Monty Python's Eric Idle: 'Elvis saved my life'

Eric Idle

There's a Q&A interview with Eric Idle of Monty Python fame in the Playbook section of The Commercial Appeal in Memphis today. Spamalot, a stage musical inspired by one of the films of the Monty Python comedy troupe and created by Idle, has a Memphis engagement. The last Q&A item is reprinted below. In all the years that Elvis' having been a Monty Python fan has been talked about, it's a wonder those guys hadn't heard about it. Idle's comments about his reaction to having only recently learned that Elvis was a fan - what a beautiful thing to say.

Q: If you had realized that Python would become the legend it is, is there anything you might have done differently during your heyday?

A: Well, I would have tried to meet Elvis because he loved Python. I met Linda Thompson (Elvis' former girlfriend) the other day and she said that Elvis knew all the Python sketches. He would watch all-night Python. He would learn and recite them. Took the tapes on his plane. He would call people Squire from the "Nudge Nudge" sketch.

I said to Linda, "What? You're kidding!" She said, "No, we'd be up all night. He'd make me learn these things and we'd laugh and laugh and laugh." And I just felt so happy. I mean, I knew we had the Beatles but Elvis as well! You know, Elvis saved my life when I was 13 or 14. He saved all our lives."