8mm Forum: Does anyone here know "Same Procedure as Last Year"?

This is topic Does anyone here know "Same Procedure as Last Year"? in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Claus Harding (Member # 702) on February 22, 2007, 01:05 PM:

Greetings,

Given the many English gents in these forii, I just had to ask how many here had ever seen this little gem?
For those who don't know it, some background:

The film, also known as "Dinner for One", is about 17mins long, B/W, shot in 1962, and is a simple but sidesplitting comedy about a rich old lady celebrating her birthday.

All the friends she used to have at the dinner have died over the years, so in what has become an annual ritual, it falls to her butler to impersonate all the dinner guests. However, as he also has to toast for everyone for every course served, he gets increasingly smashed and his impersonations start coming apart at the seams.
Freddy Frinton plays the butler, May Warden plays the old lady.

It was an old music hall skit that got filmed in Germany, of all places, and the real irony of it all is that, as far as I know, it has never been shown on British TV!

The film has been an absolute staple in Denmark (my home country),the rest of Scandinavia, Germany and some other countries for decades, shown religiously every New Year's Eve.
I know it by heart, and I still laugh at it, because of Frinton's amazing performance.

But what an odd fate for such a quintessentially English piece, to be filmed in Germany and then never shown in its homeland (I am assuming BBC hasn't changed their stance on it as of this writing.)
I finally got a friend to videotape it for me, took the tape to the US and had it scan converted since I don't think it has ever been released on tape, film, or DVD.

So, with all that, have any of you seen this or heard of it?

Best,
Claus Harding.

Posted by Andreas Eggeling (Member # 105) on February 22, 2007, 02:37 PM:

There exist different filmed versions, also one made in Switzerland.

I always thought it was made from BBC till 2004, then I saw the credits first time and it was filmed from NDR.
Here is a link to the german version, supported by an australian youtube member.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLsdc1krl6w

I ask my why it became a cult for every new years eve.

Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on February 22, 2007, 04:48 PM:

I have never heard of that one and I have to say it's an absolute gem and like you two it really made me laugh.

I too would love to see a copy of that on DVD or even film as it's brilliant.

Here is a link to its history on the BBC website and note according to the Beeb it is available on DVD.

Dinner for one

Kev.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on February 22, 2007, 05:42 PM:

Im an expert on that clip as it is my dads fave! Dad got it from Germany and it later got me interested in Freddie Frinton, and how I came to collect two of his feature films.
A great star who has long been forgot..

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on March 08, 2007, 11:06 PM:

Yes, ohmigawd, I remember this one SO well... of course, I grew up in Germany after all, and my Dad, brother and myself did watch it on TV every New Year's Eve afternoon. [Smile]

I too have wondered lately if a film version might ever have been available, but as I clearly remember the TV show as having originated on video (albeit black-and-white video), it does seem unlikely to me. Definitely a candidate for a DVD release, though. *hope, pray*

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