History Film / TheRunningJumpingAndStandingStillFilm

Although it was originally made basically on a lark, it was entered in film festivals and won awards, and proved surprisingly influential. The "wacky goofballs in a field" look bears obvious similarities to the later ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''. Also, this film made Richard Lester known to Music/TheBeatles--Music/JohnLennon saw it--and got Lester the job of directing The Beatles in ''Film/AHardDaysNight''. Two members of the supporting cast of ''The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film'', Creator/NormanRossington and Creator/LeoMcKern, went on to appear in the Beatles films directed by Lester.

Although it was originally made basically on a lark, it was entered in film festivals and won awards, and proved surprisingly influential. The "wacky goofballs in a field" look bears obvious similarities to the later ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''. Also, this film made Richard Lester known to Music/TheBeatles--Music/JohnLennon saw it--and got Lester the job of directing The Beatles in ''Film/AHardDaysNight''. Two members of the supporting cast of ''The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film'', Norman Rossington and Creator/LeoMcKern, went on to appear in the Beatles films directed by Lester.

Although it was originally made basically on a lark, it was entered in film festivals and won awards, and proved surprisingly influential. The "wacky goofballs in a field" look bears obvious similarities to the later ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''. Also, this film made Richard Lester known to Music/TheBeatles--Music/JohnLennon saw it--and got Lester the job of directing The Beatles in ''Film/AHardDaysNight''. Two members of the supporting cast of ''The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film'', Norman Rossington and Leo [=McKern=], went on to appear in the Beatles films directed by Lester.

* YourCheatingHeart: Seemingly alluded to when the photographer poses a man and a woman, taking care to pose the man so that he's looking away from the woman. The photographer then passionately kisses the woman. The man strongly objects when he sees this.

* SurrealHumor: One of the first shots is of a woman (actually Sellers in drag) scrubbing the floor--except she's actually scrubbing a grassy field. Then there's the man (Milligan) who puts a record on a tree stump, places a phonograph needle on the record, and runs around in a circle to play the music[[note]]He's actually running the wrong way - clockwise. Actually, in order to play a record, which normally turns clockwise, he'd have to run anticlockwise. There are actually toy record-playing vehicles that can do this, but they don't work very well and they destroy the grooves in the process.[[/note]].

Although it was originally made basically on a lark, it was entered in film festivals and won awards, and proved surprisingly influential. The "wacky goofballs in a field" look bears obvious similarities to the later ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''. Also, this film made Richard Lester known to Music/TheBeatles--Music/JohnLennon saw it--and got Lester the job of directing The Beatles in ''Film/AHardDaysNight''.

* TenPacesAndTurn: Usually when this happens, neither duellist is using a banana, and usually, they don't shoot the judge.

Sellers, who was branching out from ''The Goon Show'' with parts in television and movies[[note]]In 1956, when commercial TV was only a few months old in Britain, Lester had directed a number of sketch shows starring Sellers and Milligan[[/note]] , came up with the idea to make his own short film. The film was shot over two consecutive Sundays and edited by Sellers and Lester in Sellers' house. It has no story but is a series of surreal comic short pieces featuring a group of wacky characters running around in a field and doing silly things. Although it was originally made basically on a lark, it was entered in film festivals and won awards, and proved surprisingly influential. The "wacky goofballs in a field" look bears obvious similarities to the later ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''. Also, this film made Richard Lester known to Music/TheBeatles--Music/JohnLennon saw it--and got Lester the job of directing The Beatles in ''Film/AHardDaysNight''.

* YourCheatingHeart: Seemingly alluded to when the photographer poses a man and a woman, taking care to pose the man so that he's looking away from the woman. The photographer then passionately kisses the woman. The man strongly objects when he sees this.

Sellers, who was branching out from ''The Goon Show'' with parts in television and movies[[note]]In 1956, when commercial TV was only a few months old in Britain, Lester had directed a number of sketch shows starring Sellers and Milligan[[/note]] , came up with the idea to make his own short film. The film was shot over two consecutive Sundays and edited by Sellers and Lester in Sellers' house. It has no story but is a series of surreal comic short pieces featuring a group of wacky characters running around in a field and doing silly things. Although it was originally made basically on a lark, it was entered in film festivals and won awards, and proved surprisingly influential. The "wacky goofballs in a field" look bears obvious similarities to the later ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''. Also, this film made Richard Lester known to Music/TheBeatles--Creator/JohnLennon saw it--and got Lester the job of directing The Beatles in ''Film/AHardDaysNight''.

* SurrealHumor: One of the first shots is of a woman (actually Sellers in drag) scrubbing the floor--except she's actually scrubbing a grassy field. Then there's the man who puts a record on a tree stump, places a phonograph needle on the record, and runs around in a circle to play the music.

Sellers, who was branching out from ''The Goon Show'' with parts in television and movies, came up with the idea to make his own short film. The film was shot over two consecutive Sundays and edited by Sellers and Lester in Sellers' house. It has no story but is a series of surreal comic short pieces featuring a group of wacky characters running around in a field and doing silly things. Although it was originally made basically on a lark, it was entered in film festivals and won awards, and proved surprisingly influential. The "wacky goofballs in a field" look bears obvious similarities to the later ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''. Also, this film made Richard Lester known to Music/TheBeatles--Creator/JohnLennon saw it--and got Lester the job of directing The Beatles in ''Film/AHardDaysNight''.

* NoPlotNoProblem: Just a series of surreal imagery and gags, much like ''The Goon Show''.

* SurrealHumor: One of the first shots is of a woman (actually Sellers in drag) scrubbing the floor--except she's actually scrubbing a grassy field. Then there's the man who puts a record on a tree stump, places a phonograph needle on the record, and runs around in a circle to play the music.