Film #131 - Yellowbeard (1983)
After the end of the Monty Python TV show, the various members of the troupe went their separate ways, each pursuing different projects (although often with one or more fellow members involved). Graham Chapman was no different, but (perhaps due to his well documented drinking problems) he only ever got one film project to fruition, the pirate comedy Yellowbeard.
Yellowbeard is not the strongest post-Python project, but its certainly not the worst, either. (That would be Erik the Viking, in my humble opinion.) There are a lot of awfully good ideas and some terrific performances from Python and non-Python performers alike.
At the heart of the film (although not technically the lead character) is Yellowbeard the pirate, played by Chapman. He is captured by the British authorities and spends twnety years in prison. On the eve of his release, he is sentenced to an additional 120 years, which prompts him to finally escape. But this is all a plot by Commander Clement (Eric Idle) to get his to reveal the location of his treasure, also sought by his old Boatswain Moon (Peter Boyle) and his henchman Gilbert (Marty Feldman). Eventually, Yellowbeard learns that the map is tatooed to the head of his son, Dan (Martin Hewitt), put there by “Mrs. Yellowbeard”, Betty (Madeline Kahn). Dan, the man he thought was his father, Lord Percy Lambourn (Peter Cook) and Lord Percy’s associate Dr. Gilpin (Michael Hordern) decide to head out to hind the treasure, setting up a far-reaching adventure that reveals much about what it takes to be a pirate. Oh, wait, I’ve left out the sidetracks to Queen Anne (Peter Bull) and her attendant Lady Churchill (Susannah York), the machinations of Blind Pew (John Cleese), the schemes of bishop-turned-dictator El Nebuloso (Tommy Chong) and his henchman El Segundo (Cheech Marin) and the travails of the heros under the thumb of Captain Hughes (James Mason) and his Boatswain Mr. Crisp (Kenneth Mars).
Yes, it’s jam packed with plot, people. There’s an awful lot going on here and it is to the film’s credit that it is, at least, clearly delineated. It’s never confusing or disjointed. It does meander a bit before finding its feet, but as these wacky comedies go, it’s surprisingly straightforward.
The biggest problem for Yellowbeard is that it can’t seem to decide if it is an action/comedy or a parody. That may seem like a minor difference, but it all points to how one handles the material. A good action/comedy treats the material with respect, but makes sure everything happens in a basically humorous way. A parody pokes fun at the traditions and standards of the genre it is tackling. Yellowbeard is mostly the former, but has a lot of the latter in there as well, keeping the film from a firm footing. It causes many of the jokes to lack punch and keeps the audience from settling in properly.
Luckily, the cast is exceptional. In addition to those mentioned, there’s small parts for Spike Milligan, Nigel Planer, Bernard Fox and Beryl Reid. The strongest performance is from Cleese, who was apparently reluctant to originally appear. He doesn’t seem to have held back at all, really selling the material, regardless of its occasional weaknesses. Idle is also quite good, particularly in his interaction with Planer and Kahn (who is mostly a bit too much of a characature, but comes alive in scenes with Idle). Boyle, Feldman, Marin and Chong are all fine, but none of them get a chance to shine as they did in other films. The same can be said of Hordern and Cook, along for the ride, but not really stretching themselves.
Unfortunately, Chapman is not at his best here. Perhaps the strain of getting the film into production was too distracting, but he never seems to give Yellowbeard a real center. He’s more of a cartoonish creation that Chapman’s Python leading roles in Holy Grail and Life of Brian. In both of those films, he was able to instill his characters with real humanity. (Which always amazed me, as I felt he was the weakest performer of the bunch.) But here, he rarely rises above the basic personification that we see during the opening sequence.
Still, I’ve always found Yellowbeard to be quite entertaining despite its flaws. The solid (and sometimes great) work from the supporting cast helps it rise above the weak leads and often wonky script. I’ve certainly never understood its reputation as an overall bad film. Not everything has to be genius in order to be entertaining, and that’s just what Yellowbeard is: an entertaining comedy. And as the only example of a true post-Python work of Graham Chapman, I think that’s a pretty good thing to be.