Monty Python Scripts

'The Black Eagle'

The cast:

ANNOUNCER

John Cleese

ITS MAN

Michael Palin

The sketch:

(Close up of a flag bearing a black eagle on a red background fluttering in the wind. Blue sky behind and scudding clouds. Adventure music as for buccaneer film.)

CAPTIONS:

THE BLACK EAGLE
CAST
BLACK EAGLE ..............THORNTON WELLES
MEG FAIRWEATHER .............KATE TAMBLYING
JACK FAIRWEATHER ..............OWEN TREGOWER
HENRY FAIRWEATHER ..............RUSS TEMPOLE JNR.
MRS FAIRWEATHER .............ALICE SHOEMAKER
DR TENNYSON .............MARSHALL M. WEST
LUMPKIN .............DINO DE VERE
MR RIVERS .............WALTER SCHENKEL
LT STAVEACRE .............NORMAN S, HUGHES
A WENCH .............MARSHA SUTTON
SECOND WENCH .............TINEA PEDIS
THE DOG .............KARL
SCREENPLAY BY AL R. SCHROEDER AND WAYNE KOPIT
BASED ON THE NOVEL 'THE BLUE EAGLE' BY RAPHAEL SABATINI
SET DECORATION .............CY BORGONI
MAKE-UP .............BUNICE DILKES
COSTUMES .............JOAN LOUIS
UNIT MANAGER .............TREVOR BELOWSKI
CONTINUITY ............. SUE CARPENTER
SPECIAL EFFECTS ..............WALTER SCHENKEL
MISS TAMBLYING'S GOWNS BY HEPWORTHS
color BY CHROMAcolor
SOUND RECORDING WCA SYSTEM
COPYRIGHT BY SCHENKEL PRODUCTIONS
ANY SIMILARITY BETWEEN PERSONS LIVING OR DEAD IS COINCIDENTAL
PRODUCED BY JOSEPH M. SCHLACK
DIRECTED BY LAURENT F. NORDER

(Mix through from flag to sea at night. Sound of water lapping. Soft sound of muffled oars drawing nearer. We can see a rowing bat making slowly and silently towards the shore where the camera is. The stirring music continues)

ROLLER CAPTION: 'IN I742 THE SPANISH EMPIRE LAY IN RUINS. TORN BY INTERNAL DISSENT, AND WRACKED BY NUMEROUS WARS, ITS RICH TRADE ROUTES FELL AN EASY PREY TO BRITISH PRIVATEERS · · · AND THE TREASURE OF THE SPANISH MAIN WAS BROUGHT HOME TO THE SHORES OF ENGLAND'

(By the time the roller captions have finished the rowing boat has approached much nearer. It stops and they ship their oars. Cut in to close ups of pirate's face peering into the darkness. Shot from the boat of a deserted cliff top. A light flashes twice. Then then is a pause. Cut back to the boat; the men look uneasy as they wait for the third flash.

Cut back to the cliff... at last; the third flash. Cut back to the boat; they start to row again. Cut to them beaching the boat on the shore.

They start to unload sacks and chests. Putting them onto their shoulders they start to walk along the shore line. We pan with them for quite some way... and suddenly between the camera and the pirates we come across the announcer at a desk. He wears a dinner jacket and shuffles some papers in front of him.)

Announcer: (JOHN) And now for something completely different...

lt's Man: It's...

(Animated titles.)

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