This morning back at familiar Shepperton. A short scene with Harry H (full of doubts again, but I’ve grown very fond of this strange, self- critical, introspective extrovert). Then a strange and uncomfortable series of shots of me being flung around on the end of Bernard Bresslaw’s legs and picked up and hurled out of the Queen’s Haemorrhoids – a harness of quite unbelievable awkwardness for this shot – and finally into the rain-soaked woods in the back lot for a scene of wood-gathering, when I’m surprised by Terry Gilliam (playing Patsy from the Holy Grail again). Much crouching and being savagely attacked.
Terry is very sick today and keeps having to retreat to the bushes to throw up. But he battles bravely on. How he will shape up to the week, I don’t know. It’s going to be hard and they’re already behind. I must finish Sunday – I start Ripping Yarns on Monday – but it’ll be a hell of a push.