How Not To Be Seen
Encyclopedia
"How Not to Be Seen" is a popular sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus
. It was first aired as a the 11th episode of the 2nd series of the show (also known as episode 24).
This filmed sketch purports to be a British government film (No. 42, PARA. 6.) presented for public service (not unlike a public information film
). In this sketch, the narrator, John Cleese
, is trying to explain the importance of not being seen.
) SE 5
, who cannot be seen. The narrator asks him to stand up. He complies and is immediately shot. According to the narrator, "This demonstrates the value of not being seen."
There is a cut to another landscape wide shot. In it is Mrs B.J. Smegma of 13, The Crescent, Belmont. The narrator asks her to stand up. She also complies and is immediately shot.
Next is a shot of a clearing near a wood with only one bush in the middle of the frame. Somewhere in the vicinity is Mr. Nesbitt of Harlow New Town
. He is asked to stand up, but contrary to the previous people, does not comply. The narrator explains that Mr. Nesbitt has learned the first lesson of not being seen: not to stand up. However, he has chosen a very obvious piece of cover. The bush then explodes and a scream is heard.
Following this, we cut to another clearing with three bushes in the frame. Hiding nearby is Mr. E.V. Lambert of Homeleigh, The Burrows, Oswestry
, who has presented the narrator with a poser by choosing a very clever way of not being seen. "We do not know which bush he is behind", says the narrator, although we can soon find out: The left bush explodes, then the right one, and finally the middle bush is blown up, and mixed with the noise of the explosion comes the scream of Mr Lambert. "Yes it was the middle one," the Narrator intones.
Next is a farmland area with a water barrel, a wall, a pile of leaves, a bushy tree, a parked car, and lots of bushes in the distance. In this shot, Mr. Ken Andrews of Leighton Road, Slough
has concealed himself extremely well. He could be almost anywhere. He could be behind the wall, inside the water barrel, beneath a pile of leaves, up in the tree, squatting down behind the car, concealed in a hollow, or crouched behind any one of a hundred bushes. "However, we happen to know he's in the water barrel." The water barrel then explodes (without the accompaniment of a scream).
There is then a panning shot across a line of beach huts along the sea while the narrator explains that Mr. and Mrs. Watson of Ivy Cottage, Worplesdon Road, Hull
, have chosen a very cunning way of not being seen. "When we called at their house, we found that they had gone away on two weeks' holiday. They had not left any forwarding address and they had bolted and barred the house to prevent us from getting in. However a neighbour told us where they were", as the camera pans to spot a singled-out hut in the middle of the beach. The hut containing the Watsons explodes, accompanied by the couple's screams. The camera cuts to a Gumby
-looking fellow identified as the neighbour who told the filmmakers where the Watsons were. He explodes and his boots are the only remains. "Nobody likes a clever dick," explains the narrator.
The film cuts to a shack ("And this is where he lived"), which also blows up, then changes to another shack ("And this is where Lord Langdon lived; who refused to speak to us"), which blows up as well. The picture goes on to various changes of houses ("So did the gentleman who lived here, and here, and, of course, here"), which each blow up, and then a series of atomic explosions ("Manchester
, the West Midlands
, Spain
, China
!").
The narrator bursts into diabolical laughter and the sketch segues into Michael Palin
as a presenter stopping the film. "How Not to Be Seen" then becomes a running joke in the last two sketches of the episode. Palin then proceeds to interview a footballer who is crouched inside a filing cabinet so he "cannot be seen". Then a band performs the song "Yummy Yummy Yummy
" on a trendy pop-music set, with each member hiding inside wooden crates.
The ending was slightly altered in And Now For Something Completely Different
(ANFSCD), in which Cleese proceeds to say, with a serious face, "And now for something completely different" after laughing, and is blown up afterwards, segueing into the opening credits. Also in the ANFSCD version, there are 47 people in the first shot (rather than 40), the farmland scene is not shown, the beach hut scene is shortened, the explosions of Lord Langdon's and others' houses are not shown, and the atomic explosions are not seen. They are replaced by "And this is where he lived. And this is where he was born."'
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...
. It was first aired as a the 11th episode of the 2nd series of the show (also known as episode 24).
This filmed sketch purports to be a British government film (No. 42, PARA. 6.) presented for public service (not unlike a public information film
Public information film
Public Information Films are a series of government commissioned short films, shown during television advertising breaks in the UK. The US equivalent is the Public Service Announcement .-Subjects:...
). In this sketch, the narrator, John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
, is trying to explain the importance of not being seen.
Plot
The film starts with a serene wide shot of a landscape in which there are supposedly forty people, none of which can be seen. The picture then changes to another serene wide shot of a different landscape. In it is Mr E. R. Bradshaw of Napier Court, Black Lion Road, (LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) SE 5
SE postcode area
The SE postcode area, also known as the London SE postcode area, is the part of the London post town covering part of south east London, England...
