The Great McGonagall 48 years old

The Great McGonagall

In this high-camp farce, Goons legend Spike Milligan stars as William Topaz McGonagall, an unemployed Scottish weaver and aspiring poet laureate who falls in love with Queen Victoria - a brilliant cameo by Peter Sellers - and thereafter devotes his banal poetry to her. Though McGonagall's solicitations are rejected by the Queen, it doesn't stop the turgid prose, and pathos, from overflowing as McGonagall hilariously attempts to become the greatest poet in the land. The image of the bad poet, trapped by his romanticism and inspired by a muse with a tin ear, appealed mightily to Spike Milligan, and this cult British spoof features the Goons show maestro at his ridiculous, genre-defying best.

Credits

The Great McGonagall Cast

Name Character
Peter Sellers He was 49, 54 years old when he died as Queen Victoria
Spike Milligan He was 57, 83 years old when he died as William Topaz McGonagall
Julia Foster She was 32, now 80 years old as Mrs. McGonagall

The Great McGonagall Crew

Name Department
Rusty Coppleman as Editor. Editing
Spike Milligan as Screenplay. He was 57 (83) years old when He died Writing
Joseph McGrath as Screenplay. He was 45 (now 94) years old Writing
Peter Lamb as Executive Producer. He was 50 (now 98) years old Production
John Mackey as Photoscience Manager. Crew
Joe McGrath as Director. He was 30 (now 79) years old Directing
Kamal Pasha as Executive Producer. Production
David Grant as Producer. He was 20 (now 68) years old Production
John Shakespeare (Sound) as Music. Sound
Derek Warne as Music. Sound
The Great McGonagall poster
The Great McGonagall (48 years)

  • Release day: Friday, August 15, 1975
  • Runtime: 85 minutes