Daily Dialogue — December 2, 2011
SMITTY: Welcome to Memphis, gentlemen. We have a slight problem with your reservation. Nothing serious, I’m afraid.
IAN: How slight?
SMITTY: You wanted seven, uh, suites.
IAN: Seven. Seven suites.
SMITTY: Yes w-we-he mistakenly put you on the seventh floor with one suite.
IAN: That’s considerably more than minor.
SMITTY: Well, it’s a good-sized room, sir. It’s a, it’s a ‘King Leisure. We can get you a — something-
IAN: How are we going to get fourteen people in a ‘King Leisure’ bed?!
SMITTY: Oh-ho-ho don’t — don’t tempt me, sir.
DAVID: Have a good time, will you — we’ll be right here.
IAN: I will, I’ll take care of it.
SMITTY: Welcome, gentlemen — and very attractive they are, too.
IAN: Hey! Hey! Listen to me: We want these suites, and we want them now! OK? These people are tired, we have soundcheck in an hour.
SMITTY: Yes, sir. We can’t help you out — Reba — perhaps you can help here.
REBA: What’s the problem, sir?
SMITTY: Can you give me a hand, please?
IAN: Yes. I’ll tell you what you can do. OK? This — twisted old fruit here — tells me that you have fucked up my reservations.
SMITTY: I’m just as God made me, sir.
— Smitty (Paul Benedict), Ian (Tony Hendra), David (Michael McKean), Reba (Anne Churchill), This is Spinal Tap (1984), written by Christopher Guest & Michael McKean & Harry Shearer & Rob Reiner
For the actual clip, go here.
The Daily Dialogue theme this week is hotel check-ins, suggested by Teddy Pasternak. This is Spinal Tap suggested by Jeff Kirschner.
Trivia: The lurid cover art for Spinal Tap’s “Smell the Glove” was inspired by the misogynistic artwork on Whitesnake’s 1978 album “Lovehunter”.
Dialogue On Dialogue: This seems to be a meme for hotel check-ins — a screw-up on the reservation. Of course, that’s a great way of getting into conflict. So the next time you write a check-in scene, play around with the reservation having been messed up. See where that takes you.