And Now for Something Completely Different (1971) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A sequence of disconnected comic sketches uses mock instruction, parody, and absurd reversals to culminate in a vocational misadventure.

Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases

Lessons in Absurdity

The Announcer introduces an instructional sketch about invisibility. The program then breaks its own flow with an announced interval and bizarre tape-recorder films.

Key Events

• How Not to Be Seen — The Announcer introduces a mock lesson on how not to be seen. Characters: Brother / Policeman / Defence attorney / British pedestrian / Mr. Harrison (Apricot) / The Colonel / 'Hell's Grannies' policeman / Jimmy Blankensop / Sir Edward Ross / Restaurant patron #1 / Letter Writer / Oliver St. John Mollusk / Mountie / Town Guild L Location: Instructional film setting
• Invisible Residents Fail to Hide — Invisible residents demonstrate the complications of hiding, including choosing an obvious bush or going on holiday. Characters: Brother / Policeman / Defence attorney / British pedestrian / Mr. Harrison (Apricot) / The Colonel / 'Hell's Grannies' policeman / Jimmy Blankensop / Sir Edward Ross / Restaurant patron #1 / Letter Writer / Oliver St. John Mollusk / Mountie / Town Guild L Location: Instructional film setting
• Unexpected Interval — The picture apologizes for being shorter than expected and announces an interval. Characters: Brother / Policeman / Defence attorney / British pedestrian / Mr. Harrison (Apricot) / The Colonel / 'Hell's Grannies' policeman / Jimmy Blankensop / Sir Edward Ross / Restaurant patron #1 / Letter Writer / Oliver St. John Mollusk / Mountie / Town Guild L Location: Film program
• Tape Recorder Noses — Two brief films feature a man with a tape recorder in his nose and another with one in his brother's nose. Characters: Gumby / Man with tape recorder / Phrasebook Author / Arthur Pewtey / Second self - defence student / Second Tenant / Lost His Wallet / Shrill Petrol Announcer / Milkman / Ernest Scribbler / Pet shop employee / Lumberjack / Headwaiter Gilberto / Herbert An Location: Absurd interval films

Fruit, Fear, and False Danger

The program resumes with a tobacconist sequence and an increasingly exaggerated self-defence lesson involving fruit. A warning against silliness gives way to a melodramatic report about old ladies terrorizing young men.

Key Events

• Tobacconist Visitors — The program resumes with a comic sequence involving foreigners and Hungarians visiting a tobacconist. Characters: Brother / Policeman / Defence attorney / British pedestrian / Mr. Harrison (Apricot) / The Colonel / 'Hell's Grannies' policeman / Jimmy Blankensop / Sir Edward Ross / Restaurant patron #1 / Letter Writer / Oliver St. John Mollusk / Mountie / Town Guild L Location: Tobacconist shop
• Fruit-Based Self-Defence — The instructor teaches students to respond to attackers armed with different kinds of fruit. Characters: Brother / Policeman / Defence attorney / British pedestrian / Mr. Harrison (Apricot) / The Colonel / 'Hell's Grannies' policeman / Jimmy Blankensop / Sir Edward Ross / Restaurant patron #1 / Letter Writer / Oliver St. John Mollusk / Mountie / Town Guild L, Self-Defence Nun / Flasher / Uncle Sam / Caterpillar Man / Sign Holder / Conrad Poohs Location: Self-defence lesson
• Banana Lesson Escalates — Mr. Harrison attempts a banana attack, and the instructor warns the film against becoming silly. Characters: Brother / Policeman / Defence attorney / British pedestrian / Mr. Harrison (Apricot) / The Colonel / 'Hell's Grannies' policeman / Jimmy Blankensop / Sir Edward Ross / Restaurant patron #1 / Letter Writer / Oliver St. John Mollusk / Mountie / Town Guild L, Brother / Policeman / Defence attorney / British pedestrian / Mr. Harrison (Apricot) / The Colonel / 'Hell's Grannies' policeman / Jimmy Blankensop / Sir Edward Ross / Restaurant patron #1 / Letter Writer / Oliver St. John Mollusk / Mountie / Town Guild L Location: Self-defence lesson
• City Under Granny Threat — A melodramatic report describes gangs of old ladies pushing defenseless young men off the pavement. Characters: Brother / Policeman / Defence attorney / British pedestrian / Mr. Harrison (Apricot) / The Colonel / 'Hell's Grannies' policeman / Jimmy Blankensop / Sir Edward Ross / Restaurant patron #1 / Letter Writer / Oliver St. John Mollusk / Mountie / Town Guild L Location: City streets

