COMEDY . 1975 . 1h 25m . 5.2/10

The Great McGonagall_

""I am Queen Victoria, and I am very Big in England.""

In this high-camp farce, Goons legend Spike Milligan stars as William Topaz McGonagall, an unemployed Scottish weaver and aspiring poet laureate who falls in love with Queen Victoria - a brilliant cameo by Peter Sellers - and thereafter devotes his banal poetry to her. Though McGonagall's solicitations are rejected by the Queen, it doesn't stop the turgid prose, and pathos, from overflowing as McGonagall hilariously attempts to become the greatest poet in the land. The image of the bad poet, trapped by his romanticism and inspired by a muse with a tin ear, appealed mightily to Spike Milligan, and this cult British spoof features the Goons show maestro at his ridiculous, genre-defying best.

Starring Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Julia Foster
5.2/10
Rating
1h 25m
Runtime
1975
Year
Updated Feb 16, 2026
The Great McGonagall poster
"I am Queen Victoria, and I am very Big in England."

In this high-camp farce, Goons legend Spike Milligan stars as William Topaz McGonagall, an unemployed Scottish weaver and aspiring poet laureate who falls in love with Queen Victoria - a brilliant cameo by Peter Sellers - and thereafter devotes his banal poetry to her. Though McGonagall's solicitations are rejected by the Queen, it doesn't stop the turgid prose, and pathos, from overflowing as McGonagall hilariously attempts to become the greatest poet in the land. The image of the bad poet, trapped by his romanticism and inspired by a muse with a tin ear, appealed mightily to Spike Milligan, and this cult British spoof features the Goons show maestro at his ridiculous, genre-defying best.

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Cast
Spike Milligan stars as William Topaz McGonagall in The Great McGonagall.
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Year context
The Great McGonagall was released 51 years ago in 1975.
Overview
In this high-camp farce, Goons legend Spike Milligan stars as William Topaz McGonagall, an unemployed Scottish weaver and aspiring poet laureate who falls in...
The Great McGonagall is a Comedy film with a runtime of 1h 25m.

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
85 min (1h 25m)
Country
Rating
5.2/10 (4 votes)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is The Great McGonagall about?
In this high-camp farce, Goons legend Spike Milligan stars as William Topaz McGonagall, an unemployed Scottish weaver and aspiring poet laureate who falls in love with Queen Victoria - a brilliant cameo by Peter Sellers - and thereafter devotes his banal poetry to her. Though McGonagall's solicitations are rejected by the Queen, it doesn't stop the turgid prose, and pathos, from overflowing as McGonagall hilariously attempts to become the greatest poet in the land. The image of the bad poet, trapped by his romanticism and inspired by a muse with a tin ear, appealed mightily to Spike Milligan, and this cult British spoof features the Goons show maestro at his ridiculous, genre-defying best.
How long is The Great McGonagall?
The Great McGonagall has a runtime of 85 minutes (1h 25m).
Who stars in The Great McGonagall?
The cast of The Great McGonagall includes Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Julia Foster, John Bluthal, Victor Spinetti.
What is the rating of The Great McGonagall?
The Great McGonagall has a rating of 5.2 out of 10 based on 4 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (1)

Comedy
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