THE RUTLES, Eric Idle and Neil Innes' affectionate send-up of The Beatles, began as a sketch on Eric Idle's tv show Rutland Weekend Television, with music by Neil Innes. When it was shown on Saturday Night Live, audience response was enough for Lorne Michaels to give the go-ahead for Idle and Innes to collaborate on a tv movie, "All You Need is Cash." The film was and is a classic of musical comedy.
The Rutles: All You Need is Cash Clip
(19 MB, Quicktime)
Hopefully you've all seen this movie. If you haven't, see it. Here's a clip from it. In 1978, Eric Idle and Neil Innes created The Rutles - an alternate-universe version of the Beatles. Neil wrote the dead-on Beatley songs, and Eric wrote a very funny script which honors the Beatles even as it makes jokes as their expense. Certainly a highlight of Eric's career. This is the opening sequence to the film, from the recent (rather good) DVD.
The Rutles Archaeology (1997): Shangri-La (Music Video)
(15.5 MB, Realplayer)
The Rutles (minus Ollie Halsall and Eric Idle) returned in 1997 to record their best album, Archaeology. Neil Innes, Rikki Fataar and John Halsey perform "Shangri-La" ... as a host of celebrities and celebrity impersonators appear to pay tribute to the legendary band. Special appearances by Slash, Janeane Garofalo, Richard Belzer, Eartha Kitt, and many, many, many more.
The Rutles 2002
DVD Promo with Deleted Scenes and Rutles 2 Preview
(17 MB, Quicktime)
In 2002, Eric Idle revisited the Rutles. The film was remastered and reedited with new footage for the DVD. And Eric shot a new documentary, entitled "Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch," in which he shows unused footage from the original film, and interviews a whole lot of celebrities (David Bowie, Steve Martin, Tom Hanks) about their own Rutle memories. "Rutles 2" is a very funny film, and would make an ideal second disc in a Rutles box set. Sadly, it is still unreleased. Anyway, I've edited some footage from the Rutles DVD together, as a sort of tribute to the 2002 remastering. Some of this footage appears in Rutles 2. Here's footage of Eric in 2002, on the set of Rutles 2, introducing the DVD. There's a deleted song from the original film - "Blue Suede Schubert", and an extended version of "Number One" that's been edited back into the film. Enjoy.
Rutles Deleted Scene: "Brian Thigh commits suicide"
(4 MB, Realplayer)
A scene deleted from Eric Idle's film "The Rutles: All You Need is Cash." Dan Aykroyd plays the man who turned down The Rutles. In the normal version of the film, Eric asks him "What's it like to be such an asshole?" But when the film originally aired on NBC in 1976, Eric couldn't say that word on television, so a much longer version of the scene was shot, with a new punchline. Eric and Dan Aykroyd both appear to be on the verge of laughing the whole time! This clip aired on TV in 1978. It appears on the DVD release in a nice remastered version, but as an easter egg ... highlight Dan Aykroyd on the chapter selection screen, hit right and down, and hit enter.
The Rutles: Together Again! (1997) [Major Happy/Shangri-La]
(44 MB DivX AVI - visit Divx.com.)
"This is a shameless publicity stunt" ... The Rutles (minus Ollie Halsall and Eric Idle) returned in 1997 to record their best album, Archaeology. In this film shot and edited by Taly and Russ Johnson, Neil Innes, Rikki Fataar and John Halsey play "Major Happy's Up and Coming Once Upon a Good Time Band" and "Shangri-La," live on a rooftop in New York City. The video also features original art of Rutles merchandising and other good things.
Rutles Photo Gallery
