Halfway to Hollywood : Diaries 1980-1988 by Michael Palin

 

I actually started this large volume of Michael Palin diaries in July and have dipped into them most evenings. It is a big book, 621 pages in hardback plus photographs. It is quite heavy to handle. At the beginning of the book is a very handy timeline to cover this period of diaries from the first day of 1980 to the 24th September 1988 before he sets out on his expedition "Round the World in 80 Days". So the following notes are those entries that I found particularly interesting.

1980 starts with assisting his great friend Terry Gilliam to write and film "Time Bandits".  Later I did not realise how big Monty Python had been in the USA. "The Life of Brian" had been so successful that the team were in America to film "Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl".

In 1981 Michael Palin was writing "The Missionary" and had found interest from George Harrison's Hand Made Films. Their producer Denis O'Brien plays a large part in Palin's life at this stage. On the 20th July he had finished reading the script but as Palin explains "As I expected, the last thing he wants to do is give any artistic judgement on the script. He talks of it purely from a business point of view. he sounds to have no doubts that it's a commercial reality and he's treating it accordingly." An eight or nine week shoot in March April or May 1982.

It was actually May 1982 that filming began on "The Missionary" with Maggie Smith, David Suchet, Michael Hordern and Trevor Howard. There are some wonderful pieces about each day's filming. On a Sunday, on a rare day at home mid-shoot, he loves the "variety of children and friends .... I do value it so much. How could I want to leave all this?" (for a Hollywood career?). It seemed a very hard few months, with the additional responsibilities of helping to write and act in "Monty Python's Meaning of Life". On Monday 16th August 1982, Palin notes "the sixth week of Python filming - 17th week of filming since the end of March". It became five months solid work on both films.

Because he had written and starred in "The Missionary", he embarks upon a crushing media tour of America to publicise the movie. Then that red letter day on 4th November 1982, staying at the Sherry Netherland Hotel in NYC, and reading the last of the reviews of the film in the next day's New York Times. Another good review. "How on earth can I sleep. Who can I ring. They wont be up in England".

In 1983, with "The Missionary" released in the UK and "Meaning of Life" in the US and UK, Michael Palin reaches his 40th birthday on 5th May. Going for a run on Hampstead Heath he vows to "extricate myself from some of the many commitments in which I have become entangled over the years". But he only has himself  to blame. He really wants to write and it is all these commitments that hinder the process.

Over the last couple of years he became very friendly with Ray Cooper (the percussionist) who was a
trouble shooter for Hand Made Films who produced "The Missionary". They have a day out at Henley in June 1983 when they dine with George Harrison and then on to the latter's house in the evening. (Much later on Saturday 13th August 1988, at Michael's home in the evening, the doorbell goes. "It's George with an envelope with the sleeve notes for the first Travelling Wilbury's album that he wants Michael to look at. In the car are George's wife, children and their friends. They are all invited in.")

There are extracts in the diaries from 1983 that go to show how Palin is so much in demand. Piles of books and scripts are sent to him, requests for TV interviews and appearances on programmes, even a Hamlet in Sheffield. But it is as an actor that is next for Michael. First in Terry Gilliam's "Brazil" and then in Alan Bennett's "A Private Function" with Maggie Smith. They both are the highlights of 1984.

Then in 1985, Palin is writing "East of Ipswich", a very personal project situated in Southwold, home of his mother. I enjoyed reading about the development of the script and it's eventual filming for the BBC in June 1986. He takes on the chairmanship of Transport 2000, which is the least interesting part of his diaries. After "East of Ipswich", he is writing "American Friends" which becomes quite hard work. On 17th September 1986 he is struggling to sleep, struggling to write. "Then my great stand-by, a run. Running can never be anything but positive - that's the joy of it". Palin also thought he would make a good gardener. "Solitary, contemplative, open air sort of life has an attraction for me". Me too.

Although the first draft of "American Friends" was finished in 1987, it was the filming of the huge success that was "A Fish Called Wanda" that was the highlight of that year. Although this was overshadowed by the suicide of his sister Angela after many years of depression. He is reminded of how good a friend is Terry Jones. In the September of 1987, Palin is at the BBC for an initial meeting about their proposal for "Around the World in 80 days".

Then 1988 sees re-writes and meetings for "American Friends" but struggling to find any real interest. And then finally turned down by MGM. But Palin's script for "No 27" is filmed by the BBC. There are previews and press tours of the USA for "Wanda" which becomes a big hit in the States. Filming for "80 Days" starts in England, Michael having a medical and shoots at the Royal Geographical Society. These diaries end with Palin about to embark upon this expedition.