Editing Monty Python (section)

===Associate Pythons===
Several people have been accorded unofficial "associate Python" status over the years. Occasionally, such people have been referred to as the 'seventh Python', in a style reminiscent of [[George Martin]] (or other associates of the Beatles) being dubbed "the [[Fifth Beatle]]".  The two collaborators with the most meaningful and plentiful contributions have been [[Neil Innes]] and [[Carol Cleveland]]. Both were present and presented as Associate Pythons at the official Monty Python 25th-anniversary celebrations held in Los Angeles in July 1994.<ref>{{citation |title=Python Comeback |url=http://web.ukonline.co.uk/sotcaa/sotcaa_python.html?/sotcaa/pythonpages/python_press_1990_99.html |access-date=2007-09-09 |date=3 March 1998 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201010035/http://web.ukonline.co.uk/sotcaa/sotcaa_python.html?%2Fsotcaa%2Fpythonpages%2Fpython_press_1990_99.html |archive-date=1 December 2008 |df=dmy }}</ref>
[[File:10.18.09CarolClevelandByLuigiNovi.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Carol Cleveland]] (in 2009), commonly called "Python girl", or "Seventh Python".<ref name="25 sketches"/>]]
[[Neil Innes]] is the only non-Python besides [[Douglas Adams]] to be credited with writing material for ''Flying Circus''. He appeared in sketches and the Python films, as well as performing some of his songs in ''[[Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl]]''. He was also a regular stand-in for absent team members on the rare occasions when they recreated sketches. For example, he took the place of Cleese at the [[Concert for George]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://concertforgeorge.com/performers/|title=Concert for George|work=concertforgeorge.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130707035917/http://concertforgeorge.com/performers/|archive-date=7 July 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Gilliam once noted that if anyone qualified for the title of the seventh Python, it would be Innes. He was one of the creative talents in the off-beat [[Bonzo Dog Band]]. He would later portray Ron Nasty of [[the Rutles]] and write all of the Rutles' compositions for ''[[All You Need Is Cash]]'' (1978), a [[mockumentary]] film co-directed by Idle. By 2005, a falling out had occurred between Idle and Innes over additional Rutles projects, the results being Innes' critically acclaimed Rutles "reunion" album ''The Rutles: Archaeology'' and Idle's straight-to-DVD ''The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch'', each undertaken without the other's participation. According to an interview with Idle in the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' in May 2005, his attitude is that Innes and he go back "too far. And no further."<ref>"Art imitates strife: Rutles launch feud". (10 May 2005). ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. Retrieved 20 August 2019</ref> Innes died of a heart attack on 29 December 2019 near Toulouse, where he had lived for several years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/30/neil-innes-the-rutles-monty-python-dies|title=Neil Innes, Rutles star and 'seventh Python', dies aged 75|first=Ben|last=Beaumont-Thomas|date=30 December 2019|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref>

[[Carol Cleveland]] was the most important female performer in the Monty Python ensemble, commonly referred to as "the female Python". She was originally hired by producer/director [[John Howard Davies]] for just the first five episodes of the ''Flying Circus''. The Pythons then pushed to make Cleveland a permanent recurring performer after producer/director [[Ian MacNaughton]] brought in several other actresses who were not as good as she was.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Pythons: Autobiography|year=2003|publisher=Thomas Dunne Books|isbn=0-312-31144-3|page=152|quote=Of course, Ian [MacNaughton] didn't want to use Carol, he wanted to bring in various bits of totty, so we had a string of people who weren't as good as Carol. Eventually we started pushing for Carol and said, 'We must have Carol for this.'}}</ref> Cleveland went on to appear in about two-thirds of the episodes, as well as in all of the Python films, and in most of their stage shows, as well.<ref name="Cleveland">{{cite news |title=Top 9 Successful Ex–Playboy Bunnies |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2075632_2075634_2075676,00.html |access-date=29 August 2019 |magazine=Time}}</ref> According to ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', her most recognisable film roles are playing Zoot and Dingo, two maidens in the Castle Anthrax in ''Holy Grail''.<ref name="Cleveland"/>