Monty Python's Big Red Book
Monty Python's Big Red Book is a humour book comprising mostly material derived and reworked from the first two series of the Monty Python's Flying Circus BBC television series.[1] Edited by Eric Idle, it was first published in the UK in 1971 by Methuen Publishing Ltd. It was later published in the United States in 1975 by Warner Books.
As well as the comedy content, the title itself is a humorous reference to Mao Zedong's Little Red Book— despite the title, the book has a blue cover. To add to the confusion, the credits page refers to it as Monty Python's Big Brown Book.
The book contains some stills of footage shot for And Now For Something Completely Different but not used, including "Ken Shabby" and "Le Pouff Celebre/Flying Sheep".
Shortly after publication the book ran into trouble when a music publishing company objected to the use of their trade name being used on the "Bing Tiddle Tiddle Bong" sheet music. After the first 75,000 copies were sold, all subsequent editions removed the reference to "The Wright Ukulele Tutor" and replaced it with "The Volti Subito".[2]
In 1972 a paperback edition was issued with the words "Special New Hardback Edition" replacing the "Very Urgent" sticker on the front cover. In 1981 both this book and The Brand New Monty Python Bok were reissued as a hardback book entitled The Complete Works Of Shakespeare And Monty Python: Volume One – Monty Python. Paperback editions of both these books were reissued again in 1986 as The Monty Python Gift Boks, sold together inside an outer cover which folded out into a mini poster.
In 2008 Monty Python's Big Red Book was referenced in the Doctor Who episode "Silence in the Library".
Contents
- Forewords
- Advertisements
- Juliette – Ken Shabby & Rosemary, A True Love Story Of Our Times
- Credits
- Why Accountancy Is Not Boring
- Naughty Pages
- Join The Professionals
- The Silly Party
- Keyhole For voyeurs
- Batley Ladies Townswomen's Guild
- E.D. Silly's Page
- Spam
- Sports Page
- Arts Page
- Horace Poem
- The World Encyclopedia Of Carnal Knowledge
- Australia Page
- Children's Page
- Postal Blackmail
- A Song For Europe
- The Importance Of Being Earnest
- Are You Civilised?
- Le Pouff Celebre
- Madame Palm Writes
- The Family Tree Of Johann Gambolputty...
- The Greatest Upper Class Race In The World
- What To Look For In A Great Twit
- Lumberjack Song
- Do-It-Yourself Story
- Goat's Page
- Hello O.N.s Everywhere
- Whizzo Assortment
- English To Hungarian Phrasebook
- Johnson's Novelties
- How To Walk Silly
- Be A Modern Hermit
- The Poems Of Ewen McTeagle
- The Piranha Brothers
- Python Literary Guild
- Bibliography
Credits
- Authors – Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
- Illustrator – Terry Gilliam
- Editor – Eric Idle
- Photography – Doug Webb, BBC News Picture Library, The Radio Times, Hulton Picture Library, John Horton, Tony Sullivan
- Art Director – Derek Birdsall
- Art Editor/Lay-out – Katy Hepburn
- Artwork – Roger Hudson, Stephen Scales
- Music Arranger – Fred Tomlinson
References
- v
- t
- e
- Another Record
- Previous Record
- Matching Tie and Handkerchief
- Holy Grail
- Life of Brian
- Contractual Obligation
- The Meaning of Life
- Flying Circus
- Live at Drury Lane
- Live at City Center
- The Pythons
- Life of Python
- Almost the Truth (Lawyers Cut)
- And Now for Something Rather Similar
- The Meaning of Live
- Spamalot
- Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)
- An Evening Without Monty Python
- Live (Mostly)
- Big Red Book
- Brand New Bok
- Holy Grail (Book)
- Life of Brian/SCRAPBOOK
- The Meaning of Life
- Just the Words
- Song Book
- A Pocketful of Python
- The Pythons Autobiography by The Pythons
- Live!
- Flying Circus
- Complete Waste of Time
- Quest for the Holy Grail
- The Meaning of Life
- Cow Tossing
- The Ministry of Silly Walks
- Mr Praline
- The Colonel
- Mr Creosote
- Rabbit of Caerbannog
- Other characters
- Albatross!
- Anne Elk's Theory on Brontosauruses
- Architects
- Argument Clinic
- Bruces
- Cheese Shop
- Colin "Bomber" Harris vs Colin "Bomber" Harris
- Crunchy Frog
- Dead Parrot
- Dirty Fork
- Dirty Hungarian Phrasebook
- Election Night Special
- Fish Licence
- Fish-Slapping Dance
- Four Yorkshiremen
- The Funniest Joke in the World
- How Not to Be Seen
- Kilimanjaro Expedition
- Lifeboat
- Marriage Guidance Counsellor
- Ministry of Silly Walks
- Mouse Problem
- Nudge Nudge
- Patient Abuse
- Philosophers' Football Match
- Piranha Brothers
- Sam Peckinpah's "Salad Days"
- Seduced Milkmen
- Spam
- Spanish Inquisition
- Undertakers
- Upper Class Twit of the Year
- Vocational Guidance Counsellor
- World Forum/Communist Quiz
- "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"
- "Brian Song"
- "Bruces' Philosophers Song"
- "Decomposing Composers"
- "Eric the Half-a-Bee"
- "Every Sperm Is Sacred"
- "Finland"
- "Galaxy Song"
- "I Bet You They Won't Play This Song on the Radio"
- "I Like Chinese"
- "I've Got Two Legs"
- "The Lumberjack Song"
- "Medical Love Song"
- "Oliver Cromwell"
- "Sit on My Face"
- List of Monty Python projects
- The Foot of Cupid
- Cambridge Circus
- I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again
- The Frost Report
- At Last the 1948 Show
- Twice a Fortnight
- Do Not Adjust Your Set
- We Have Ways of Making You Laugh
- Broaden Your Mind
- How to Irritate People
- The Complete and Utter History of Britain
- The Fred Tomlinson Singers
- Teach Yourself Heath
- Tiny Black Round Thing
- Bert Fegg's Nasty Book for Boys and Girls
- Rutland Weekend Television
- Fawlty Towers
- Ripping Yarns
- Out of the Trees
- A Poke in the Eye (With a Sharp Stick)
- Monty Python v. ABC
- Python On Song
- All You Need Is Cash
- The Secret Policeman's Ball
- A Liar's Autobiography: Volume VI
- The Hastily Cobbled Together for a Fast Buck Album
- The Wind in the Willows
- Monty Python Live
- Concert for George
- Diaries 1969–1979: The Python Years
- The Seventh Python
- Holy Flying Circus
- A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman
- Absolutely Anything