.  someone came up with this idea they thought it was a great idea none of their friends told them it was a  bad idea none of the sign contractors told them it was a bad idea Who knows? maybe they do get alot of business? A brief primer in Brazillian motels.   People many times live with their parents until 30 years of age because of the relative amount they earn and how much a house costs.  Thus they need a place away from parents Read more…

By Fudgy McFarlen, ago