Dimbleby makes a subtle nuanced job of this, keeps Spike on track without making him defensive. So incisive and gently illuminating. Shows the roots of an absolute genius.
I've seen many of Spike's interviews before but I think this is the closest that we have ever gotten to the real Spike Milligan. No funny voices, larking about, playing to the cameras, just Spike as Terrance (Spike) Milligan, human being.
I must agree with several other commentators here in that Dimbelby was the wrong interviewer. Someone with an ounce of empathy, and a sense of humour, could have relaxed Spike and produced a better interview, but hat off to Spike for being so tolerant with this amateur. Would his interviewing career even have started had it not been for the influence of his famous father?
A wonderful interview. Milligan is so open and honest. And for once, serious ... ! It isn't a performance. And Dimbo - he was so much softer then. Now he's an old cross-patch on Question Time. He really coaxed something marvellous out of Spike.
Been an ardent Goon fan for decaded. Wonderful sharing by Spike in this interview. Got tired of interviewer pushing the "look how difficult you are to work with" line. Not surprised Peter Sellers didn't understand Spike - Peter was a thoroughly mixed-up guy. The woman who deceived the understudy by senting a telegram as if it were from Spike had no right to be upset when Spike shone a light on her deception. I was very impressed by what appeared to me to be Spike straining to answer every question, even the many intrusive ones, with openness and sincerity.
That interviewer should be relegated to a leftest panel where everyone wants to talk at the same time and ignore anyone that makes sense with their answers because they're not as biased as the BBC. ...Sorry Mr. Milligan. Thank you for brightening my life.
For all those criticising Dimbleby: no, his questions aren't scripted; he reacts to what Spike says, and as you can see sometimes that's difficult. I'm guessing those commentors are not from the UK and don't pick up in the nuances. As for Spike himself - lovely man, means well, comic and writing genius but clearly a high-functioning sociopath. I'm a huge fan of his work, but (maybe due to his childhood, or the army experiences) he doesn't see himself as part of our current society. In my opinion, a good decision. I'm with him in terms of not wanting to be part of this awful western materialistic culture, the truth lies not in Twitter, Instagram and Facebook but in the spring bloom, the birds nesting, the rain falling, the sun setting
4:10 Spike: And I liked it because they had a sung mass in Latin. And there was also an Indian priest who said the mass in Tamil. And I used to get the giggles because it sounded just like this: iggidybuggery, iggidybuggery
Whenever I watch Spike being interviewed I always wonder how much of a influence Spike had on Robin Williams, not only do I think Williams shared the same manouuresms as Spike I also think he looks like Spike.
I think there's something to what you noticed, but nothing to what you wondered, for before the internet age the odds of Williams getting to know Milligan's work and personality seem faint (but possible, if he were a shortwave radio listener). Asked about his comedic influences, besides several Americans such as Lenny Bruce he named Peter Sellers, Dudley Moore and Peter Cook.
what a geezer, a real geezer - of coursse because he had suffered. no escape from that one - everyone suffers. Could makeus stronger or destroy us -Hello something more starlighty
Rubbish. Madness is found no more often in geniuses than in the average or among dullards. I'm suspicious of people who say what you say. I daresay you sound rather satisfied and comforted by the idea. A little vindicated, even.
Sad I am 36 with the mental illness as he had. Like him on Lithium. There doesn't seem to be much improvement for the illness since Spike's lifetime. My partner says I can be a nightmare to live with. But also super. I throw myself into things- at times. But I don't like people- clinical only. Wish I had his way with humour. I struggle and my only desire is a shiort life.
Will we ever see his like again, or, that of his contemporaries: Sykes, Sellers, Secombe and Arthur Haynes, Dick Emery, Morcambe and Wise. I suppose present society is incapable of producing anything but telly trash, Twitter twatter, etc., where poor beahaviour masquerades as wit...no stage or Music Hall training, years on the road and of course WWII created the foundation of personality, milieu and experience that shaped these guys' characters..
Just after the war I remember going to the local park at the right time. For there was a free variety show. Very good too. I wonder if the current group of comedians and other entertainers have the same long experience as the ones I saw.
Very interesting that Seller’s said Spike was a woman hater when it was Sellers who was not only a domestic abuser but definitely a woman hater. Talk about projecting your own faults onto somebody else.
I'm not so sure you can say someone's a woman-hater if he simply hates people. One might say with more fairness that he was just even-handed. Is someone a racist for hating, say, the Japanese, when he hates every race including his own? Isn't he only making sure not to unjustly favour them over the Andean peoples or the Swedes? Misanthropy is rather wicked if you ask me, but it's not at any rate the same thing as racism or sexism.
@@geraldfagan9018 that's amazing! I never met him but I drove thru Catford in a Ford transit and there are 2 cats in my house!and I have cousins who can spell privalidge.
I think he was confusing Pommies with Tommies! You think DD was as ass then, look how he developed the art in later years - especially when he chaired Question Time.
David Dumbbellby, still as wooden and totally lacking in any actual interview skills as ever - reading the scripted questions as flatly as possible has always been his limit. Even his rare observations are obvious to all, three weeks before they dawn on him
Nothing against Charterhouse, Christchurch and Bullingdon, but maybe it were Charterhouse, Christchurch and Bullingdon what done it to him. I thought he had a lot of nerve to talk to Milligan like that. He's got to have much more wrong with him than his guest to behave that way, or even to accept employment which required it of him. Bit of a [mildly bad word; 7 letters starting w/ a J].
