John Cleese

The Writer-Actor

Cleese can be rightly proud of his three successes as a writer/actor:

Fawlty Towers

There seems little that one can add to the Fawlty Towers legend, so I won't. The two series make consistently good farcical viewing with completely memorable characters who lives are thrown into chaos by Fawlty's (Cleese's) uncontrollable rage. How much of that is actually the real Cleese is up to his wives to know...and for us to guess.

John Cleese interview about comedy & Fawlty Towers (@ about 3.00)

Fawlty Towers DVDs

"...This show was and remains light years ahead of anything on American TV. From start to finish, it is sheer brilliance. The entire case is hysterical and the chemistry between the characters is just obvious. Who doesn't remember the Rat inspector episode? How can one forget Mrs. Richards???? Is that a piece of your brain???? This is the best comedy ever produced; Cleese is a genius..." Amazon review A. Shapiro

"...Very little of what has ever been on TV can accurately be called essential viewing, but this brief but magnificent series is surely one of them..." Amazon review Mitch Stone

Despite the success of Fawlty Towers, it would be almost ten years before Cleese surfaced with a major writer-actor project, this time, the movie..

A Fish Called Wanda

A Fish Called Wanda trailer

Teaming up with:

fellow Monty Python member, Michael Palin
Jamie Lee Curtis &
the superb, Kevin Kline

...A Fish Called Wanda was immensely successful all over the world, deservedly so with a tight script and a really superb ensemble who seemed to be having a ball. In particular, though, it pulled off the remarkable feat of turning an almost 50 year old John Cleese into a believable romantic lead. Cleese plays a barrister (the profession Clesse rejected for comedy) curiously named Archie Leech (incidentally, Cary Grant's real name) who, well I'm sure you know...

A Fish Called Wanda Collector's Edition

'...A Fish Called Wanda is a great caper which combines perfectly the subtlety of British characterization, and the frantic pace of American slapstick. For kids of all ages!..." Amazon UK reviewer mark @ newman.org

"...Every so often this one comes out of the collection and like fine vintage wine never fails to surprise and delight! It is simply fabulous. Cleese, Palin, Kline, and of course La Curtis...The plot twists,turns, and squirms its way to the finale. There are so many good punchlines, so many good scenes, so many memorable moments that it is too much to describe here...Quite simply one of the all time great movies..." Amazon UK reviewer Big John "manfromsurrey"

Fierce Creatures

Of much more interest is Fierce Creatures, simply because it's much less known. You see, Fierce Creatures isn't a sequel to A Fish Called Wanda, it merely (and somewhat problematically) just re-unites the cast. Don't expect a continuation of Wanda's characters or style and certainly don't expect the farce of Fawlty Towers or the mayhem of Monty Python!

However, if you keep your mind open, you may see a rather interesting modern British comedy. The subtext of Fierce Creatures is a relentless attack upon corporate greed, and the madness of big-money take-overs. In Fierce Creatures, Octopus Inc. has recently purchased a zoo...and has decidedthat it must be closed. Head keeper, Rollo Lee, (a very Basil Fawlty-like John Cleese), decides that the zoo can only be saved by filling it with...fierce creatures.

Though Michael Palin is wonderful as Bugsy, the insects-keeper, both Kevin Kline and Jamie Lee Curtis, employees of Octopus Inc., are less convincing, with Kline sometimes over the top and Curtis, well, slightly irritating.

Fierce Creatures, though, has to be judged by its script, which is, pear-shaped. The satire isn't strong enough at the top and there's a bit too much slapstick at the bottom. Nonetheless, if you're not too choosy about what you perve at, boooo-tayyy can be good. Yo!

Fierce Creatures DVD

"...This film was always going to be under the shadow of A Fish Called Wanda, and many have written it off as a shabby sequel BUT If you take the time to actually watch it, you will see it is full of funny moments..." Amazon UK reviewer J. Riordan "jamjar11"

"...If you loved A Fish Called Wanda you will love this movie. So incredibly funny I laugh so hard even though I've seen it over a dozen times. All the characters mesh so well and the story line is beyond hilarious. It's on my "must have" list..." Amazon reviewer Linda Jean Mytych

"...the backdrop of the zoo is wonderful. Watch for the scene with Jamie Lee Curtis and a gorilla. It certainly brought tears to my eyes. And I just love happy ending..." Amazon reviewer Charles Kubiak