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- 12 years ago
Get ready for a stay in the Fawlty Towers hotel, where the staff is courteous but the manager is someone to steer clear of! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 'Fawlty Towers' moments.
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00:09Get ready for a stay at the Faulty Towers Hotel, where the staff is courteous but the
00:14manager is someone to steer clear of. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we're counting down
00:26our picks for the top 10 Faulty Towers moments.
00:30You snobs! You stupid, stuck-up, toffee-nosed, half-witted, upper-class piles of pots!
01:00When a lord comes to visit his hotel, Basil Faulty does all he can to make his stay perfect,
01:06including ignoring the other guests. One such patron waits the entire episode for a drink
01:17that hilariously never comes. Right up until the bitter end.
01:33Of course, the real comedy here is Basil's attempt to endear himself to the Lord, and he falls hard
01:39when he discovers Melbury was a con artist all along.
01:42Well, how are you, Lord Melbury? How are you then? All right, mate? How's me old bucker?
01:50Any valuables to deposit, Sir Richard? Any bricks or...? I do apologize. You bastard!
01:59Number 9. The Hidden Door, The Builders. Manuel Towers, how are you? It's nice today. Good. Goodbye.
02:08Manuel is left to oversee a group of builders when Mr. and Mrs. Faulty leave on holiday.
02:13You men know what to do? I think so. This is the dining room. You are certain you know?
02:19It looks pretty straightforward. We just gotta block this one off.
02:21Being the bumbling, non-speaking English sidekick character, Manuel is rarely in charge as he mostly
02:27serves as a foil for Basil's abuse.
02:37This time, however, he's attempting to communicate with the builders while taking calls from guests,
02:42both of which are hampered by his failure to master the English language.
02:47You are a hideous orangutang.
02:55Ultimately, Basil returns to find that the renovations have been cocked up, naturally.
03:04Polly! What have you done with my hotel?
03:07Number 8. The Health Inspection, Basil the Rat.
03:10Uh, should I get you the wine list?
03:13In the final episode of the series, the future of the dysfunctional and sub-par faulty towers is threatened by
03:19a health inspection.
03:20The Health Inspection's just been things wrong with hotel. We put them right by tomorrow.
03:25In an attempt to make the place spotless, Basil forces Manuel to get rid of his pet rat.
03:30No, no, no, no. It's hamster.
03:32Well, of course it's a rat. You have rats in Spain, don't you? Or did Franco have them all shot?
03:36But it ends up scurrying about the hotel instead.
03:39In hot pursuit of the vermin, Basil ruffles under a guest's table and through her purse,
03:45which puts him into conflict with a furious husband.
03:48No, I...
03:48You know something? You're getting my dander up, you grossy little man!
03:52It's impossible not to laugh while watching the tall and imposing John Cleese trying to sneak around to save his
03:57own tails.
03:58Bomb scare!
03:59What?
04:01There's been a bomb scare.
04:02A bomb scare?
04:03Yes.
04:03Yes, that's why he was searching in your bag. He didn't want to alarm you.
04:06Yes, may I?
04:07Well, I didn't.
04:08Just one moment. Thank you.
04:09We had a call, you see.
04:10Well, shouldn't you get everybody out?
04:12Well, that's why we were looking under your table. We just didn't want to draw attention.
04:18Number seven. The lie. The anniversary.
04:22Well, can you remember the last time she did?
04:24No, I can't, but then my memory isn't very good.
04:27You can say that again.
04:29Can I do it? Oh, thank you.
04:30Ahem.
04:32I've forgotten what it was.
04:33Basil has a bad track record for remembering anniversaries.
04:37So, in the past, Sybil has had to remind him quite, ahem, forcefully.
04:42Does that stir any memories in you, Basil?
04:45Memories?
04:48Agincourt?
04:52What? Anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt?
04:56But this year, the grumpy hotel manager has something planned.
05:00However, he lets his wife stew in the certainty that he has once again forgotten.
05:05No, Sybil! Sybil! Sybil! No, no, no, no!
05:08They remember the start! I remember Sybil!
05:10There's a party, Sybil!
05:12Keep going! Keep going!
05:13I don't care!
05:17Things, of course, backfire, and she runs off right before the party guests arrive to help them celebrate.