, who cannot be seen. The narrator asks him to stand up. He complies and is immediately shot. According to the narrator, "This demonstrates the value of not being seen."
There is a cut to another landscape wide shot. In it is Mrs B.J. Smegma of 13, The Crescent, Belmont. The narrator asks her to stand up. She also complies and is immediately shot.
Next is a shot of a clearing near a wood with only one bush in the middle of the frame. Somewhere in the vicinity is Mr. Nesbitt of Harlow New Town
Harlow
Harlow is a new town and local government district in Essex, England. It is located in the west of the county and on the border with Hertfordshire, on the Stort Valley, The town is near the M11 motorway and forms part of the London commuter belt.The district has a current population of 78,889...
. He is asked to stand up, but contrary to the previous people, does not comply. The narrator explains that Mr. Nesbitt has learned the first lesson of not being seen: not to stand up. However, he has chosen a very obvious piece of cover. The bush then explodes and a scream is heard.
Following this, we cut to another clearing with three bushes in the frame. Hiding nearby is Mr. E.V. Lambert of Homeleigh, The Burrows, Oswestry
Oswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
, who has presented the narrator with a poser by choosing a very clever way of not being seen. "We do not know which bush he is behind", says the narrator, although we can soon find out: The left bush explodes, then the right one, and finally the middle bush is blown up, and mixed with the noise of the explosion comes the scream of Mr Lambert. "Yes it was the middle one," the Narrator intones.
Next is a farmland area with a water barrel, a wall, a pile of leaves, a bushy tree, a parked car, and lots of bushes in the distance. In this shot, Mr. Ken Andrews of Leighton Road, Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
has concealed himself extremely well. He could be almost anywhere. He could be behind the wall, inside the water barrel, beneath a pile of leaves, up in the tree, squatting down behind the car, concealed in a hollow, or crouched behind any one of a hundred bushes. "However, we happen to know he's in the water barrel." The water barrel then explodes (without the accompaniment of a scream).
There is then a panning shot across a line of beach huts along the sea while the narrator explains that Mr. and Mrs. Watson of Ivy Cottage, Worplesdon Road, Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, have chosen a very cunning way of not being seen. "When we called at their house, we found that they had gone away on two weeks' holiday. They had not left any forwarding address and they had bolted and barred the house to prevent us from getting in. However a neighbour told us where they were", as the camera pans to spot a singled-out hut in the middle of the beach. The hut containing the Watsons explodes, accompanied by the couple's screams. The camera cuts to a Gumby
Gumbies
Gumbys are recurring characters in Monty Python's Flying Circus, characterized by a very distinctive appearance. If a name was listed for them, the surname given would always be "Gumby", and the first name would usually be given as two initials...
-looking fellow identified as the neighbour who told the filmmakers where the Watsons were. He explodes and his boots are the only remains. "Nobody likes a clever dick," explains the narrator.
The film cuts to a shack ("And this is where he lived"), which also blows up, then changes to another shack ("And this is where Lord Langdon lived; who refused to speak to us"), which blows up as well. The picture goes on to various changes of houses ("So did the gentleman who lived here, and here, and, of course, here"), which each blow up, and then a series of atomic explosions ("Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
!").
The narrator bursts into diabolical laughter and the sketch segues into Michael Palin
Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
as a presenter stopping the film. "How Not to Be Seen" then becomes a running joke in the last two sketches of the episode. Palin then proceeds to interview a footballer who is crouched inside a filing cabinet so he "cannot be seen". Then a band performs the song "Yummy Yummy Yummy
Yummy Yummy Yummy
"Yummy Yummy Yummy" is a bubblegum pop song by Arthur Resnick and Joey Levine, first recorded by Ohio Express in 1968. Their version reached #4 in the U.S. Pop Singles chart and #5 in the UK Singles Chart. It has since been covered by many artists. Ohio Express was a studio concoction and none of...
" on a trendy pop-music set, with each member hiding inside wooden crates.
The ending was slightly altered in And Now For Something Completely Different
And Now For Something Completely Different
And Now for Something Completely Different is a film spin-off from the television comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus featuring favorite sketches from the first two seasons. The title was used as a catchphrase in the television show....
(ANFSCD), in which Cleese proceeds to say, with a serious face, "And now for something completely different" after laughing, and is blown up afterwards, segueing into the opening credits. Also in the ANFSCD version, there are 47 people in the first shot (rather than 40), the farmland scene is not shown, the beach hut scene is shortened, the explosions of Lord Langdon's and others' houses are not shown, and the atomic explosions are not seen. They are replaced by "And this is where he lived. And this is where he was born."'