HomeReviewReview: Fawlty Towers, “Waldorf Salad” and “The Kipper And The Corpse”

Review: Fawlty Towers, “Waldorf Salad” and “The Kipper And The Corpse”

In my previous discussion of Fawlty Towers, I noted the consistent quality of the show across its series, but there have been some shifts in focus.

The second series delves deeper into the dysfunctional Fawlty marriage, portraying Basil and Sybil’s relationship as increasingly bitter and contemptuous. Moreover, the series highlights the inherent problems of the Fawlty Towers Hotel itself.

Basil’s self-centeredness, Sybil’s apathy, Manuel’s incompetence, and Polly’s overextension collectively contribute to the hotel’s poor service, terrible food, and a lack of repeat customers.

The show consists of two series, each with six episodes, for a total of 12 episodes.
The show consists of two series, each with six episodes, for a total of 12 episodes.

Basil’s suggestion to have satisfied customers stuffed takes on a darker tone, reflecting his resignation to the hotel’s woeful state.

In the latest two episodes, we witness the full extent of the hotel’s inadequacy, exacerbated by two of the most challenging guests Basil has ever encountered.

Whether they are living or deceased, it becomes abundantly clear that Fawlty Towers is a place to avoid.

Series 2, Episode 3: “Waldorf Salad”
Original airdate: March 5, 1979

Summary: Basil is not altogether keen on a loud and demanding American guest who demands a higher class of service and food than Fawlty Towers is accustomed to providing.

In my previous discussion of “The Wedding Party,” I highlighted that Fawlty Towers is a quintessentially British show, largely shaped by the perspectives of its central character.

The show reflects a preoccupation with social status, overwhelming sexual repression, and a notable inability to keep a stiff upper lip when situations spiral out of control.

However, this British-centric viewpoint can lead to mixed results when the show delves into other cultures.

Notably, Fawlty Towers features characters such as the Irish Mr. O’Reilly and the Greek chef Andre, who are portrayed in a more exaggerated and caricatured manner.

Furthermore, the entire series of events involving the German guests is a display of behavior that might result in a lifelong ban from Oktoberfest.

In “Waldorf Salad,” it’s time for the American way of life to infiltrate Fawlty Towers, and it’s precisely what you’d expect.

The show consists of two series, each with six episodes, for a total of 12 episodes.
The show consists of two series, each with six episodes, for a total of 12 episodes.

While most of Fawlty Towers’ guests are confined by their own adherence to social decorum – hesitant to voice complaints or concerns, even when the owner and waiter start rummaging through salads at their tables – Mr. Hamilton is a man who believes in getting his money’s worth.

After embarking on a five-hour drive (on the wrong side of the road, mind you), he adamantly refuses to accept that the hotel’s dinner service ends at 9 p.m. He bulldozes through every one of Basil’s attempts to convince him to accept the status quo.

In response to a suggestion that the schedule be altered, Mr. Hamilton sarcastically suggests, “Shall we have our after-dinner drink before dinner?” Basil responds with his trademark style, managing to be both obsequious and insulting simultaneously, “Well, if you could, it would make things easier on us.”

And when yelling doesn’t yield results, Mr. Hamilton resorts to bribery, pressing 20 pounds into Basil’s hands to ensure the chef stays on and prepares a late supper.

*If you’re getting an inexplicable sense of deja vu from this character, that means you’re a Star Wars fan. Mr. Hamilton is played by Bruce Boa, who counts amongst his roles General Rieekan from The Empire Strikes Back. I could easily see him making a veiled threat to Basil that a death mark’s not an easy thing to live with.

In “Waldorf Salad,” it’s time for the American way of life to infiltrate Fawlty Towers, and it’s precisely what you’d expect.

"Fawlty Towers" first aired in 1975 and 1979 and remains one of the most beloved British sitcoms.
“Fawlty Towers” first aired in 1975 and 1979 and remains one of the most beloved British sitcoms.

While most of Fawlty Towers’ guests are confined by their own adherence to social decorum – hesitant to voice complaints or concerns, even when the owner and waiter start rummaging through salads at their tables – Mr. Hamilton is a man who believes in getting his money’s worth.

After embarking on a five-hour drive (on the wrong side of the road, mind you), he adamantly refuses to accept that the hotel’s dinner service ends at 9 p.m. He bulldozes through every one of Basil’s attempts to convince him to accept the status quo.

