Monty Python Sketches (partially lost deleted scenes from TV and movies; 1973-1975)

A rare behind-the-scenes photo of the sketch, "Flute Player".

Status: Partially Lost

Monty Python's Flying Circus was an experimental avante-garde TV programme aired from 1969-1974 on the BBC in England, fighting censors and society during its broadcast. It was conceived, written and performed by 6 university scholars who were exceptionally talented at acting; Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam, known collectively as Monty Python. Over the years, various scenes from their TV show have disappeared, and exist only fragmentarily.

Flying Circus Sketches (1973-1974)

Most of these sketches appear in the Series 3, episode 10, "E. Henry Thripshaw's Disease", the 36th episode out of 45 in the series.

• Half-A-Bee! is a sketch in the episode in which two beekeepers argue over who caught a bee, having both placed their nets over top of Graham Chapman, who grows increasingly annoyed. They begin to debate the bee's name, whether it's Mick or Daryl, then allow Solomon to judge who takes it, ruling ultimately that it gets cut in half, and a song follows as they do just that.

The sketch was one of a few taped during this 35 minute episode that got cut due to Graham Chapman being very drunk. (A precursor to him dying young in 1989).

• Revolting Cocktails also appears in episode 36, wherein the Pythons request disgusting drinks at a bar, whose tender enslaves an employee to abusive unusual tasks of serving the drinks. There is a considerable amount of vomiting, too. The sketch was probably cut for it's insanity and dark humor.
• Big Nosed Sculpture appears first in E. Henry Thripshaw's Disease. In it, John Cleese portrays a mayor who commissions a bust of himself, only to correct an elongated nose carved on it, when the sculptor is too emotional to correct it himself. Graham Chapman again starred in this sketch, and his drunkenness got it cut.

Ursula Hitler

Probably the most notorious of the cut sketches, Ursula Hitler appears as the last-ever python sketch in the TV show, Episode 45 "Party Political Broadcast". For the 5 decades since it was broadcast, fans speculated about this lost scene, which revolves around a beekeeper in the 1940s.

Born Ursula Lloyd-George, Hitler changed her surname numerous times to avoid publicity of having the same surname as Prime Ministers who coincidentally had the same surname she'd changed it to, settling for Hitler in 1934. The name-changes confused her postman, and her beehive deliveries were being misdirected. Hitler (Graham Chapman) explains to an interviewer (Terry Jones) how she once received a letter ordering her to withdraw her troops from Poland or she would be in a state of war with Britain. After she threw the letter away, war broke out. She then explains the disruption that the war had caused, and reveals her revolutionary method was to mark each of them with a red mark and drop them into the pool. It seems she is talking about salmon instead. The interviewer accidentally shoots himself and Jeremy Thorpe waves in the background.

It is unknown why it was cut, but most likely for duration. The sketch was deemed "impossible to find" until it was recovered on the 50th anniversary reissue in 2019.

Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus

In 1972, the Pythons phonetically recited 2 45min specials exclusively for Bavaria, German television. The dub of Flying Circus has itself been rare, and has had its share of alternative foreign versions, however four segments from the series have gone missing themselves.

• A version of the "Marriage Guidance Counsellor" sketch.
• A sketch involving a flute player (Graham Chapman) in front of a German sign.
• A version of the "Sir Edward Ross" sketch
• An alternate ending to the first special, in which two stage hands are carrying a giant sign that says ENDE off a huge field. Behind the sign is Terry Jones' singer character from the "Albrecht Dürer" sketch.

Alternate Versions and Preservation

Swimming Lessons with Arthur Lustgarten

Two scenes are known to have been cut entirely; "Swimming Lessons with Arthus Lustgarten" and "Menthol Cigarettes ad". As far as differences go, the "Hearing Aid" sketch was moved to the end of the second episode in German versions, as opposed to its position at the end prior to the fairytale.

Censorship

Many of the Flying circus episodes got censored in more minor cases. Their sketches were not deleted, but fixed. In some cases, re-airings dealt with the issue; David Frost had his phone number published in an episode of Flying Circus, which was later replaced by a faulty one in rebroadcast due to his line being spammed. Other material was muted. The "Summarize Proust" sketch included the word masturbating and another sketch replaced "what a silly bunt/cunt". A sketch where Python supporting lady Carol Cleveland lists symptoms, a male voice is dubbed over as "gangrene", thereby muting "cancer" or "leprosy".

Still other sketches were rediscovered. A choreographed Political broadcast sketch for the Labor and Unionist party was deleted ahead of the election, but resurfaced on YouTube. A black/white 16mm element preserved the "Satan" cartoon deleted, various cases of blackface have been cut for modern streaming, and censorship for song rights (Girls From Ipanema, Tonight) are also kep out of public reach.

Holy Grail

In Michael Palin's archive were lost tapes containing alternate and deleted sequences in the famous award-winning movie, "Holy Grail". One cutting was a "convensional" ending to the film, "Pink Knight" sketch, involving a knight standing in a "camp pose" and asking King Arthur for a kiss. ("None shall cross this bridge unless they give a kiss"). There is also a wild west sketch, where a news reporter enters a saloon, actually "last bookshop befoe you go to Mexico", and askss for a beer, getting the response, "Not since they started specializing in European authors". Another lost sketch is where Shakespeares Hamlet is a "fould-mouthed private detective".

Palin donated his works to the British Library, where it is readily available.

External Sites

• Fliegender Zirkus Sketch (Rare)
• from Holy Grail episode cut scenes