Rare Billy Connolly documentary comes to DVD

1975 film Big Banana Feet has been restored

A rarely seen documentary about Billy Connolly filmed just as he was becoming a stand-up superstar is to be released on DVD after being restored.

Big Banana Feet was filmed on the comedian’s 1975 tour of Ireland – the same year he made his first appearance on Michael Parkinson’s chat show, propelling him to fame.

Last week, it was revealed that the new print would be screened as part of the Glasgow Film Festival on March 3 and 4.

And now the BFI has announced it will be out on DVD and Blu-ray in May, priced £16.99. (Order here)

The film institute has restored the footage in collaboration with original director Murray Grigor from the only 16mm print known to exist, and is now in 2K resolution.

Grigor and cinematographer David Peat were inspired by the fly-on-the-wall style of the Bob Dylan documentary Don’t Look Back as they recorded how Connolly used his humour to navigate the political tensions of 1970s Dublin and Belfast.

Shot in just two days, Big Banana Feet features stand-up material and behind-the-scenes footage.

• Connolly has revealed that Kenny Everett had something of a crush on him. The Big Yin, who regularly appeared on Ev’s shows in the 1980s, says: ‘He fancied me, he told me– and it was a great compliment to be fancied by him. I was blown away’. His comments come in Billy Connolly Does… which will air on Gold next Thursday.

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Published: 2 Feb 2024