Waldorf Salad (Fawlty Towers)
Encyclopedia
"Waldorf Salad" is the third episode of the second series of BBC
sitcom Fawlty Towers
.
to keep the kitchen open, but Terry leaves after a dispute with Basil about overtime. Hamilton orders items not on the menu and, in a panic, Basil tries to prepare the meal while maintaining the pretence that there is a chef slaving away in the kitchen.
With:
as a "little backstreet"). The patriotic Basil is irate and makes derogatory comments to the man, prompting Mrs. Hamilton to introduce him as her husband, Harry, forcing Basil into cringeworthy backtracking. Mr. Hamilton demands a proper meal, even though the kitchen is closed, and also insists on freshening up first. Mr. Hamilton bribes Basil with £20 to keep the chef on so the kitchen will stay open.
Basil pockets the money and offers a lesser amount to Terry to stay. Terry claims to have a karate
lesson, but eventually agrees to stay. However, Polly inadvertently reveals that his appointment was a night-out with her, Manuel and his Finnish girlfriend. Outraged, Basil reclaims the money and sends him off, planning to cook himself. After arriving, the Hamiltons both order screwdrivers, a drink Basil has never heard of. Harry then confuses him by asking for a Waldorf salad
, even though it is not on the menu, followed by two rare steak
s. Hamilton is annoyed when Basil does not know what it is and must correct Basil when he asks for the ingredients, (which are celery
, apple
s, walnut
s, and grape
s, topped with mayonnaise
), after saying that the hotel is "out of Waldorfs," but demands it all the same. Unable to find the ingredients, he panics, even after Sybil assures him she will help. Upon learning the namesake of the salad (the Waldorf
Hotel in New York), Basil tries unsuccessfully to persuade Mr. Hamilton to order a Ritz Salad, an unappetising combination of ingredients that he knows are in the kitchen: namely apple
s, grapefruit
and potatoes in mayonnaise
. When Basil offers an overblown excuse as to why the salad cannot be made, Hamilton becomes even more annoyed and encourages Basil to bust Terry's chops, while changing his order to a green salad. However, Sybil has already prepared a Waldorf Salad and presents it to him. While the Hamiltons are enjoying their salads, Basil is pretending to give Terry a tongue lashing in the kitchen. Upon discovering the Waldorf Salad has been served to Mr. Hamilton, an angry Basil takes the salad and pretends to demand an explanation from Terry, and sustains a punch in the face from Sybil when he refuses to give it back. She then orders Basil to get the Hamiltons their wine
.
The Hamiltons finish their starters and seem satisfied. Basil, however, is unable to leave things alone and irritates them by reading a letter supposedly from Terry, placing the blame for all the mess-ups on him. Unfortunately, the unattended steaks begin to burn, prompting him to return to the kitchen and pretend to yell at Terry again. However, Hamilton follows him in to berate Terry himself and discovers Basil yelling at empty space. Enraged, Mr. Hamilton announces that they are leaving and confronts Basil in the foyer. In front of the other guests, Hamilton berates Basil for his lack of professionalism — calling him "the British Tourist Board's answer to Donald Duck
" — and brands the hotel a disgrace. Basil challenges Hamilton by asking Major Gowen, Miss Tibbs and Miss Gatsby if they are satisfied, and some others who are unwilling to complain, and all claim to be satisfied. As Basil is returning Hamilton's insults with his own, Mr. Johnston comes forward and complains about how he was neglected and his wife's prawns were off. The other guests then join in with their complaints. Hamilton laughs triumphantly and peanuts his tie. Basil finally snaps and yells at the guests, comparing them to Nazis and then ordering them to leave. When Basil tells Sybil that either he or the guests must go, Sybil challenges him and seeing the look in her eye, Basil gets scared and decides that he will leave. Discovering that it is raining and realizing he has nowhere to go, he returns to the hotel to ask for a room and, remembering Sybil's laziness at the beginning, demands breakfast in bed complete with a Waldorf salad and "lashings of hot screwdriver".
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom Fawlty Towers
Fawlty Towers
Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom produced by BBC Television and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975. Twelve television program episodes were produced . The show was written by John Cleese and his then wife Connie Booth, both of whom played major characters...
.
Synopsis
American tourist Mr. Hamilton checks in with his wife late one evening. They want a hot meal, but Terry, the cook, has finished his shift. Hamilton bribes BasilBasil Fawlty
Basil Fawlty is the main character of the British sitcom Fawlty Towers, played by John Cleese. The character is often thought of as an iconic British comedy character, and has been deemed unforgettable despite only a dozen half-hour episodes ever being made....
to keep the kitchen open, but Terry leaves after a dispute with Basil about overtime. Hamilton orders items not on the menu and, in a panic, Basil tries to prepare the meal while maintaining the pretence that there is a chef slaving away in the kitchen.
