“Dinner for One” – or “90th Birthday” – is the newest Christmas classic. The play, written by Lauri Wylie (1880-1951) and played by British comedian Freddie Frinton (1909-1968) and his partner May Warden (1891-1978), was recorded in 1963.
Miss Sophie (May Manager) celebrates her 90th birthday. She invited her four best friends to do it, she. Unfortunately, there is one problem: Miss Sophie is the only one of her friends still alive. Still, he doesn’t want to miss the annual celebration, and butler James (Freddie Frinton) has to represent his guests – which results in sheer drunkenness.
1. How long does the «Dinner for One» last?
«Dinner for One» is a TV production. In addition to the Northern German Broadcasting (NDR) version, there is also one of the Swiss television channels. Seven minutes shorter and also less frequent. We miss the white tablecloth and candlesticks
2. How often does the butler travel?
The butler is put on tiger skin eleven times. This is because Miss Sophie must represent all of her deceased friends. The butler drinks for the jubilee several times – with well-known fatal consequences.
3. We watch a different version in Switzerland than other countries
In Switzerland, a movie recording of the game in Zurich in 1963 flickers on SRF’s screens every year. The preference for this version is shared by Norway and Sweden. In Germany and other countries, however, people swear by a recording made by the NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk). The English stage play will be accompanied there by a German introduction. Danish TV shows a version of it where the studio audience doesn’t laugh.
4. Will the Christmas classic be shown in the UK?
In England, the homeland of the comic duo, the film was never shown on television. There it is completely unknown. Just like in many other English speaking countries around the world.
5. Did Freddie Frinton really have to drink?
Butler James has never been drunk in his life. The actress did not touch a drop of alcohol. On stage, there was only juice in the glasses.
6. How often was «Dinner for One» watched?
In 1988, “Dinner for One” entered the “Guinness Book of Records” as “the most repeated television production in the world”. The film had its record year in 2004, when it was watched by 14 million people on New Year’s Eve in Germany alone.
7. Who is Freddie Frinton?
The actor has always been a prankster. At the age of 16, he lost his first job at a fish factory because he continued to prank his colleagues to distract them from their jobs.
8. Why was the cult film banned in Sweden?
In Sweden, the public television broadcast of the cult film was banned for six years on the grounds of “promoting drinking”.
9. Also available at Christmas
In Norway, it is shown not on the classic New Year’s Eve, but during the Christmas season – December 23.
10. What do we not know yet?
Loss of dinner is 2,487 francs: The drunken butler breaks plates and abuses tiger skin as he wanders around the table – 2,000 francs alone, as calculated by one insurance company.
Current broadcast times and channels at a glance:
on 31 December 2022
- 15:30 on NDR
- at 17:35 WDR
- 17:35 on NDR
- 18:40 in the first place
- 19:00 at MDR
- at RBB at 19:00
- 19:05 at SRF 1
- at 19:10 HR
- 19:25 on SWR
- 19:40 on NDR
- 19:40 in BR
- 23:20 in ORF 1
- 23:35 on NDR
on January 1, 2023
- 12:05 at SRF 2
- 05:10 in the first place
- 5:25 am on ORF1
- 5:30 a.m. at RBB
Author: daniel arnet
Source : Blick
I am Dawid Malan, a news reporter for 24 Instant News. I specialize in celebrity and entertainment news, writing stories that capture the attention of readers from all walks of life. My work has been featured in some of the world’s leading publications and I am passionate about delivering quality content to my readers.
