Watch The Great McGonagall

The Great McGonagall is a 1975 comedy film starring Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, and Julia Foster. It is a biopic of William Topaz McGonagall, a Scottish poet who became infamous for his poorly written poetry. The film centers around McGonagall's attempts to get his work recognized and his eventual meeting with Queen Victoria. The movie is set in the late 1800s in Dundee, Scotland, where William McGonagall (played by Spike Milligan) lives with his wife and children. He passionately believes that he is a great poet, but unfortunately, his work is full of spelling mistakes, poor grammar, and awkward phrasing. Despite his shortcomings, McGonagall believes that he will one day be recognized as one of the greatest poets of all time. The plot of the film follows McGonagall as he struggles to get his work published and his name recognized. He goes from publisher to publisher, and from one rejection to another. However, he doesn't let this discourage him and continues to believe in his poetic abilities. His unwavering confidence in himself as a poet is both endearing and hilarious. Meanwhile, there is a subplot where a theater producer named Frank Drummond (Peter Sellers) is attempting to stage a production of Macbeth. He needs to find a leading actor who can perform the role of Macbeth convincingly, but everyone he auditions is terrible. Frustrated, he happens upon McGonagall reciting one of his poems in the street and sees something in him that he likes. He recruits McGonagall to play the role of Macbeth, believing that his passion and conviction will make up for his lack of acting skills. As expected, McGonagall's performance is nothing short of disastrous. He speaks all of his lines as though he is a Shakespearean actor, and his wildly over-the-top performance is both hilarious and cringe-worthy. Despite this, the audience begins to cheer for him, and he becomes a beloved figure in the theater world. Throughout the movie, we see McGonagall's relationship with his long-suffering wife Betsy (Julia Foster) and the many challenges he faces in trying to get his work recognized. His attempts to send his poetry to Queen Victoria (played by Julia Breck) result in some of the movie's most memorable scenes. In one instance, he travels all the way to London to recite one of his poems outside Buckingham Palace. The Queen eventually receives one of his poems but is less than impressed by his writing. In the end, McGonagall does finally get to meet Queen Victoria, but this meeting doesn't go as he had hoped. Instead of recognizing his genius as a poet, she expresses her disdain for his work and tells him that he should find another profession. This leaves McGonagall dejected, but he still remains convinced that his poetry will one day be recognized as great literature. The Great McGonagall is a charming and occasionally absurd film that celebrates the life and work of one of Scotland's most unintentionally funny poets. The performances from Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, and Julia Foster are all top-notch, and the movie is filled with many humorous and touching moments. It's a must-watch for anyone who appreciates a good comedy or has an interest in Scottish literature.