Monty Python's Flying Circus (TV Series)

Dinsdale! (1970)

Eric Idle: Face the Press' Interviewer, Fourth Gas Man, Customer, BBC Announcer, First Interviewer, Stig O'Tracey, Theatre Critic for the 'Bath Chronicle

Photos 

Quotes 

• Face the Press' Interviewer : Tonight on Face the Press, we're going to examine two different views of contemporary things. On my left is the Minister for Home Affairs who is wearing a striking organza dress in pink tulle with matching pearls and a dear Monte Carlo necklace. The shoes are in brushed pigskin with gold clasps by Maxwell of Bond Street. The hair is by Roger and the whole ensemble is crowned by a spectacular array of Christmas Orchids. And on my right putting the case against the government is a small patch of brown liquid, which could be creosote or some extract used in industrial varnishing. Good evening. Minister, may I put the question to you. In your plan 'A Better Britain for Us,' you claimed that you would build 88 thousand million billion houses a year in the greater London area alone. In fact, you've only built three in the past 15 years. Are you a bit disappointed with this result?

  Minister for Home Affairs : No, no. I would like to answer this question, if I may, in two ways. Firstly, in my normal voice, and then in a kind of silly high-pitched whine.

• Second Interviewer : Stig, I've been told that Dinsdale Pyranna nailed your head to the floor.

  Stig O'Tracey : No! No never, never. He was a smashing bloke. He used to give his mother flowers and that. He was like a brother to me.

  Second Interviewer : But the police had film of Dinsdale actually nailing your head to the floor.

  Stig O'Tracey : Oh yeah, well he did that, yeah.

  Second Interviewer : Why?

  Stig O'Tracey : Well he had to, didn't he? I mean be fair, there was nothing else he could do. I mean I had transgressed the unwritten law.

  Second Interviewer : What had you done?

  Stig O'Tracey : Uh... well he never told me that. But he gave me his word it was the case, and that's good enough for me with old Dinsy. I mean he didn't *want* to nail my head to the floor, I had to insist. He wanted to let me off. There's nothing Dinsdale wouldn't do for you.

• Gloria : I walked out with Dinsdale on many occasions and found him a charming and erudite companion. He was wont to introduce one to many eminent persons, celebrated American singers, members of the aristocracy and other gang leaders.

  Interviewer : How had he met them?

  Gloria : Through his wonderful work for charity. He had taken a warm interest in boy's clubs, sailors homes, choristers associations, scouting jamborees and of course, the household cavalry.

  Interviewer : Was there anything unusual about him?

  Gloria : I should say not. Dinsdale was a perfectly ordinary gentleman in every way. Except, in as much, he was convinced he was being watched by a giant hedgehog. Whom he referred to as Spiny Norman.

  Interviewer : How big was Norman supposed to be?

  Gloria : Normally, he was wont to be about twelve feet from snout to tail, but when Dinsdale was very depressed, Norman could be anything up to eight-hundred yards long. When Norman was about Dinsdale would go very quiet and his nose would swell up and his teeth would start moving about and he get very violent and claim that he'd laid Stanley Baldwin. Dinsdale was a gentleman. And what's more he knew how to treat a female impersonator.