In response to a suggestion that the schedule be altered, Mr. Hamilton sarcastically suggests, “Shall we have our after-dinner drink before dinner?” Basil responds with his trademark style, managing to be both obsequious and insulting simultaneously, “Well, if you could, it would make things easier on us.”

And when yelling doesn’t yield results, Mr. Hamilton resorts to bribery, pressing 20 pounds into Basil’s hands to ensure the chef stays on and prepares a late supper.

“Waldorf Salad” takes an interesting structural approach compared to earlier episodes of the series. In this episode, Polly and Manuel are mostly absent, as are most of the regular characters.

The episode’s action is almost entirely centered on Basil and the Hamiltons, with occasional input from Sybil, who is enjoying her own dinner right next to them.

Unlike episodes like “A Touch of Class” and “The Psychiatrist,” which fully utilize the Fawlty Towers set, moving seamlessly from one room or floor to another, the majority of the action in this episode occurs in the dining room, with only brief forays into the kitchen for Basil to fret over the lack of ingredients.

It may not be a strict bottle episode, but it’s the closest Fawlty Towers comes to that narrative structure.

The narrowing focus of the episode “Waldorf Salad” creates a more direct conflict than even “The Hotel Inspectors” did.

Basil finds himself personally catering to every whim of Mr. Hamilton, and as a result, he becomes increasingly frazzled by requests that go beyond what the hotel can provide.

He consistently misinterprets drink orders, is unfamiliar with the titular opening dish of the episode, and bumbles through one social faux pas after another while trying to make small talk.

Perhaps the most comical aspect is that Basil never informs Hamilton that he let the chef go. Instead, he frequently heads into the kitchen, pretending to scold Terry, the chef, when he needs to take a stand against poor service.

The tension between Hamilton’s yelling and Basil’s slimy attempts to save face continues to escalate throughout the episode.

John Cleese plays the main character, Basil Fawlty, who is the rude and incompetent owner of Fawlty Towers Hotel.
John Cleese plays the main character, Basil Fawlty, who is the rude and incompetent owner of Fawlty Towers Hotel.

As the situation unfolds, Sybil reaches the point of frustration with Basil’s charade. She takes it upon herself to make the Waldorf salads behind his back and serve them to the Hamiltons.

Here, one of Basil’s most significant character flaws surfaces – his inability to accept a solution to his problems when it’s presented to him.

Basil snatches the offending salad and confronts Sybil in the kitchen, leading to an embarrassing situation in which he emerges from the kitchen wearing a hat over one eye and slumping in defeat.

In a desperate attempt to save face, Basil attempts to convey an apology, presenting a letter supposedly written by Terry, which he begs the Hamiltons to read.

However, they refuse, and Basil is so engrossed in trying to read the letter aloud that he fails to notice the steaks in the kitchen catching fire. He’s unable to let go of the ruse, even to put out the flames.

This is when Mr. Hamilton discovers him, yelling at thin air and pretending that it’s Terry. As terrible a person as Basil is, one can’t help but admire his dedication in attempting to salvage a long-lost shipwreck.

At the beginning of this situation, it might have been reasonable to side with Basil against an unpopular guest, as seen in “Communication Problems.”

However, “Waldorf Salad” takes things to the point where it’s clear that Mr. Hamilton’s reaction would be nothing less than tearing into Basil in the most public manner possible, drawing the attention of all the other guests in the hotel.

Hamilton’s tirade includes labeling Basil as “the British tourist board’s answer to Donald Duck” and condemning Fawlty Towers as “the crummiest, shoddiest, run hotel in all of Western Europe.”

The ever-loyal Major Gowan interjects with a humorous remark, insisting that there’s an even worse place in Eastbourne.

Basil, in his desperation, believes he has the upper hand, appealing to his loyal customers who assured him that dinner was satisfactory and the service impeccable.

He believes that the grand British sense of dignity will overshadow the perceived boorishness of the American guest, Mr. Hamilton.

However, what makes this episode truly brilliant is the revelation that every guest Basil turns to has a lingering grievance from the initial part of the episode, which they were too polite to voice earlier.

Also Read: Review: Fawlty Towers, “A Touch Of Class” and “The Builders”

Mr. Hamilton’s outburst provides them with the perfect excuse to finally voice their complaints.

The floodgates open with a cascade of grievances: sugar in the salt shaker, meat full of gristle, a plate of prawns that were clearly spoiled, and the fact that their meals were taken to the front desk and never returned.