Cast
- John CleeseJohn CleeseJohn Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
as Basil FawltyBasil FawltyBasil Fawlty is the main character of the British sitcom Fawlty Towers, played by John Cleese. The character is often thought of as an iconic British comedy character, and has been deemed unforgettable despite only a dozen half-hour episodes ever being made.... - Prunella ScalesPrunella ScalesPrunella Scales CBE is an English actress, known for her role as Basil Fawlty's long-suffering wife in the British comedy Fawlty Towers and her award-nominated role as Queen Elizabeth II in the British film A Question of Attribution.-Career:Throughout her long career, Scales has usually been cast...
as Sybil FawltySybil FawltySybil Fawlty is a fictional character from the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers. She is played by Prunella Scales. Her age is listed as 34 years old as seen on her medical chart in the 1975 episode "The Germans", thus presumably indicating that she was born in 1941... - Andrew SachsAndrew SachsAndrew Sachs is a German-born British actor. He made his name on British television and is best known for his portrayals of Manuel in Fawlty Towers, a role for which he was BAFTA-nominated, and Ramsay Clegg in Coronation Street.-Early life:Sachs was born in Berlin, Germany, the son of Katharina , a...
as ManuelManuel (Fawlty Towers)Manuel is a fictional character from the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers. Played by Andrew Sachs, he is an iconic character in British comedy history... - Connie BoothConnie BoothConstance "Connie" Booth is an American-born writer and actress, known for appearances on British television and particularly for her portrayal of Polly Sherman in the popular 1970s television show Fawlty Towers, which she co-wrote with her then-husband John Cleese.-Biography:Booth's father was a...
as Polly Sherman - Ballard Berkeley as Major GowenMajor GowenMajor Gowen is a fictional character played by Ballard Berkeley in the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers.Major Gowen is an old, befuddled, somewhat senile ex-soldier permanently residing in the hotel. He enjoys talking about the world and is always on the lookout for the newspaper. He has trouble forgiving...
- Brian HallBrian Hall (actor)Brian Charles Hall was an English actor perhaps best known for his role in the British sitcom Fawlty Towers where he played the hotel chef Terry.-Career:...
as Terry the Chef - Gilly FlowerGilly FlowerGilly Flower was an English actress, best remembered as the elderly Miss Abitha Tibbs in the cult BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers.Gilly Flower played Miss Tibbs in all twelve episodes of the show, which was produced in two six-episode series separated by a three-and-a-half-year interval Gilly Flower...
as Miss Abitha TibbsMiss Tibbs & Miss GatsbyMiss Tibbs and Miss Gatsby are fictional characters, played by Gilly Flower and Renee Roberts respectively, in the BBC television sitcom Fawlty Towers.... - Renee Roberts as Miss Ursula GatsbyMiss Tibbs & Miss GatsbyMiss Tibbs and Miss Gatsby are fictional characters, played by Gilly Flower and Renee Roberts respectively, in the BBC television sitcom Fawlty Towers....
With:
- Norman BirdNorman BirdNorman Bird was a British character actor. Often sporting a moustache and an air of worried resignation, he seemed to specialise in downtrodden roles...
as Mr. Arrad - Bruce BoaBruce BoaBruce Boa was a Canadian actor, who found success playing the token North American in British films and television....
as Mr. (Harry) Hamilton - Terence Conoley as Mr. Johnston
- Anthony Dawes as Mr. Libson
- June EllisJune Ellis-Selected filmography:* The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp * Sky West and Crooked * Quatermass and the Pit * Ring of Bright Water * Anne of the Thousand Days * Frenzy * Yanks...
as Mrs. Johnston - Dorothy Frere as Miss Hare
- Claire NielsonClaire NielsonClaire Nielson is a Scottish actress, primarily known for her television roles. On television, she played the wife of the belligerent American guest, Mr. Hamilton, in the "Waldorf Salad" episode of Fawlty Towers. Other TV credits include: Upstairs, Downstairs, Monarch of the Glen, The Brothers,...
as Mrs. Hamilton - Beatrice Shaw as Miss Gurke
- Stella Tanner as Mrs. Arrad
Plot
Dinner time is exceptionally busy, and several guests are dissatisfied with the quality of the service and the food. One guest, Mr. Johnston, and his wife complain that her starter prawns are "off", and they wish it to be deducted from their bill, even though she has eaten half. Another couple, meanwhile, have been neglected. When Basil checks on them, however, they do not even mention it. Meanwhile, Sybil lazily talks to one of the guests (who himself appears not to be enjoying her conversation), leaving everyone else to cope. Just as Basil is about to serve Johnston with his lambs, an elegant Englishwoman named Mrs. Hamilton, then arrives to check in, forcing Johnston to collect the lambs himself. A loud and short-tempered American man follows Mrs. Hamilton in, complaining about the weather and the journey from London, including the size of the cars and having to drive on "the wrong side of the road" (and referring to the M5M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
as a "little backstreet"). The patriotic Basil is irate and makes derogatory comments to the man, prompting Mrs. Hamilton to introduce him as her husband, Harry, forcing Basil into cringeworthy backtracking. Mr. Hamilton demands a proper meal, even though the kitchen is closed, and also insists on freshening up first. Mr. Hamilton bribes Basil with £20 to keep the chef on so the kitchen will stay open.
