Chiswick born comic actor and writer Mel Smith died from a heart attack on Friday July 19. He was only 60 years old. Mel was probably best known for his involvement with the classic hit comedy sketch show Not The Nine O’clock News (1979-1982). Together with Griff Rhys Jones, Rowan Atkinson and Pamela Stephenson the show stepped in to fill a comedy gap left by the Monty Python team, who were obviously a big inspiration to them.
Mel went on to form a comedy partnership with his colleague Griff Rhys Jones and the pair created another classic TV sketch show, this time called simply Alas Smith and Jones which ran from 1984 to 1998. The show was often topped and tailed with their head-to-head duologue routine which is the image that springs to mind when you think of Alas Smith and Jones. Mel and Griff went on to set up Talkback Productions which was responsible for such great comedy shows as I’m Alan Partridge, Da Ali G Show and Smack the Pony. They sold the company for £62 million in 2000.
As well as his comedy acting and writing skills Mel was a respected straight actor and also had a talent for directing. As an actor Mel took on many character roles in movies such as The Princess Bride (87), National Lampoons European Vacation (85), Morons from Outer Space (85) and Wilt (90). He also voiced the lead character in Raymond Briggs animated version of the children’s book Father Christmas (91). His directing attributes include The Tall Guy (87) starring Jeff Goldblum and Emma Thomson, Bean (97) a massive hit state side for Rowan Atkinson recreating his popular British TV character Mr Bean and Blackball (2003).
Unfortunately he became addicted to painkillers in 1999 and his health deteriorated over the years. Tributes from a whole host of celebrity stars came flooding in over the weekend. "To everybody who ever met him, Mel was a force for life. He had a relish for it that seemed utterly inexhaustible." said Griff Jones.
His final TV appearance was in the recent BBC 2 drama Dancing on the Edge. A story of a black jazz band trying to make the ‘Big Time’ in 1930’s London. However, if you missed seeing Mel Smith at the height of his comedy career, then check out Not The Nine O’clock News. I can particularly recommend Mel as English film critic Alexander Walker in the Life of Christ sketch which lampooned the ridiculous debate over Monty Python’s Life of Brian that took place between Python’s John Cleese and Michael Palin justifying the morals of their film and Bishop Mervyn Stockwood and Malcolm Muggeridge.
In a clever twist it’s Mel as the film critic who sees the Life of Christ Movie (Directed by the Bishop played by Rowan Atkinson), a film about the rise to fame of a humble carpenter called Jesus Christ, as a blasphemous attack on the life of Monty Python.
“Come now” says Smith “The leading figure in this film…what is it? Jesus Christ. He’s quite clearly a lampoon of the comic Messiah himself – our lord John Cleese. Even the initials JC are the same.”…classic!
RIP Mel, you were a comedy genius.
Life of Christ sketch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85khfwh_gX4