The complaints pile up, and Basil is left unable to get a word in, culminating in Mr. Hamilton having the last triumphant word as he ties Basil’s tie and heads upstairs to collect his bags.

*An interesting tidbit of continuity can be found in this episode: one of the complaining guests is portrayed by Terence Conoley, who previously played a different guest in “A Touch Of Class.” It’s amusing to imagine that he’s the same guest who, many episodes later, still hasn’t received his gin and orange, lemon squash, and scotch and water and has continued to stay at the hotel out of sheer stubbornness.

Connie Booth, who co-wrote the series with Cleese, plays the role of Polly Sherman, a waitress at the hotel.
Connie Booth, who co-wrote the series with Cleese, plays the role of Polly Sherman, a waitress at the hotel.

After having watched the entire series up to this point, I’ve developed a radar for when the show is about to explode into comic mania. The moment of silence, as Basil processes the events of the evening, is undoubtedly the calm before the storm.

His face simmers with building frustration and resentment, and there’s a brief moment of quiet acknowledgment, which then erupts into another one of those unparalleled tirades that make the character of Basil Fawlty so unforgettable.

This is typical. Absolutely typical… of the kind of… ARSE, I have to put up with you people! You ponce in here, expecting to be waited on hand and foot while I’m trying to run a hotel here! Have you any idea of how much there is to do? Do you ever think of that? Of course not! You’re all too busy sticking your noses into every corner, poking around for things to complain about, aren’t you? Well, let me tell you something: this is exactly how Nazi Germany started! A lot of layabouts with nothing better to do than to cause trouble! Well, I’ve had fifteen years of pandering to the likes of you, and I’ve had enough! I’ve had it! Come on, pack your bags and get out!

The show is known for its witty and often absurd humor, filled with chaotic situations and misunderstandings.
The show is known for its witty and often absurd humor, filled with chaotic situations and misunderstandings.

But, as expected, Sybil manages to slide in and undercut Basil’s tirade entirely. He then changes his demand to an ultimatum: either they stay, or he goes.

A single glance from her is enough to make him realize that this is just another argument he’s never going to win.

In a brilliant tonal shift, one of those that John Cleese does without peer, Basil says his goodbyes, kisses Sybil on the cheek and strides out into the rain, finally free from everything and everyone.

However, it takes about 15 seconds for him to realize that there’s nowhere else for him to go.

Basil, in his usual pissed-off, demanding mood with an inclination to make someone’s life miserable, quickly comes to terms with the fact that there’s only one place for him in this world.

Yes, there is a place for him, and it’s being a guest at Fawlty Towers, where he can ask for service that includes a Waldorf salad and generous helpings of hot screwdriver cocktails.

Series 2, Episode 4: “The Kipper And The Corpse”
Original airdate: March 12, 1979

Summary: Chaos reigns as a guest dies at the hotel in his sleep, and Basil and the staff are left with the unpleasant task of removing the body discreetly.

Early on in this project, I mentioned that this is only the second time I’ve watched Fawlty Towers in my life and the first time in nearly eighteen years I’ve watched these episodes.

While there have been several scenes and lines that have managed to stick in my mind since then—a testament to the brilliant writing of Cleese and Booth and perhaps my oddly eidetic memory when it comes to pop culture quotes—only two episodes have remained almost perfect in my memory.

The first of those was “The Hotel Inspectors,” memorable for the adversarial relationship between Basil and Mr. Hutchinson, the spoon salesman, and its glorious culmination in a moment of slapstick and Basil’s terrified scream.

This episode lived up to all my expectations upon revisiting.

The other episode that has remained in my head is “The Kipper And The Corpse,” and it’s probably the episode I’ve been looking forward to the most out of any of the 12 episodes that were made.

"The Germans" episode, in which Basil has trouble with German guests, is particularly famous and features the line "Don't mention the war."
“The Germans” episode, in which Basil has trouble with German guests, is particularly famous and features the line “Don’t mention the war.”

In rewatching it, it’s easy to see why this is the one that cemented itself into my 10-year-old brain because it’s probably the most broadly comic episode Fawlty Towers ever did.

While other episodes might be funnier or have more memorable sequences, this one has such an innately funny concept that the show can just throw the idea up and roll with it.

Yes, we may as well call this one “Weekend at Fawlty’s” because there’s a body in the hotel, and it’s vital no one finds out.

