Monty Python and the Holy Grail Monty Python and the Holy Grail Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1975 British independent slapstick comedy film concerning the Arthurian legend, written and performed by the Monty Python comedy group of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, and directed by Gilliam and Jones. It was conceived during the hiatus between the third and fourth series of their BBC television series "Monty Python's Flying Circus". In contrast to the group's first film, "And Now for Something Completely Different", a compilation of sketches from the first two television series, "Holy Grail" draws
Monty Python in three, Chapman in two, and Gilliam in one. Idle did not participate in the Amnesty shows. Notwithstanding Idle's lack of participation, the other five members (together with "Associate Pythons" Carol Cleveland and Neil Innes) all appeared together in the first "Secret Policeman's Ball" benefit—the 1976 "A Poke in the Eye"—where they performed several Python sketches. In this first show, they were collectively billed as "Monty Python". (Peter Cook deputised for the errant Idle in a courtroom sketch.) In the next three shows, the participating Python members performed many Python sketches, but were billed under their individual names rather than