Python stars support Chapman film

Monty Python stars Michael Palin and Terry Jones have turned out to support their late friend Graham Chapman at the London Film Festival.

A Liar's Autobiography - The Untrue Story Of Monty Python's Graham Chapman, based on his book, stars the man himself through audio recordings. The animated film brings Graham together with fellow Pythons Michael, Terry, John Cleese and Terry Gilliam for the first time in 23 years.

Michael, 69, said: "It's extraordinary that he recorded this soundtrack, he just read the book, and he played his own character, very well. I didn't know this existed, and it gave it this great feeling of Graham being still there.

"I think the great thing was, by doing it in animation makes it something very much richer, and slightly weirder and more surreal, which is very true to Graham's character I think."

Graham died in 1989 aged 48. The film tells the story of his life, including meeting the other members of Monty Python's Flying Circus at Cambridge University, and also documents his battle with alcoholism and his experience as one of the first actors to publicly come out as gay.

The other Python's voice characters in his life story, including Michael and Terry as his parents.

Michael said he thought Graham would appreciate the humorous tone of the film.

"Graham was always very irreverent, about everything really. And his own health, his own problems, he never really saw them as problems. I think he knew, because he was a doctor, what it was doing to him, but he loved to push the envelope a bit and find out what was going on in life.

"And we had some terribly funny moments when he was completely p***ed, I'm afraid." He joked: "And when the dear boy sobered up he was actually rather boring!"

The film is co-directed by Terry's son Bill Jones, Jeff Simpson and Ben Timlett. Terry said of taking part in the film: "Well Bill is family you know, I couldn't refuse. He had me in an arm-lock. But it was a pleasure to do it and I had no hesitation of doing it."