Editing Monty Python and the Holy Grail (section)

==Production==
===Development===
[[File:Galahad grail.jpg|350px|thumb|The legend of the [[Holy Grail]] ([[Holy Grail tapestries|1895 tapestry]] depicted) provided a unifying motif for the film.]]
In January 1973, the Monty Python troupe wrote the first draft of the screenplay.{{sfn|Palin|2006|p=174}}<ref name="BBCLocation">{{cite AV media|author=Monty Python troupe |chapter=BBC Film Night: Monty Python & the Holy Grail Location Report |title=Monty Python and the Holy Grail |year=2001 |publisher=Columbia Tristar |medium=DVD }}</ref> Half of the material was set in the [[Middle Ages]] and half in the present day. The group decided to set the film during the Middle Ages and focus on the legend of the [[Holy Grail]]. By the fourth or fifth draft, the story was complete, and the cast joked that the fact that the Grail was never retrieved would be "a big let-down ... a great anti-climax".<ref name="BBCLocation" /> [[Graham Chapman]] said a challenge was incorporating scenes that did not fit the Holy Grail motif.<ref>{{cite AV media|last=Chapman |first=Graham |chapter=BBC Film Night: Monty Python & the Holy Grail Location Report |title=Monty Python and the Holy Grail |year=2001 |publisher=Columbia Tristar |medium=DVD}}</ref>

Neither [[Terry Gilliam]] nor [[Terry Jones]] had directed a film before, and described it as a learning experience in which they would learn to make a film by making an entire full-length film.<ref>{{cite AV media|last1=Gilliam |first1=Terry |last2=Jones |first2=Terry |chapter=BBC Film Night: Monty Python & the Holy Grail Location Report |title=Monty Python and the Holy Grail |year=2001 |publisher=Columbia Tristar |medium=DVD}}</ref> The cast humorously described the novice directing style as employing the level of mutual disrespect always found in Monty Python's work.<ref name="BBCLocation" />

===Financing===
According to Gilliam, the Pythons turned to rock stars like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin for financing because no studio would fund the film, and the rock stars saw it as "a good tax write-off" because the top rate of UK [[income tax]] was "as high as 90%" at the time.<ref name="guardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/mar/09/features.phelimoneill|title=Snake Charmer-Monty Python and the Holy Grail was Terry Gilliam's first film as a director. Here he remembers how he taught the nation to laugh at castles|first=Phelim|last=O'Neill|date=9 March 2002|access-date=19 February 2018|work=[[The Guardian]]|quote=There was no studio interference because there was no studio; none of them would give us any money. This was at the time income tax was running as high as 90%, so we turned to rock stars for finance. [[Elton John]], [[Pink Floyd]], [[Led Zeppelin]], they all had money, they knew our work and we seemed a good tax write-off. Except, of course we weren't. It was like [[The Producers (1967 film)|''The Producers'']].|archive-date=5 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905112428/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/mar/09/features.phelimoneill|url-status=live}}</ref>  Idle and Gilliam had previously mentioned that [[Elton John]] also contributed to the financing of the film.<ref name="guardian"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://twitter.com/EricIdle/status/788040709018308608 |title=Eric Idle 2016 Tweet |date=26 October 2016 |access-date=30 January 2022 |via=[[Twitter]] |archive-date=30 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220130192228/https://twitter.com/EricIdle/status/788040709018308608 |url-status=live }}</ref> A 2021 tweet by Eric Idle<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://twitter.com/ericidle/status/1369081521655619584 |title=Eric Idle Tweet |date=8 March 2021 |access-date=7 July 2021 |via=[[Twitter]] |archive-date=29 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210629234610/https://twitter.com/EricIdle/status/1369081521655619584 |url-status=live }}</ref> revealed that the entire original budget of £175,350 (about $410,000 in 1974) was provided by eight investors: [[Led Zeppelin]] (£31,500), [[Pink Floyd]] (£21,000), [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull's]] [[Ian Anderson]] (£6300), ''Holy Grail'''s co-producer [[Michael White (producer)|Michael White]] (£78,750), Heartaches (a cricket team founded by lyricist [[Tim Rice]]; £5,250), and three record companies: [[Island Records]] (£21,000), [[Chrysalis Records]] (£6,300), and [[Charisma Records]] (£5,250), the record label that had released Python's early comedy albums.<ref name="Mental Floss">{{cite web|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/65207/15-facts-about-monty-python-and-holy-grail|title=15 Facts about Monty Python and the Holy Grail|first=Sean|last=Hutchinson|date=16 June 2016|access-date=19 February 2018|archive-date=14 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180214032038/http://mentalfloss.com/article/65207/15-facts-about-monty-python-and-holy-grail|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=RS>{{Cite magazine |last=Grow |first=Kory |date=2021-03-09 |title=How Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Jethro Tull Helped Make 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/monty-holy-grail-python-led-zeppelin-pink-floyd-1138962/ |access-date=2024-09-15 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US }}</ref>  The investors also received part of the proceeds from the 2005 musical ''[[Spamalot]]''.<ref name=RS/>