Mock Sales and Strange Acts

Mock advertisements turn toothpaste, petrol, and defense into comic demonstrations, while a police siege becomes a teeth promotion. A nightclub performance by trained mice continues the collection of disconnected entertainment sketches.

Key Events

• Absurd Advertising Demonstrations — The Shrill Petrol Announcer presents toothpaste, petrol, and international defense with absurd diagrams and toy-like demonstrations. Characters: Gumby / Man with tape recorder / Phrasebook Author / Arthur Pewtey / Second self - defence student / Second Tenant / Lost His Wallet / Shrill Petrol Announcer / Milkman / Ernest Scribbler / Pet shop employee / Lumberjack / Headwaiter Gilberto / Herbert An Location: Mock advertising presentation
• Siege Becomes Tooth Promotion — A police siege abruptly turns into an introduction for Conrad Poohs and his supposedly spectacular teeth. Characters: Self-Defence Nun / Flasher / Uncle Sam / Caterpillar Man / Sign Holder / Conrad Poohs, Gumby / Man with tape recorder / Phrasebook Author / Arthur Pewtey / Second self - defence student / Second Tenant / Lost His Wallet / Shrill Petrol Announcer / Milkman / Ernest Scribbler / Pet shop employee / Lumberjack / Headwaiter Gilberto / Herbert An Location: Police siege presentation
• Mouse Organist Performance — Mouse Organist Ken Ewing presents trained mice as musical performers. Characters: Self-Defence Nun / Flasher / Uncle Sam / Caterpillar Man / Sign Holder / Conrad Poohs Location: Nightclub

Parrot Complaint and Career Advice

A pet-shop argument over a dead parrot shifts into the employee's lumberjack fantasy and song. The closing sketch redirects an accountant's mistaken ambition to become a lion tamer toward a banking or insurance career.

Key Events

• Dead Parrot Dispute — A customer insists the parrot has ceased to exist, while the employee refuses to accept that it needs replacing. Characters: Gumby / Man with tape recorder / Phrasebook Author / Arthur Pewtey / Second self - defence student / Second Tenant / Lost His Wallet / Shrill Petrol Announcer / Milkman / Ernest Scribbler / Pet shop employee / Lumberjack / Headwaiter Gilberto / Herbert An Location: Pet shop
• Employee Reveals Lumberjack Dream — The employee reveals that he wanted to be a lumberjack, leading into a song about forests, work, and his imagined best girl. Characters: Gumby / Man with tape recorder / Phrasebook Author / Arthur Pewtey / Second self - defence student / Second Tenant / Lost His Wallet / Shrill Petrol Announcer / Milkman / Ernest Scribbler / Pet shop employee / Lumberjack / Headwaiter Gilberto / Herbert An, Best Girl Location: Pet shop and imagined song setting
• Accountant Seeks Lion Taming — A frustrated accountant asks to become a lion tamer, citing zoo visits and a glowing hat as his experience. Characters: Brother / Policeman / Defence attorney / British pedestrian / Mr. Harrison (Apricot) / The Colonel / 'Hell's Grannies' policeman / Jimmy Blankensop / Sir Edward Ross / Restaurant patron #1 / Letter Writer / Oliver St. John Mollusk / Mountie / Town Guild L Location: Vocational guidance office
• Lion Mistaken for Anteater — The accountant's supposed animal experience is undermined when he has mistaken an anteater for a lion. Characters: Brother / Policeman / Defence attorney / British pedestrian / Mr. Harrison (Apricot) / The Colonel / 'Hell's Grannies' policeman / Jimmy Blankensop / Sir Edward Ross / Restaurant patron #1 / Letter Writer / Oliver St. John Mollusk / Mountie / Town Guild L Location: Vocational guidance office
• Career Redirected to Banking — After seeing a real lion, the accountant agrees to pursue lion taming through banking or insurance instead. Characters: Brother / Policeman / Defence attorney / British pedestrian / Mr. Harrison (Apricot) / The Colonel / 'Hell's Grannies' policeman / Jimmy Blankensop / Sir Edward Ross / Restaurant patron #1 / Letter Writer / Oliver St. John Mollusk / Mountie / Town Guild L Location: Vocational guidance office

