Interesteg What makes it different from others?

Konterr Brilliant and touching

Cleveronix A different way of telling a story

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Spondonman One thing leads to another: playing Good Morning by the Beatles last night led to thinking about Meet The Wife from UK TV in the '60's to Freddie Frinton to this. Having just watched It's A Wonderful Life probably helped me think of other iconic Christmas films too. I used to enjoy Meet The Wife with him and Thora Hird although I was probably too young to fully understand even that level of slapstick, but I don't think that would have applied to Dinner For One! It's never shown on UK TV as they've all too clearly pandered only to sick, seedy and cynical humour for decades, but I finally saw it on German TV in the '90's. I thought it must have been a clip, now I'm not so sure as I've just seen it in its entirety of 18 minutes including introduction.Elderly Miss Sophie entertains her four guests at dinner served by her elderly butler – the only potential problem is she's outlived all her guests and the sane and sober lady gives her meal and drink orders to an increasingly drunk and boisterous butler to perform. Especially the last one! To most of the hundreds of millions of people around the world who've seen Dinner For One it represents an unbreakable tradition of seasonal hilarity, to others it represents repetitious pisstaking of alcoholics and the aged; such is humour. Frinton had trailed the sketch around UK variety stages for a decade before German TV filmed him doing it, the end result being the most repeated TV programme in the world ever. I used to like Frinton, he died too soon if not too young and because he had made too few films and too much of his TV material was thrown away he's been too easily forgotten over here. Just as funny as the sketch to me is the thought that ultimately this will be rightly remembered more fondly and longer by far more people than by any of the deadbeat filth UK TV pumps out nowadays instead. The sketch is on youtube in various versions and imho is well worth watching for Frinton's truly tour de force performance – he certainly did his best!

armandox Really I can't tell how often I have seen this skit on TV already. I remember seeing it when I was 5 years old, which now is some 30 years in the past, and I never grew tired of it. I now even have a DVD copy of it and occasionally show it to friends who didn't see it yet at parties. It's always an instant hit and everybody laughs themselves to tears!Freddie Frinton is exceptional in playing the butler having to ordeal the 'same procedure as every year', which means drinking all the drinks of the four deceased friends of Ms. Sophie during each course of the meal. Even the 'non-funny' moments, in a very smart way, are being made funny by Frinton through his top-notch performance. You can even see May Warden having to hold her breath as not to laugh during this skit. The whole sketch is extremely well-paced, good thought out and even today gives many people a good view on our often narrow minded society through a very simple and unprovocative thematic. Strange but true...People who don't laugh at this sketch or don't like it should be banned on a diet of films about suicide and murder! Go see this as you won't regret it! 11+/10!!!

Earthmonkey16 Ingredients: - 1 elderly lady, celebrating her 90th birthday - 1 old butler - 4 friends, passed away a long time agoWhat you get: - a fancy dinner party for 5, including the various refreshments that usually accompany the various courses - same procedure as last year, miss Sophie?? -Same procedure as every year James!!Which part is the best?? Oh, I don't really know is it the part where James mimics the guests?? Is it the anticipation will he or won't he trip over the tigers head?? (I ain't telling!!) Or is it the surprise at the end....Usually I am already in tears from laughter half way, and then it gets even better

giw During preparations for Thanksgiving a few years back, my dad noticed that no one had made any candied yams. Fine, we bought a can, warmed them up and set them out. Nobody touched them, pa included. "Why," we asked, "did you insist on the yams?" Simple--tradition. With Thanksgiving you need candied yams.And with New Years in central Europe, you need "Dinner for One." That people here love it, is clear. *Why* they love it is an absolute mystery. I honestly believe that it is enjoyed primarily because it is tradition -- it is beloved, so people love it. Being married to a German, I have now seen this short at least five times; I *have* laughed during it. Of course, I can pretend to like yams, too.The film relies entirely on the clownish antics of the protagonist, Freddie Frinton, as he steadily drinks himself into oblivion. Purely pie-in-the-mush humor here, with gags that were old when the film was made forty years ago. Neither is Frinton a genius of physical comedy, his timing truly hit-and-miss in the skit.If you are from central Europe, you have already seen this film. Otherwise, spare yourself the bother.