===Filming===
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''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'' was mostly shot on location in [[Scotland]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ukonscreen.com/egjcibb-Monty-Python-and-the-Holy-Grail-%281975%29.html |title=Monty Python and the Holy Grail filming locations |publisher=Ukonscreen.com |access-date=16 June 2011 |archive-date=7 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007190405/http://www.ukonscreen.com/egjcibb-Monty-Python-and-the-Holy-Grail-(1975).html |url-status=dead }}</ref> particularly around [[Doune Castle]], [[Glen Coe]], and the privately owned [[Castle Stalker]].{{sfn|Li|2011}} The many castles seen throughout the film were mainly either Doune Castle shot from different angles or [[hanging miniature]]s.<ref name="QuestLocation">{{cite AV media|last=Jones |first=Terry |chapter=The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations |title=Monty Python and the Holy Grail |year=2001 |publisher=Columbia Tristar |medium=DVD }}</ref> There are several exceptions to this: the first exterior shot of a castle at the beginning of the film is [[Kidwelly Castle]] in South Wales, and the single exterior shot of the Swamp Castle during "Tale of Sir Lancelot" is [[Bodiam Castle]] in East Sussex;<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/jun/02/guardianspecial4.guardianspecial2 |title=Bodiam Castle, East Sussex |access-date=18 April 2013 |location=London |date=5 June 2007 |archive-date=5 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141005030402/http://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/jun/02/guardianspecial4.guardianspecial2 |url-status=live }}</ref> all subsequent shots of the exterior and interior of those scenes were filmed at Doune Castle. Production designer Julian Doyle recounted that his crew constructed walls in the forest near Doune.<ref>{{cite AV media|last=Doyle |first=Julian |chapter=The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations |title=Monty Python and the Holy Grail |year=2001 |publisher=Columbia Tristar |medium=DVD }}</ref> Terry Jones later recalled the crew had selected more castles around Scotland for locations, but during the two weeks prior to [[principal photography]], the Scottish Department of the Environment declined permission for use of the castles in its jurisdiction, for fear of damage.<ref name="QuestLocation"/>

At the start of "The Tale of Sir Robin", there is a slow camera zoom in on rocky scenery (that in the voice-over is described as "the dark forest of Ewing"). This is actually a still photograph of the gorge at [[Mount Buffalo National Park]] in Victoria, Australia. Doyle stated in 2000 during an interview with ''[[Hotdog (magazine)|Hotdog]]'' magazine<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.angelfire.com/ny5/mpholygrail/article5.html|title=Never have so few suffered for the enjoyment of so many: the making of Monty Python And The Holy Grail|date=October 2000|at=via [[Angelfire.com]] (convenience link)|magazine=[[Hotdog (magazine)|Hotdog]]|access-date=2 May 2015|archive-date=4 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904002614/http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/mpholygrail/article5.html|url-status=live}}</ref> that it was a still image filmed with candles underneath the frame (to give a heat haze). This was a low-cost method of achieving a convincing location effect.
 
On the DVD audio commentary, Cleese described challenges shooting and editing Castle Anthrax in "The Tale of Sir Galahad", with what he felt the most comedic [[take]] being unused because an anachronistic coat was visible in it.<ref>{{cite AV media|last=Cleese |first=John |title=Monty Python and the Holy Grail commentary |year=2001 |publisher=Columbia Tristar |medium=DVD }}</ref> Castle Anthrax was also shot in one part of Doune, where costume designer [[Hazel Pethig]] advised against [[Nudity in film|nudity]], dressing the girls in [[Shift (clothing)|shifts]].<ref name="QuestLocation"/>

The scene in which the knights fight the [[Rabbit of Caerbannog]] was filmed at [[Tomnadashan mine]]. A real white rabbit was used, switched with [[puppet]]s for its killings.<ref name="GilliamJones">{{cite AV media|last1=Gilliam |first1=Terry |last2=Jones |first2=Terry |title=Monty Python and the Holy Grail commentary |year=2001 |publisher=Columbia Tristar |medium=DVD }}</ref> The bite effects were done with special puppetry by both Gilliam and SFX technician John Horton. According to Gilliam, the rabbit was covered with red liquid to simulate blood, though its owner did not want the animal dirty and was kept unaware. The liquid was difficult to remove from the fur.<ref name="GilliamJones"/> Gilliam also stated that he thought, in hindsight, the crew could have just purchased their own rabbit instead. Regardless, the rabbit itself was unharmed.

As chronicled in ''The Life of Python'', ''The First 20 Years of Monty Python'', and ''The Pythons' Autobiography'', Chapman suffered from [[acrophobia]], trembling and bouts of forgetfulness during filming due to his [[alcoholism]], prompting him to refrain from drinking while the production continued in order to remain "on an even keel". Nearly three years later, in December 1977, Chapman achieved [[sobriety]].

Originally the knight characters were going to ride real horses, but after it became clear that the film's small budget precluded real horses (except for a lone horse appearing in a couple of scenes), the Pythons decided their characters would mime horse-riding while their [[Porter (carrier)|porters]] trotted behind them banging [[coconut]] shells together. The joke was derived from the old-fashioned [[Foley (filmmaking)|sound effect]] used by radio shows to convey the sound of hooves clattering. This was later referred to in the German release of the film, which translated the title as ''Die Ritter der Kokosnuß'' (''The Knights of the Coconut'').<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/einestages/monty-python-ritter-der-kokosnuss-wird-40-a-1026828.html|title=Kult-Comedygruppe Monty Python: Mit Hase, Gral und Handgranate|last1=Pitzke|first1=Marc|date=9 April 2015|work=[[Der Spiegel]]|access-date=9 January 2019|archive-date=1 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190101113358/http://www.spiegel.de/einestages/monty-python-ritter-der-kokosnuss-wird-40-a-1026828.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Similarly, the Hungarian title ''Gyalog galopp'' translates to "Galloping on Foot".<ref>Foster, Simon (April 12, 2013). [https://www.sbs.com.au/movies/article/2013/04/12/film-fact-hungary "Film Fact: Hungary"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603134255/https://www.sbs.com.au/movies/article/2013/04/12/film-fact-hungary |date=3 June 2021 }}. [[Special Broadcasting Service]].</ref>