Colin "Bomber" Harris vs Colin "Bomber" Harris
"Colin 'Bomber' Harris vs Colin 'Bomber' Harris" is a Monty Python comedy sketch in which wrestler Colin Harris (Graham Chapman) fights himself, Colin Harris. As Colin fights himself, a commentator (John Cleese, with Michael Palin as MC in both versions) hastily reports the events.
Sir Arthur Harris was the Air Marshal of the RAF during the second World War.[1] His heavy use of four engine bombers during the war earned him the nickname "Bomber Harris".
The routine dates back to Chapman's college days and he also performed it in the first episode of At Last The 1948 Show, broadcast in the UK on 15 February 1967. It was later adopted by the Pythons, who filmed a version for the second Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus episode, broadcast in Germany on 18 December 1972.[2] The routine also featured in many of the troupe's live shows and can be seen in the film of Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1982). It was also cited in Monty Python's Personal Best as one of Graham Chapman's best sketches.[3]
The sketch was originally titled "Half Nelson" when A Clump of Plinths, the Cambridge Footlights Revue of 1963 premiered at the York Festival, and it was written by Tony Buffery (later replaced with Graham Chapman).[4] It was renamed "One-Man Wrestling" during the show's run on the West End.
Harris holds
The sketch includes the following moves:
- The "Hand Hold" in which Colin simultaneously attempts to grab his own hand while trying to fight it away, eventually failing. Cleese remarks, "He's going for the hand hold...he's got it."
- Working on his "weak left knee".
- Biting his own foot, which earns him a public warning from the referee and much ire from himself.
- The "Double Overhead Nostril", where Colin brings his arm upwards, lowering his hand over his face and inserting his middle and index fingers into his nose.
- Colin succeeds in gaining a fall by lying on the ground and bringing his legs up beside his head, locking his knees in his elbows; called the "Double Overhead" in the Fliegender Zirkus Version.
- A "Strawberry whip", "Vanilla whip", and "Chocolate whip"—called "the flying Welshman" and "the half Egyptian" in the Fliegender Zirkus version—usually consisting of three forward somersaults while Colin elbows himself in the back of his neck.
- "Colin's most famous hold, the one-neck-over-shoulder-Gerry Ford" (known as "The famous over-right-shoulder-Gerry Ford" in the City Center version) called the half-crab in the Fliegender Zirkus version, where Colin's right leg is brought over his shoulder, and he crawls along the ground in a pained manner with his remaining arm and leg. Colin manages to crawl to the ropes, and Cleese remarks that he was "lucky there".
- Colin manages to catch himself by surprise by bringing his arms around his neck, his hands firmly pressing the ground in an attempt to pin; this move is known as the "Double Eydie Gormé" and is called "the neck pin" in the Fliegender Zirkus version. He is able to twist out of it.
Match result
- The match ends with Colin hitting himself in the head with his forearm, effectively knocking himself out. He is declared the winner, but is announced to meet himself again in the coming finals.
References
- ^ See Ben Macintyre's review of Richard Overy, The Bombers and the Bombed: Allied Air War Over Europe, 1940–1945 (2014), in The New York Times Book Review, 23 March 2014, p. 16.
- ^ Tomasz Dobrogoszcz, Ed., Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition: Cultural Contexts in Monty Python (Rowman & Littlefield, 2014), pps 118-89.
- ^ "Monty Python's Personal Best: Series 1 - 2. Graham Chapman's Personal Best". RadioTimes. Immediate Media Company Limited. 22 February 2006.
John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin pay tribute to Graham Chapman, who died in 1989. They discuss their memories of him and select their favourite sketches in which he starred, including Colin `Bomber' Harris's solo wrestling match and spoof chat show A Quite Controversial Look at the World Around Us.
- ^ Smylers (21 May 2013), ‘A Clump of Plinths’ Running Order, retrieved 7 October 2021
- v
- t
- e
- Graham Chapman
- John Cleese
- Terry Gilliam
- Eric Idle
- Terry Jones
- Michael Palin
- Another Record
- Previous Record
- Matching Tie and Handkerchief
- Holy Grail
- Life of Brian
- Contractual Obligation
- The Meaning of Life
- Flying Circus
- Live at Drury Lane
- Live at City Center
- The Pythons
- Life of Python
- Almost the Truth (Lawyers Cut)
- And Now for Something Rather Similar
- The Meaning of Live
- Spamalot
- Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)
- An Evening Without Monty Python
- Live (Mostly)
- Big Red Book
- Brand New Bok
- Holy Grail (Book)
- Life of Brian/SCRAPBOOK
- The Meaning of Life
- Just the Words
- Song Book
- A Pocketful of Python
- The Pythons Autobiography by The Pythons
- Live!
- Flying Circus
- Complete Waste of Time
- Quest for the Holy Grail
- The Meaning of Life
- Cow Tossing
- The Ministry of Silly Walks
- Mr Praline
- The Colonel
- Mr Creosote
- Rabbit of Caerbannog
- Other characters
- Albatross!
- Anne Elk's Theory on Brontosauruses
- Architects
- Argument Clinic
- Bruces
- Cheese Shop
- Colin "Bomber" Harris vs Colin "Bomber" Harris
- Crunchy Frog
- Dead Parrot
- Dirty Fork
- Dirty Hungarian Phrasebook
- Election Night Special
- Fish Licence
- Fish-Slapping Dance
- Four Yorkshiremen
- The Funniest Joke in the World
- How Not to Be Seen
- Kilimanjaro Expedition
- Lifeboat
- Marriage Guidance Counsellor
- Ministry of Silly Walks
- Mouse Problem
- Nudge Nudge
- Patient Abuse
- Philosophers' Football Match
- Piranha Brothers
- Sam Peckinpah's "Salad Days"
- Seduced Milkmen
- Spam
- Spanish Inquisition
- Undertakers
- Upper Class Twit of the Year
- Vocational Guidance Counsellor
- World Forum/Communist Quiz
- "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"
- "Brian Song"
- "Bruces' Philosophers Song"
- "Decomposing Composers"
- "Eric the Half-a-Bee"
- "Every Sperm Is Sacred"
- "Finland"
- "Galaxy Song"
- "I Bet You They Won't Play This Song on the Radio"
- "I Like Chinese"
- "I've Got Two Legs"
- "The Lumberjack Song"
- "Medical Love Song"
- "Oliver Cromwell"
- "Sit on My Face"
- List of Monty Python projects
- The Foot of Cupid
- Cambridge Circus
- I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again
- The Frost Report
- At Last the 1948 Show
- Twice a Fortnight
- Do Not Adjust Your Set
- We Have Ways of Making You Laugh
- Broaden Your Mind
- How to Irritate People
- The Complete and Utter History of Britain
- The Fred Tomlinson Singers
- Teach Yourself Heath
- Python (Monty) Pictures
- Tiny Black Round Thing
- Bert Fegg's Nasty Book for Boys and Girls
- Rutland Weekend Television
- Fawlty Towers
- Ripping Yarns
- Out of the Trees
- A Poke in the Eye (With a Sharp Stick)
- Monty Python v. ABC
- Python On Song
- All You Need Is Cash
- The Secret Policeman's Ball
- A Liar's Autobiography: Volume VI
- The Hastily Cobbled Together for a Fast Buck Album
- The Wind in the Willows
- Monty Python Live
- Concert for George
- Diaries 1969–1979: The Python Years
- The Seventh Python
- Holy Flying Circus
- A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman
- Absolutely Anything