When people talk about Beyond the Fringe, talk usually turns to Peter's singular brilliance, which is fair enough, he was singularly brilliant. But these days when I think of BtF, more often than not it's Alan's "my brother Esau is an hairy man, but I, I am a smooth man".
No joke: that skit is the first BTF I ever heard. On a freaking British Airways flight I think to Rome; maybe back from Rome (from/to Philadelphia). Anyway, it was some Eric-Idle-narrated history of British comedy, just audio. So, another odd thing was that I was drinking and enjoying myself listening to this stuff with Andrew Ramage, who was a Cornell professor (and some form of Brit) whose textbook on Roman art is still pretty standard, I think. We were ripped. So this comes on, and we'd already been kidding around. I'm, like, 25, and this was on the way to or back from my honeymoon. That sketch comes on -- oh, it was on the way home, and from London, where we'd stopped over for many hours, enough for us to zip out of the airport and to St Paul, etc. I'd heard an Anglican service with the sermon very recently, that is; another first. Anyway, when Bennett gets to the top of the hill and the friend vomits, I nearly pissed myself. Spilled my drink. Ramage is laughing very hard. We're annoying people, but they can't get too mad because we're obviously laughing out of control. Funny, funny stuff. That whole show could be the funniest thing -- entity regardless of genre -- I've ever encountered. Maybe beyond The Importance of Being Earnest or Twain's Diary of Adam and Eve -- or the original Producers film. It really could be.
I'm terribly fond of Alan Bennett; have listened to "Beyond The Fringe" on vynil and audio tapes so many times and never had the chance to see any video clip; so am very happy with the You Tube stuff!!! 6GRUE
I've been wandering through the peter cook interviews on here and barely seen him without a cigarette in his hand in any of them. Hard work, having a 60-a-day habit..
Very interesting....also for the fact that, whilst time has obviously gone some way to mending old wounds, theres a palpable tension between all four men still present.
Yes, now you mention it, I think that Peter might have had a jar or two before he came on! Such a marvellous, funny, guy. I think he was the driving force behind Beyond the Fringe. Most of the inspiration seems to have come from Peter.
@@martm216 Only in the beginning, I think. Dudley more than pulled his weight in the latter half. But Dudley tired of Peter's drunkenness when he had to cue Peter for half of his lines.
Hollywood missed the talent of Peter Cook ,he was the Benedict Cumberbatch of his time ,an ability to adapt to any character and voice , where as they chose Dudley ,some movies were great then not so ! Never mind ! Peter Cook as Sherlock Holmes or in an Agatha Christie movie for sure !
He seems to be quite drunk in this. He also used to turn up for the 'Behind The Fridge' shows being almost unable to stand. Alcoholism is a bitch. (n) I am quite surprised how well spoken he still is with all that booze down him...
@ThePythonfan Now you've got me totally confused. By "crossover", I just meant, did any of the Python folks ever work with these guys. (And, by the way, why did you leave Dudley out of your list?) In any case, your answer is clearly yes, they did do some work together. Thanks!
@TroyOi Ooops...I am so sorry I thought you meant "arguement" haha! But yes and they have worked together indeed.I have left Dudley out of my list because while Peter and the rest worked with the Pythons he was in America.Only a few times before the 70s he was with them.After that he did one or two things with Peter and then went to America.Much later they reunited for Secret Policeman's Ball and other stuff.That's why I left him out!Otherwise I wouldn't think of it I love Dudley he's my fav!
@ThePythonfan It's rather amazing that there was never any crossover between these guys and the Monty Python crew... or am I speaking from ignorance? I mean, did any of these guys ever work with anyone from Python? FYI I expect you to live up to your screen name and provide the definitive answer here!
@TroyOi Look from what I know no crossover has been between them whatsoever...I mean the 3 of them Peter Jonathan and Alan worked several times with the Pythons one of the best times is Secret policeman's Ball.And Peace In Our times with John Cleese and Peter or in pete Cook and Company again.There was always a sort of mutual admiration.Beyond the Fringe cast were heroes to the Pythons.But then when they worked together they thought the Pythons were great.Heard Peter in an interview saing that..
@ThePythonfan Oh, so I gather "crossover" is one of those words that doesn't quite make it over the Atlantic intact. Maybe it was a poor choice of words even from the Yankee standpoint. Sorry.
@redteapot1 As right as you are, Cook may well have looked cool waving a plastic dog turd in front of his nose. Not only that, he's obvioulsy wildly wasted in this clip, and still probably more charismatic than your average Hollywood 'legend'.
At least they managed to reconcile their differences with one another in the end. Although the partnership was over they did eventually become the best of friends once more. Lin confirmed as much. Peter's two closest friends at the time of his death were John Cleese and Dudley.
i've always thought it interesting how the british say "smashing" for something great, and amercians say "smashed", as in peter cook in this interview. who is both smashing and smashed. i forget who said it in one of peter cook's documentaries, maybe jonathan miller, that peter could drink and drink and maintain pretty well, he must have been slamming them before this one.
We don't really care what Americans say. As one who is neither, but of the Commnonwealth, it is amazing what Americans pick up, despite a total inability to speak English.
God, how does one create such attractiveness? Everything in life is wrong, the school of life I've been educated at is a stupid Gospel. I only want that thing! That thing, that thing! I only want to create it.
Is he still offering a free biro? I don't really think you can sink much lower than playing on poor old people's sense of guilt that their children might have to pay for their funeral.
