Tragical History Tour | |
---|---|
Directed by: |
The Rutles |
Produced by: |
The Rutles |
Written by: |
The Rutles |
Music by: |
The Rutles |
Starring: |
The Rutles |
Production company: |
Rutle Pictures |
Distributed by: |
Rutle Pictures |
Release: |
26 December 1967 |
Running Time: |
52 Minutes |
Tragical History Tour is a self-indulgent 1967 film about four Oxford history professors on a tour of Rutland tea-shops. It was first shown on Rutland Weekend Television and was poorly received by both critics and audiences.
Plot[]
As stated above, the film is about four Oxford history professors on a tour of Rutland tea-shops. Although that's a general idea, the film didn't have a script. Many ideas that ended up getting cut out, include:
- A sequence where various ice creams, fruits, and lollipops were sold to the passengers but were returned because nobody could pay for them.
- Ron, Dirk, Stig, and Barry looking through a telescope, trying to find the bus.
- The men actually visiting a tea-shop.
- Some weirdo chasing one of the passengers around a hotel (this scene was directed by Ron).
What's left is many different scenes, such as visiting many places that are not actual tea-shops. Aside from that, a few musical numbers were thrown in, including Piggy in the Middle.
Criticism[]
The reception was not the best in the world. The first airing of Tragical History Tour was aired on the Rutland Weekend Television, which at the time was broadcasted with overexposed lighting and coloring due to technical reasons. Leggy Mountbatten, the bands former manager before accepting a teaching post said: "It was so bright I couldn't see a thing. In retrospect this is why I am glad I left The Rutles." Dirk said that "The managers of the RWT are fucking morons." Because of this, this was The Rutles' first failed project, and was slammed mercilessly by the press.
This film was the reason why The Rutles has next to no involvement in the Yellow Submarine Sandwich film (aside from Dirk doing all of the voices) as they were very discouraged by the film's performance.
Trivia[]
- A key sequence in the film features a performance by another group, The Dirty Mac Band. The band's guitar player was John Lennon, who would later appear in a satire of The Rutles.
- The song Questionnaire from Rutle Sole was re-recorded for the movie and UK version of the Tragical History Tour album but ended up sounding EXACTLY like the original version.
Songs[]
The songs, in order of use:
- Tragical History Tour
- The Fool on the Pill/Questionnaire
- Baby Let Me Be (played on a carnival-style organ)
- Lying
- Hold My Hand (orchestrated, as background music)
- I Am the Waitress/Piggy in the Middle
- Stacy's Nightmare (film-exclusive, never officially released in audio format)
- Blue Gay Way
- "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)" by The Dirty Mac Band
- Your Mother Should Go
- Tragical History Tour (reprise)
- Hello, Get Lost (part, finale played over end credits)
VHS and DVD Release[]
Tragical History Tour was released on VHS in 1988. It was released on DVD in 2009.
See Also[]
- Tragical History Tour (album), the soundtrack EP
- Let It Rot (film), The Rutles' last film
- All You Need Is Cash, where the film was talked about.
- Masterful History Tour, an album by Rutles tribute band, Rutallica