Dinner for One, also known as The 90th Birthday is a comedy sketch written by British author Lauri Wylie for the theatre in the 1920s. The black-and-white 1963 TV recording featuring British comedians Freddie Frinton and May Warden has become an integral component of the New year´s Eve schedule of several German tv stations , and a cult Tv classic in many other countries.
The sketch presents the 90th birthday of elderly upper-class Englishwoman Miss Sophie, who hosts a dinner every year for her close friends Mr Pommeroy, Mr Winterbottom, Sir Toby, and Admiral von Schneider to celebrate the occasion.. There is a "Happy new year" toast, but this is purely a reference to Miss Sophie´s anniversary.
The problem is that given Miss Sophie´s considerable age, she has outlived all of her friends, and so her equally aged manservant James makes his way around the table, impersonating each of the guests in turn. Miss Sophie decides on appropriate drinks to accompany the menu of the evening, consisting of Mulligatawny soup (Miss Sophie orders dry sherry), North Sea haddock (with white wine), chicken (with champagne), and fruit for dessert (with port) served by James, and so he finds himself raising (and empting) his glass four times per course. That takes its toll, increasingly noticeable in James´ growing difficulty in pouring the drinks, telling wine glasses from vases of flowers, and refraining from bursting into song. Even before the alcohol begins to exert its influence, he has trouble avoiding the head of a tiger skin lying on the floor between the dinner table and the buffet.
The crucial exchange during every course is:
James: The same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?
Miss Sophie: The same procedure as every year, James!
After the dinner, Miss Sophie indicates to a very drunk James that she wishes to retire to bed, to which James responds:
James: By the way, the same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?
Miss Sophie (delightedly): The same procedure as every year, James!
James: Well, I´ll do my very best!
Source: Wikipedia
When Christmas arrives, this funny sketch comes into my mind, and I usually look for it and enjoy it. On this occasion I´d like to invite you to sit down and watch such an incredible comedy.
Have a nice watch!
Have a nice watch!
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