Story Breakdown

• Invisible Residents — An instructional presentation humorously explores the difficulty of staying unseen.
  • Mock Instruction — The Announcer presents a lesson on how not to be seen.
  • Failed Hiding — Invisible residents demonstrate that stillness, an obvious bush, or taking a holiday do not solve the problem.
• Interrupted Program — The film comments on its own length before inserting bizarre interval material.
  • Announced Interval — The picture apologizes for being shorter than expected and announces an interval.
  • Nose Recorders — Brief films feature tape recorders placed in a man's nose and his brother's nose.
• Fruit Defence Lesson — A self-defence class grows increasingly silly as the instructor faces fruit-based attacks.
  • Fruit Attacks — The instructor teaches responses to passion fruit, apples, cherries, and bananas.
  • Silliness Warning — Mr. Harrison's banana attack prompts the instructor to warn the film not to become silly.
• Mock Public Threats — Melodrama and parody turn ordinary subjects into exaggerated public spectacles.
  • Granny Gangs — A report describes old ladies pushing defenseless young men from the pavement.
  • Absurd Advertising — The Shrill Petrol Announcer presents toothpaste, petrol, and international defense through comic demonstrations.
• Unusual Entertainment — The compilation shifts among bizarre promotional and performance sketches.
  • Tooth Promotion — A police siege abruptly serves as an introduction for Conrad Poohs and his supposedly spectacular teeth.
  • Mouse Organist — Ken Ewing presents trained mice as musical performers at a nightclub.
• Parrot and Lumberjack — A dispute over a dead bird opens into the pet-shop employee's imagined alternative life.
  • Dead Parrot Dispute — The customer says the parrot has ceased to exist, while the employee rejects the need to replace it.
  • Lumberjack Fantasy — The employee reveals his ambition and sings about forest work and his imagined best girl.
• Accountant Changes Course — A would-be lion tamer discovers the weakness of his qualifications and accepts a less immediate route.
  • Mistaken Experience — The accountant cites zoo visits and a glowing hat, but has mistaken an anteater for a lion.
  • Banking Redirect — After seeing a real lion, he agrees to consider reaching lion taming through banking or insurance.

Directed by

Ian MacNaughton

Key Cast

• Graham Chapman — Brother / Policeman / Defence attorney / British pedestrian / Mr. Harrison (Apricot) / The Colonel / 'Hell's Grannies' policeman / Jimmy Blankensop / Sir Edward Ross / Restaurant patron #1 /
• John Cleese — Announcer / Hungarian Citizen / self - Defence Teacher / Sir George Head / Policeman / Interviewer / Mr. Praline / Second General / Christopher Columbus / Mungo the Cook / Bank Robber / Accou
• Terry Gilliam — Self-Defence Nun / Flasher / Uncle Sam / Caterpillar Man / Sign Holder / Conrad Poohs
• Eric Idle — Prosecutor / Marriage Counselor / Arthur Nudge / Self-defence student #4 (interested in pointed sticks) / 'Hell's Grannies' analyst / Arthur Wilson / Arthur Wilson Two / Nightclub Emcee / Lin
• Terry Jones — Stage Manager / Tobacconist / 2nd Hungarian Man / Squire / Self-defence student #3 / Tenant #1 / Flasher / Mouse Organist Ken Ewing / Fat Soldier / Waiter / Nude Organist / Brian / Nigel Incu