Yellowbeard script published

Graham Chapman’s script for the movie Yellowbeard is being republished for the first time in more than 20 years.

The former Python wrote the pirate swashbuckler on the instructions of Keith Moon, who wanted a starring role.

But the Who drummer died before the film came to fruition in 1983, so Chapman himself took the title role ahead of a cast thatalso included Peter Cook, Eric Idle, James Mason, John Cleese, Spike Milligan, Beryl Reid and an uncredited David Bowie.

The film is most notable for being the last screen appearance of Marty Feldman, who died in his Mexico hotel room while filming on location.

However,  the film was a box office disappointment which has never been released on DVD, and is deleted on video. The original screenplay – to which Peter Cook also contributed – has not been available since the film’s release.

Now Jim Yoakum, the director of the Graham Chapman Archives, has compiled and edited both the original screenplay and the spin-off novel into one volume, to be published by Robinson on October 13 priced £7.99.

In a hefty introduction, Yoakum writes: ‘The novel, like the film, has been out of print for over 20 years and is a hot collectors’ item, exchanging hands at several times its original cover price – assuming you can find it.’

Yoakum’s foreword also describes the film’s often difficult genesis. Included in this are the facts that

• Adam Ant was offered a role, but pulled out amid when the film hit pre-production delays.
• The movie’s props were held up by Mexican customs, so the same two pistols were used in every scene
• Bowie was involved in a drink-drive  hit-and-run crash in a break from filming, injuring passenger Chapman’s knee
• Budget restraints meant all three pirate ships in the film were actually the same vessel, just painted differently
• The only scene Feldman had yet to film when he died was, ironically, his character’s death scene.

Click here to preorder the book from Amazon

Published: 7 Sep 2005