>>>
>>> FROM
>>> FROM HIS DAYS IN THE MONTY PYTHON TROUPE TO FILMS LIKE A
FISH CALLED WANDA, GENERATIONS
OF COME TO LOVE JOHN CLEESE.
TODAY HE IS IN TOWN TO ACCEPT
AN AWARD FROM THE DALLAS CINEMA
+@
AN AWARD FROM THE DALLAS CINEMA FEST.
FEST.
FEST. HE
FEST. HE HAS A GENIUS AND A TREASURE
AND WE ARE SO PLEASED TO
WELCOME+@ HIM +@TO MIDDAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US.
US.
US. YOU'RE TAKING A NAP.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
LUCK+@Y FOR YOU, I DON'T+@ N+@E
THOSE.
THOSE.
THOSE. >>
THOSE. >> LET'S SEE, HE IS A GENIUS
AND A TREASURE -- THAT IS
CERTAINLY TRUE.
CERTAINLY TRUE. >> THANK YOU, WHAT WOULD I DO
WITHOUT THESE SCRIPTS?
I DON'T PANIC.
THEY TAUGHT US THAT I+@N
JOURNALISM.
JOURNALISM. >> REALLY?
>> REALLY? >> WELCOME BACK TO DALLAS.
>> I HAVE BEEN HERE A LOT AND I
ALWAYS HAVE A WARM SPOT FOR
THIS PLACE.
THIS PLACE. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK OF TEXAS?
>> SOMEONE SAID IT IS A STATE
OF MIND.
OF MIND.
OF MIND. >> IT IS.
>> IT IS.
>> IT IS. >> YOU KNOW, YOU COULD FIT
GREAT BRITAIN, WITH ITS
POPULATION OF 80 MILLION, INTO
TEXAS 2.2 TIMES.
THAT IS EXTRAORDINARY.
IT IS SO VAST HERE.+@
WE LIVE IN EUROPE, WHICH IS
THIS TINY PLACE, WHERE YOU ARE
TWO HOURS FROM EVERYWHERE.
>> WHICH IS FINE.
I LIVED IN EUROPE FOR A LITTLE
WHILE.
WHILE.
WHILE. YOU CAN GET TO THIS PLACE AND
+@
YOU CAN GET TO THIS PLACE AND +@THAT PLACE FOR THE WEEKEND.
>> WHERE WERE YOU?
>> THE NETHERLANDS.
LOVELY.
LOVELY.
LOVELY. >> REALLY COLD. +@
>> IT WAS.
THE IRONY.
THE IRONY. ALL RIGHT, SO YOU ARE IN TOWN.
PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT
PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT@ ME.
ME.
ME. YOU
ME. YOU ARE IN TOWN FOR THE 50th
ANNIVERSARY OF MONTY PYTHON'S
FLYING CIRCUS LAUNCHING IN THE
UK.
UK.
UK. SO,
UK. SO, WHAT DID YOU DO --
>> I AM HERE FOR A VERY
SPECIFIC REASON.
SPECIFIC REASON. >> YOU ARE, TO BE GIVEN AN
+@
+@ AWARD.
AWARD.
AWARD. >>
AWARD. >> I WILL BE GIVEN THE AWARD,
WHICH IS LOVELY.
I KNOW HE WAS VERY SPECIAL.
BUT I CAME HERE TO THINK DALLAS
FORMALLY ON BEHALF +@OF ALL THE
OTHER PLACES FOR BEING THE
FIRST CITY IN AMERICA EVER TO
PUT MONTY PYTHON OUT ON
TELEVISION.
TELEVISION. IT WAS A HUGE BREAKTHROUGH FOR
US, BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE WANTED
TO PUT US OUT.
THEY THOUGHT WE WERE TOO
SUBVERSIVE AND NAUGHTY.
THEN THE GUY WHO RAN THE
STATION HERE, ONE DAY HE TOOK
+@HIS LIFE IN HIS HANDS AND PUT
OUT THE FIRST PYTHON SHOW AND
AL+@L HIS PBS FRIENDS AROUND TH
AREA SAID, DID TH+@EY BURN THE
STUDIO DOWN?
STUDIO DOWN? NO, IT WAS FINE.
THEN WE WENT ALL OVER AMERICA,
WHICH ENABLED MONTY PYTHON TO
BE SUCH A G+@REAT SUCCESS A FEW
WEEKS LATER.
WEEKS LATER. SO WE OWE IT ALL TO DALLAS.
>> WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IF
PEOPLE HAD NOT TAKEN WELL TO
IT?
IT?
IT? WHAT
IT? WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE?