05:23Everything all right?
05:26Bit of a bump. Just smoothing it out.
05:28Instead of fessing up, Mr. Fawlty concocts some fiction about her being terribly sick.
05:33And, as per usual, that quickly gets out of hands.
05:36Sybil's not here, is she?
05:38Uh, no, no.
05:39There you are, you see, I told you so.
05:40I just saw her in the town.
05:43What?
05:44Number 6. Basil feels exposed, the psychiatrist.
05:48No visitors in guests' rooms after 10 o'clock?
05:51Oh.
05:51Of the opposite, um, six.
05:54A hotel owner that is a little too preoccupied with the business of his patrons,
05:58Basil becomes obsessed with proving that an unmarried man has snuck a woman into his room.
06:03In true Fawlty Towers tradition, this leads Basil to nothing but trouble.
06:20He uses a ladder to spy from the second story, only to accidentally catch a glimpse of a different couple,
06:27which is quite the surprise for our favorite hotelier.
06:40This situation isn't just awkward, it also causes his wife to think he's a pervert.
06:45Off a ladder?
06:46She, she, she, come, come, come, come, come.
06:47What was he doing off a ladder?
06:49Uh, uh, he tried to see girl.
06:51What?
06:51He tried to see a room to see girl, she make him crazy, come, come, come.
06:55I see.
06:56With a little help from Manuel's less than perfect English, of course.
06:59Hello dear.
07:00I'm just going to, uh...
07:06Number five.
07:07Preferential treatment, the hotel inspectors.
07:10Oh, I see you have a wide experience of hotels.
07:12Yes, in my professional activities I am in constant contact with them.
07:15Are you?
07:16Are you really?
07:17Yes.
07:18Hotel inspectors have come to town and Basil is trying to ferret out which of his guests could be one
07:23of them.
07:23After a few cases of mistaken identity, he finally settles on the most obvious candidate and attempts to make good.
07:30How, how absorbing for him.
07:32Yes, well as imagine.
07:32Too much more interesting than being a hotel inspector!
07:35What?
07:36Unfortunately, one of the more rambunctious customers is complaining out loud, which leads Basil to use his signature charm to
07:44silence him.
07:44You want to run the place?
07:45You want?
07:46You want to come and run the hotel?
07:47Right, Mr. Hutchison's taking over, Polly, so I'll have the omelette. I'm sure with his natural charm and a wide
07:51experience, there's no more problems.
07:53Come on, can't sit around all day.
07:54Just not.
07:54At one point, Mr. Fawlty even attempts to render the man unconscious.
07:58Never mind, he's fainted.
08:00No, no!
08:01Best part is that his sucking up to the assumed inspectors was all for naught.
08:05You're not an inspector?
08:07No.
08:08Not on the side?
08:09No.
08:10Swear to God.
08:11I tell you, I have nothing to do with it.
08:13Oh, thank you.
08:14Oh, thank you so much.
08:19Number 4.
08:20Car Trouble's Gourmet Night.
08:23Kurt is drunk.
08:28After a usual series of mishaps at the Fawlty Towers Hotel, Basil is forced to dispense with his pre-planned,
08:34high-end menu, and can only offer his group of high-profile guests various variations of duck.
08:40So, this is your new menu.
08:42Duck with orange, duck with cherries, duck surprise.
08:48What's duck surprise?
08:50Uh, that's duck without orange or cherries.
08:53He decides to go looking for other food items, but his car stalls.
08:57Come on!
08:59And in one of the series' best-known scenes, Basil verbally attacks his car and proceeds to hit it repeatedly
09:06with a tree branch.
09:07Right!
09:07That's it!
09:10You've tried it on just once too often!
09:12Right!
09:13Well, don't say I have warned you!
09:15I've laid it on the line to you time and time again!
09:18It's Cleese at his finest, using his physical comedy to deliver a sound beating.
09:25Yes!
09:30Number 3.
09:31The dead guest, the kipper and the corpse.
09:34Oh, I say.
09:35I say, but he doesn't look, he doesn't look quite the ticket.
09:38Well, Major, um, don't say anything to anybody, but he's dead.