Before he becomes the second half of the title, the corpse in question is one Mr. Leeman, a visiting businessman who comes to the hotel suffering from what appears to be indigestion.

Sybil sympathizes with his condition and offers to provide him breakfast in bed the next morning, but—in another sign that, in her own way, she’s as bad of a hotel manager as her husband—she keeps throwing him option after option when he clearly just wants to go lie down and think of anything other than food.

Basil, of course, makes it even worse by sarcastically asking what type of wood he’d like the tray to be made of and then takes personal offense at not being told, “Good night.” He spends the rest of the evening angrily muttering to himself.

In a moment that says a lot about the psychological abuse Basil’s been under for years, he closes his rant with an imitation of Sybil’s hissed “Basil!” and slaps his own wrist.

The next morning doesn’t see Basil in any better mood. He’s suspicious of the quality of the kitchen’s kippers despite Terry’s reassurance that they’re good—though given how the customers of “Waldorf Salad” reacted, Basil’s probably right to be suspicious.

"Fawlty Towers" received critical acclaim and won several awards, including BAFTAs.
“Fawlty Towers” received critical acclaim and won several awards, including BAFTAs.

He takes the breakfast up to Leeman, griping about the day’s news, and the man doesn’t even bat an eye, which Basil’s self-centered tendencies can only interpret as typical rudeness.

But it turns out Leeman’s not just batting an eye; he’s not even blinking because he expired over the night. A horrified Polly discovers this when she takes up the milk for his coffee.

This revelation leads to some terrific horrified faces from both Terry and Manuel, with salt spilling over a plate of sausages, which is going to come back many times in this episode.

Basil hears the news second-hand but can’t believe that the man died after he just served him a kipper. He makes entirely the wrong connection, driven by his self-centered character.

In his eyes, something this bad must be because of something only he noticed, so the potentially spoiled fish becomes a murder weapon that needs to be disposed of immediately.

He’s as frantic as he was trying to cover up O’Reilly’s botched work in “The Builders,” attempting to pry open windows to throw the fish out and then indignantly asking how he was supposed to know the man was dead. (“He’s been dead for ten hours!” “Rather final, isn’t it.”)

Yet again, John Cleese masterfully executes a tonal shift, as after his sputtering excuses, Sybil smoothly tells him there’s a kipper sticking out of his sweater, and he looks down and throws it away without batting an eye.

They may not need to get rid of the kipper, but they certainly need to get rid of the body, as the sight of two orderlies carrying a body down the stairs would be a disaster no hotel could recover from.

After the mostly solitary action of “Waldorf Salad,” “The Kipper and the Corpse” turns into a team effort, as Basil, Polly, and Manuel team up to get him downstairs and out of sight.

Despite its relatively short run, the show has had a lasting influence on British comedy.
Despite its relatively short run, the show has had a lasting influence on British comedy.

A move that’s easier said than done, as we’ve seen over nine episodes to date—things never stop moving in this hotel, and they can’t even get ten feet outside the door before one of their elderly patrons* runs into the body, screams murder, and forces Polly to slap her unconscious. (“Two down, twenty-five to go!” Basil says in fatalistic tones.)

*This is a great episode for the elderly regulars of Fawlty Towers. Miss Tibbs passes out twice in proximity to the body and takes increased coddling each time it happens. (“Anything could have happened!” “The man was dead.” “A man is a man.”) And Major Gowan has made a new best friend, even if he thinks someone shot him. “Died in his sleep!” Basil says. “In his sleep. Well, you’re off your guard, you see,” Gowan muses.

And when they try to get him into an empty room out of sight, it gets even worse when the guests, Mr. and Mrs. White, try to get into that room.

This turns into one of the absolute best sequences in Fawlty Towers history as Polly prevaricates desperately about just how important it is that the room be cleaned, and Basil and Manuel stumble along inside the room to conceal the body.

Mostly, at least, given that an arm is sticking out of the wardrobe, and Manuel has to do a rapid flamenco dance to distract from that.

And then, when Miss Tibbs moans from inside—as she’s shoved in there right alongside the late Mr. Leeman—Basil finds himself in the same position he was in during “The Psychiatrist,” explaining what exactly is going on inside a guest’s wardrobe.

This one goes a little bit better, as only a senile old woman is easier to explain than a few inappropriate copped feels.