>> I WOULDN'T BE ON THE SHOW
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. >>
TODAY. >> YOU THINK?
>> NO, OF COURSE NOT.
PYTHON WAS HUGE IN AMERICA AND
HAS BEEN FOR YEARS, ALL BECAUSE
RON HAD THE COURAGE TO PUT US
ON.
ON.
ON. WE
ON. WE HAD SOMEBODY FROM WGBH
BOSTON.
BOSTON.
BOSTON. HE CAME AND WE SHOWED HIM A
COUPLE OF EPISODES AND HE WENT
AS WHITE AS THIS AND STAGGERED
OFF INTO THE DISTANCE.
HE COULD SEE HIS CAREER
DISAPPEARING.
DISAPPEARING. PEOPLE IN TELEVISION, +@AS YOU
@ MIGHT HAVE NOTICED, ARE QUITE
FICKLE.
FICKLE.
FICKLE. >> I'VE NEVER NOTICED.
>> NEVER NOTICED THAT.
>> WHEN PEOPLE MEET YOU
NOWADAYS, WHAT IS MOST COMMON
OR DO THEY MAYBE ASK YOU
SOMETHING?
SOMETHING? WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON GO TO?
>> THEY USUALLY SAY YOUR MOTHER
WAS A HAMSTER AND YOUR FATHER
SMELLED OF ELDERBERRIES OR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THEN I
HAVE TO TRY TO REMEMBER.
BUT WHAT I FOUND WHEN I FIRST
CAME TO TEXAS, I WAS A
CELEBRITY. +@
CELEBRITY. +@ ALL THESE NICE YOUNG PEOPLE --
BUT WHEN I WENT TO THE GYM 500
YARDS DOWN THE STREET, NOB+@ODY
HAD THE SLIGHTEST IDE+@A WHO I
WAS.
WAS.
WAS. SO
WAS. SO THERE WAS A POINT O+@N THE
STREET WHERE I BECAME A
CELEBRITY AND ANOTHER POINT
WHERE I CEASED TO BE A
CELEBRITY.
CELEBRITY. >> WE SHOULD SAY, YOU JUST
TURNED 80 YEARS OLD.
>> SO THEY SAY.
>> HOW DO YOU KEEP IT+@ GOING?
>> WELL, MY HEART KEEPS BEATING
AND THAT IS THE KEY.
>> YOU SAY YOU EXERCISE, THAT
IS GOOD.
IS GOOD.
IS GOOD. >> I USED TO EXERCISE.
I GOT FAT RECENTLY BECAUSE I
HAVE BEEN WORKING TOO HARD.
BUT I QUITE LIKE EXERCISE.
I HAVE A BAD FOOT.
YOU WANT TO TAKE A LOOK?
>> WE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT
ANYTHING HERE.+@
ANYTHING HERE.+@ >> IT IS HARD TO EXERCISE --
>> WE HAVE SOME GOOD DOCTORS IN
DALLAS WHO CAN TAKE CARE OF
THAT FOR YOU.
YOU ARE EXCITED TO RECEIVE THIS
AWARD.
AWARD.
AWARD. YOU HAVE A SPEECH PLANNED OR
PREPARED?
PREPARED?
PREPARED? >> NO, I WILL JUST GO AND SEE
BECAUSE I AM VERY OL+@D.
I AM 80 AND I HAVE LOTS OF
JOKES AND ANECDOTES, YOU KNOW
WHAT I MEAN?
TO DRAW FROM NOW, SO I DON'T
HAVE TO PREPARE THE WAY I USED
TO WHEN I WAS YOUNG.
ALSO TH+@E NICE THING IS IF THE
GIVE YOU AN AWARD, IT MEANS
THEY LIKE YOU.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO PROVE
YOURSELF, THEY ALREADY LIKE
YOU, SEE?
YOU, SEE?
YOU, SEE? >> I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL +@I GET T
THAT POINT IN MY LIFE.
AND I MADE HIM LAUGH --+@
>> YOU HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO.
>> WE HAVE+@ GONE OFF THE CUFF
THIS INTERVIEW, SO YOU CAN TAKE
THAT PAPER BACK AND TEAR IT UP
NOW.
NOW.
NOW. >>
NOW. >> YOU DESCRIBED YOURSELF --
WHAT DOES IT SAY?
WATCH THE CHAIR. +@
OH BOY, THAT WA+@S VERY FORWARD
>> THE ERNIE KOVACS AWARD
HONORING JOHN CLEESE'S TONIGHT
AT 7:00 AT +@THE TEXAS THEATRE
OAK CLIFF.
OAK CLIFF. FOR INFORMATION --
>> GO