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Tragical History Tour
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Directed by:

The Rutles

Produced by:

The Rutles

Written by:

The Rutles

Music by:

The Rutles

Starring:

The Rutles

Production company:

Rutle Pictures

Distributed by:

Rutle Pictures

Release:

26 December 1967

Running Time:

52 Minutes

Tragical History Tour (film)

Tragical History Tour is a self-indulgent 1967 film about four Oxford history professors on a tour of Rutland tea-shops. It was first shown on Rutland Weekend Television and was poorly received by both critics and audiences.

Plot[]

Four Oxford Professors

The four professors in question.

As stated above, the film is about four Oxford history professors on a tour of Rutland tea-shops. Although that's a general idea, the film didn't have a script. Many ideas that ended up getting cut out, include:

  • A sequence where various ice creams, fruits, and lollipops were sold to the passengers but were returned because nobody could pay for them.
  • Ron, Dirk, Stig, and Barry looking through a telescope, trying to find the bus.
  • The men actually visiting a tea-shop.
  • Some weirdo chasing one of the passengers around a hotel (this scene was directed by Ron).

What's left is many different scenes, such as visiting many places that are not actual tea-shops. Aside from that, a few musical numbers were thrown in, including Piggy in the Middle.

Criticism[]

The reception was not the best in the world. The first airing of Tragical History Tour was aired on the Rutland Weekend Television, which at the time was broadcasted with overexposed lighting and coloring due to technical reasons. Leggy Mountbatten, the bands former manager before accepting a teaching post said: "It was so bright I couldn't see a thing. In retrospect this is why I am glad I left The Rutles." Dirk said that "The managers of the RWT are fucking morons." Because of this, this was The Rutles' first failed project, and was slammed mercilessly by the press.

This film was the reason why The Rutles has next to no involvement in the Yellow Submarine Sandwich film (aside from Dirk doing all of the voices) as they were very discouraged by the film's performance.

Trivia[]

Songs[]

The songs, in order of use:

  1. Tragical History Tour
  2. The Fool on the Pill/Questionnaire
  3. Baby Let Me Be (played on a carnival-style organ)
  4. Lying
  5. Hold My Hand (orchestrated, as background music)
  6. I Am the Waitress/Piggy in the Middle
  7. Stacy's Nightmare (film-exclusive, never officially released in audio format)
  8. Blue Gay Way
  9. "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)" by The Dirty Mac Band
  10. Your Mother Should Go
  11. Tragical History Tour (reprise)
  12. Hello, Get Lost  (part, finale played over end credits)

VHS and DVD Release[]

Tragical History Tour was released on VHS in 1988. It was released on DVD in 2009.

See Also[]

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