John Cleese's performance as Basil Fawlty is considered one of the greatest in the history of television comedy.
John Cleese’s performance as Basil Fawlty is considered one of the greatest in the history of television comedy.

The team effort to keep Leeman out of sight is part of what makes “The Kipper and the Corpse” such a fantastic episode. What’s even more striking about it, and another reason why it remains so memorable, is that it’s an episode that’s continually in motion.

This episode has been adapted for the stage on at least one occasion, and it’s not hard to see why, as the events keep moving from one room to another.

When Mr. Leeman’s business partners show up to collect him for his meeting, it sets off another chain of misunderstandings in the vein of “The Hotel Inspectors,” as Basil mistakes them for the coroners.

After the body is misplaced, they even have to run outside and chase down a laundry truck that took the chest he was hiding in. (It can conceal hungover Spaniards, why not a corpse?)

Getting the body out of sight this final time turns into a struggle so comically futile that it feels like it should be accompanied by “Yakety Sax” to be the pinnacle of farce.

They can’t put him in the office because Miss Tibbs has passed out yet again; they can’t put him in the kitchen because Dr. Price is taking matters into his own hands and cooking sausages; they can’t put him in the first room. They hid him because the Whites are in there and not going to buy this a second time, and they can’t put him back in his original room because it’s already rented out to a new guest who’s busy inflating a blowup doll (a glorious throwaway gag and a testament to how distracted Basil is, as he can’t even get morally outraged).

It’s a series of movements that finally reduce poor Manuel to such exhaustion that he crawls into a linen chest for peace. The only way Basil can keep Leeman out of sight is to prop him up behind the coat rack.

And it all comes crashing down on everyone’s head once again. Just like in “Waldorf Salad,” an entire hotel filled with problems congregates in the center of the hotel, airing its grievances.

The show's title is a play on words. "Fawlty" sounds similar to "faulty," reflecting the many faults and mishaps that occur in the hotel.
The show’s title is a play on words. “Fawlty” sounds similar to “faulty,” reflecting the many faults and mishaps that occur in the hotel.

However, this time, it’s a series of events that have been popping up throughout the episode.

Mrs. Chase, whose little dog incurs the wrath of Polly and was fed an overly spicy plate of sausages, has been fussing all episode over it and finally screams that he’s dead, the last thing anyone running the hotel wants to hear. Dr. Price has spent the entire episode trying to get his hands on a plate of sausages – which culminated in a particularly memorable moment as poor Manuel finds his daily routine interrupted and has to be forcibly stopped from clearing the table – and has now found out they’re past the stale date even more so than the kippers.

Basil’s now in such a bad place he can’t even say his back is to the wall; it’s to Mr. Leeman.

But for once, he doesn’t crack under pressure and instead has a shining moment of inspiration to calm everyone down: “You all deserve an explanation, and I am pleased to say… my wife will give it to you!”

Everyone turns to her, Basil hops into the linen chest occupied by the late Mr. Leeman, and a jovial Major Gowan walks in and asks how Leeman’s day is going.

Everything comes crashing down with the third loud scream from Miss Tibbs (and presumably the third instance of passing out), a series of dumbfounded stares from the guests, and a series of “Basil!” shrieks from Sybil that approach supersonic levels.

The character of Manuel, the bumbling Spanish waiter, is played by the British actor Andrew Sachs, who was well known for his physical comedy in the role.
The character of Manuel, the bumbling Spanish waiter, is played by the British actor Andrew Sachs, who was well known for his physical comedy in the role.

But Basil has passed the buck, and he’s not doing it halfway. He lets the laundrymen load him into the truck and drives to freedom through the front gates.

Going back to my memories, I believe this may have been the last episode of Fawlty Towers I ever saw. Episodic order wasn’t nearly as big of a deal to a pre-adolescent watching on rented VHS cassettes.

I remember thinking at the time that it seemed like a perfect end to the show. Basil is simply carried away by the truck to a new life, finally free of his burdens as the hotel implodes behind him.

While 18 years later, I still feel this would make a satisfying end to the series. But we’re not quite there yet, as there’s still one last brace of episodes to close things out.

Reesav Niraula
Reesav Niraula
Reesav is a entertainment freak who enjoys spending his time immersed in the arts and entertainment world. In his free time, he is delved into entertainment as well, i.e. playing his guitar and singing songs.

Expertise: Story Arc Analysis Psychological Themes

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