09:42John Cleese has described Basil Fawlty as pretentious, paranoid, and constantly yearning for a higher social status.
09:48So, instead of doing what any normal person would after finding a corpse in his establishment, Basil does his best
09:55to hide the body and avoid the blame.
09:57Here we are, another car strike, marvelous, isn't it?
10:00Taxpayers paying millions each year to get the money, go on strike.
10:03It's called socialism.
10:04But not without first accidentally serving the dead guy breakfast, and then trying to dispose of the body with as
10:11few of his guests noticing as possible.
10:13Ah!
10:14He's dead!
10:16He's dead!
10:16He's dead, right!
10:18Oh my god!
10:19It's all right, Mr.
10:20Shut up, shut up!
10:21Oh my god, slap her, slap her, slap her!
10:23What, she's hysterical?
10:24Slap her!
10:25Murder!
10:25Slap her!
10:30Slap her!
10:30All spiffing.
10:31Absolutely stiffering.
10:33Number 2.
10:34Imaginary Chef, Waldorf Salad.
10:37Could you make me a Waldorf salad?
10:40Oh, a what?
10:42Waldorf salad.
10:44Well, I think we're just out of Waldorf's.
10:46When a wealthy American guest comes to stay late in the evening and demands a Waldorf salad,
10:51Basil is distraught when he chooses to prepare the meal himself rather than pay his chef the demanded overtime.
10:57Tell him if he doesn't get on the ball you're gonna bust his ass.
10:59When his scheme, which involves pretending there's a chef working in the kitchen, is discovered,
11:16The American and other guests take him to task over his hotel's subpar service.
11:21This leads to one of Basil's most hysterical breakdowns and a short-lived walk-off.
11:34You've got it on hand and foot while I'm trying to run a hotel here!
11:37Have you any idea of how much there is to do? Do you ever think of that?
11:41Of course not! You're too busy sticking your noses into every corner, poking about for things to complain about, aren't
11:48you?
11:48Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:52Hello! There's nobody there.
11:55Hello? Yes, yes, I know she is.
11:58Shut up, will you, you silly tart! Go away! My wife will hear us!
12:04This is your wife!
12:12Oh, what a terrible dream!
12:15I wasn't expecting you!
12:17Oh, weren't you? The Germans, don't mention the war.
12:19I see.
12:24Take care, darling. If you can think of any more things for me to do, don't hesitate to call.
12:28When his wife Sybil is in the hospital, Basil struggles to manage faulty towers by himself,
12:33and between the hanging of decorative moose heads, the visiting Germans, the fires and the frying pans,
12:39Basil ends up in the hospital with a concussion.
12:42What is the point of a fire extinguisher? It sits there for months, and when you actually have a fire,
12:47when you actually need the bloody thing, it blows your head off!
12:50I mean, what is happening to this country, it's bloody Wilson!
12:53An impossible man, he returns to the hotel, only to offend the group of Germans at every turn.
13:01I'm sorry, could you say that again?
13:04You speak German?
13:05Oh, German! I'm sorry, I thought there was something wrong with you!
13:09Oh, of course!
13:11Despite his pleas to the staff to avoid any mention of the war, he consistently brings it up himself.
13:17No difference is forgotten, and no need at all to mention the war.
13:21Sorry!
13:23Most shockingly, this results in an off-color imitation of Adolf Hitler's walk that drives the guests over the edge,
13:30and is reminiscent of the Ministry of Silly Walk sketch from Cleese's Monty Python days.
13:35I'll do that for anymore!
13:37He can't!
13:39He can't!
13:41He can't!
13:42He can't!
13:43He can't!
13:43He can't!
13:43He can't!
13:43He can't!
13:44He can't!
13:44He can't!
13:45Do you agree with our list?
13:47What's your favorite Fawlty Towers moment?
13:55For more hilarious Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
14:00You have absolutely no sense of humor, do you?
14:03This is not funny!
14:05Oh, I'm a bloody war anyway!
14:14One of the lyrics, is Babic!
14:16One is Getting .
14:16He Pig?
14:17One chamifix.
14:18Two, wait.
14:18One trick, two.
14:18One thing.
14:18Two, one way toa...
14:18One of two sofaith Ark439.
14:18One of the cheapest!