Basil pockets the money and offers a lesser amount to Terry to stay. Terry claims to have a karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
lesson, but eventually agrees to stay. However, Polly inadvertently reveals that his appointment was a night-out with her, Manuel and his Finnish girlfriend. Outraged, Basil reclaims the money and sends him off, planning to cook himself. After arriving, the Hamiltons both order screwdrivers, a drink Basil has never heard of. Harry then confuses him by asking for a Waldorf salad
Waldorf salad
A Waldorf salad is a salad traditionally made of fresh apples, celery and walnuts, dressed in mayonnaise, and usually served on a bed of lettuce as an appetizer or a light meal.-History:...
, even though it is not on the menu, followed by two rare steak
Steak
A steak is a cut of meat . Most are cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers, improving the perceived tenderness of the meat. In North America, steaks are typically served grilled, pan-fried, or broiled. The more tender cuts from the loin and rib are cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole...
s. Hamilton is annoyed when Basil does not know what it is and must correct Basil when he asks for the ingredients, (which are celery
Celery
Apium graveolens is a plant species in the family Apiaceae commonly known as celery or celeriac , depending on whether the petioles or roots are eaten: celery refers to the former and celeriac to the latter. Apium graveolens grows to 1 m tall...
, apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
s, walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
s, and grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
s, topped with mayonnaise
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
), after saying that the hotel is "out of Waldorfs," but demands it all the same. Unable to find the ingredients, he panics, even after Sybil assures him she will help. Upon learning the namesake of the salad (the Waldorf
Waldorf
- People :* William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor , financier and statesman* Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor , businessman and politician- Communities :United States* Waldorf, Maryland* Waldorf, MinnesotaGermany...
Hotel in New York), Basil tries unsuccessfully to persuade Mr. Hamilton to order a Ritz Salad, an unappetising combination of ingredients that he knows are in the kitchen: namely apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
s, grapefruit
Grapefruit
The grapefruit , is a subtropical citrus tree known for its sour fruit, an 18th-century hybrid first bred in Barbados. When found, it was named the "forbidden fruit"; it has also been misidentified with the pomelo or shaddock , one of the parents of this hybrid, the other being sweet orange The...
and potatoes in mayonnaise
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
. When Basil offers an overblown excuse as to why the salad cannot be made, Hamilton becomes even more annoyed and encourages Basil to bust Terry's chops, while changing his order to a green salad. However, Sybil has already prepared a Waldorf Salad and presents it to him. While the Hamiltons are enjoying their salads, Basil is pretending to give Terry a tongue lashing in the kitchen. Upon discovering the Waldorf Salad has been served to Mr. Hamilton, an angry Basil takes the salad and pretends to demand an explanation from Terry, and sustains a punch in the face from Sybil when he refuses to give it back. She then orders Basil to get the Hamiltons their wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
.
The Hamiltons finish their starters and seem satisfied. Basil, however, is unable to leave things alone and irritates them by reading a letter supposedly from Terry, placing the blame for all the mess-ups on him. Unfortunately, the unattended steaks begin to burn, prompting him to return to the kitchen and pretend to yell at Terry again. However, Hamilton follows him in to berate Terry himself and discovers Basil yelling at empty space. Enraged, Mr. Hamilton announces that they are leaving and confronts Basil in the foyer. In front of the other guests, Hamilton berates Basil for his lack of professionalism — calling him "the British Tourist Board's answer to Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
" — and brands the hotel a disgrace. Basil challenges Hamilton by asking Major Gowen, Miss Tibbs and Miss Gatsby if they are satisfied, and some others who are unwilling to complain, and all claim to be satisfied. As Basil is returning Hamilton's insults with his own, Mr. Johnston comes forward and complains about how he was neglected and his wife's prawns were off. The other guests then join in with their complaints. Hamilton laughs triumphantly and peanuts his tie. Basil finally snaps and yells at the guests, comparing them to Nazis and then ordering them to leave. When Basil tells Sybil that either he or the guests must go, Sybil challenges him and seeing the look in her eye, Basil gets scared and decides that he will leave. Discovering that it is raining and realizing he has nowhere to go, he returns to the hotel to ask for a room and, remembering Sybil's laziness at the beginning, demands breakfast in bed complete with a Waldorf salad and "lashings of hot screwdriver".