Rotten Tomatoes
Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

The Secret Policeman's Other Ball

Play trailer Poster for The Secret Policeman's Other Ball R 1981 1h 31m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
91% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
A who's who of early 1980s British comedy and music celebrities performs a benefit for the English wing of Amnesty International. The eclectic stage performance was directed by actor John Cleese, who also appears in several skits with his former fellow Monty Python members. Musical acts include reunited ex-Yardbird members Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, as well as Sting, Pete Townshend and others. The comedy line-up includes Rowan Atkinson, Barry Humphries and Alexei Sayle.

Critics Reviews

View More
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times May 13, 2019
2/4
The material photographed in The Secret Policeman's Other Ball is sometimes pretty funny, but it tends to get sidetracked by the low-budget videotape recording of the show, and the result is seen through a lens, darkly. Go to Full Review Variety Staff Variety Mar 26, 2009
Some of the humor slides over into tastelessness, but most of it is rousing fun in the tradition of the groups from which these performers have sprung. Go to Full Review John Collis Time Out Jun 24, 2006
Technically smoother than its predecessors, this is otherwise the mixture as before: comics and musicians, sometimes in unfamiliar permutations, doing their party pieces on behalf of Amnesty. Go to Full Review Richard Freedman Newark Star-Ledger Jan 7, 2026
Like Richard Pryor, Britain's madcap Monty Python troupe are much funnier in concert than in their rather strained fiction movies. Go to Full Review Steven Winn San Francisco Examiner Nov 11, 2021
3/4
John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Michael Palm and Terry Jones -- ably underscored by Peter Cook, Pamela Stephenson and others -- find that rare territory between pure absurdity and the pure essence of things. Go to Full Review David Parkinson Radio Times May 13, 2019
3/5
Combining footage from benefits staged in aid of Amnesty International, this movie is more a souvenir than great cinema. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Sep 11, 2009 really old but good it is the best out there. See more Apr 20, 2008 Compulsory viewing for me and my mates when we were enjoying our high school years. Film of a charity gig with plenty of great comedy. See where Rowan Atkinson came from before he hit tv screens with Bean. See more Aug 27, 2007 Film from a benefit, featuring members of Monty Python, and great musicians. Good show everyone! See more Aug 12, 2007 I think this is the best ever performance of "I don't like Mondays". The musical side of this alone is worth watching it for. See more Read all reviews
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Julien Temple

Director

Roger Graef

Director

Monty Python

Actor

More Like This

View All
Wild West 43% 80% Wild West Watchlist Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan 90% 79% Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan Watchlist TRAILER for Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan The Ten 35% 40% The Ten Watchlist The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou 57% 82% The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou Watchlist Soul Men 44% 57% Soul Men Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

The Secret Policeman's Other Ball

The Secret Policeman's Other Ball (1981) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A who's who of early 1980s British comedy and music celebrities performs a benefit for the English wing of Amnesty International. The eclectic stage performance was directed by actor John Cleese, who also appears in several skits with his former fellow Monty Python members. Musical acts include reunited ex-Yardbird members Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, as well as Sting, Pete Townshend and others. The comedy line-up includes Rowan Atkinson, Barry Humphries and Alexei Sayle.
Director
Julien Temple, Roger Graef
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 31m
Sound Mix
Surround
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings