Terry Jones
Terry Jones, †21 January 2020 A few comedians are funny by some divine spark, like Spike Milligan, or perhaps Graham Chapman. Most are funny because they've worked at it, because they've applied their mind to the craft of humour. Foolery is no laughing matter. Terry Jones directed each of Monty Python's three feature films, Holy Grail, Life of Brian, and the Meaning of Life (co-directing the first with Terry Gilliam). Each film features at least one outrageous Jones creation - most notably Brian's mother and the exploding Mr. Creosote. Each features a set-piece musical number, of which the most elaborate is Every Sperm is Sacred from the Meaning of Life. Jones always rejected the suggestion that this was a parody of a Lionel Bart musical number - it was a Lionel Bart musical number. Jones had worked out that the satire was in the content, not the form - the form would best support the humour if played straight. As a historian, Jones made some engaging historical...