#365DaysOfWriting — Day 208
Farewell, Manuel!
A German-born Englishman who spoke Spanish and nothing else.
That’s how I’ll always remember Andrew Sachs, as the loving, bumbling Manuel from Fawlty Towers.
I watched the show at an early age – I think I was 12 or 13.
My family (mother and uncle, to be precise) introduced me to the Fawlty Towers universe. Stuck-up hotel owner Basil Fawlty and his irritating wife Sybil, along with underpaid and overworked artist-waitress Polly and the lovable hired help from Barcelona, Manuel, try to keep Fawlty Towers afloat amidst a series of unfortunate (yet funny) mishaps. My favourite character, almost instantly, was Manuel. He needn’t have spoken a word and you’d be rolling over the floor, laughing your ass off (that’s ROFL, LMAO to you young whippersnappers).
There’s one exchange between Basil and Manuel that I remember clearly.
Manuel walks into the lobby with a few trays carrying bread rolls and butter. Mr. Fawlty stops him.
Basil: Manuel, I want more butter ON THOSE TRAYS.
Manuel: Qué?
Basil (visibly irritated): MORE BUTTER *points at trays* ON. THOSE. TRAYS.
Manuel: Ah! No senõr.
Basil: No?! What do you mean no? I want more butter on those trays!
Manuel: No ‘on those trays’. UN DOS TRES. *puts up one-two-three fingers*
Basil: *Slaps forehead in exasperation*
Now, this may not seem that funny when I write it down, but I dare you to keep a straight face when you actually watch Andrew Sachs on screen, with his expressions of bewilderment.
Sadly, I haven’t had a chance to watch any other work of Andrew Sachs.
But then, I can’t think of him as anyone else but Manuel. This is him in his element.
John Cleese wrote a loving tribute to him on Twitter.
Keep smiling, ol’ chap. Thanks for all the laughs.
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