Around the early 80s or so HBO used to show brief, independently made comedy shorts inbetween their movies. One I remember went like this:
I father brings his adult son into his study and tells him that he’s going to pass on to him a family heirloom, a fancy gold chalice (i.e. drinking cup). But as he shows it to him he keeps making the point that according to legend you must always drink from this side of the cup (he points to the side closest to himself) and never ever from this side (180° opposite his side). He repeats this several times, then finally the son asks why it’s so important to not drink from that side. The father then says, “Here, I will show you why”. He then proceeds to raise the cup and put the opposite side up to his mouth **without turning it towards himself! **IOW the wine simply pours out all over his suit! Then there’s a hilarious shot of the dumbfounded son staring incredulously at his idiot father!
Anyone know what this was called or have a link? I couldn’t come up with a concise enough Google search phrase to find it.
It was indeed an HBO “Short Takes” filmlet. I used to have it on VHS. It’s called “The Chalice.” I found a remake on YouTube, but I haven’t been able to locate the one from the '80s.
Glad at least somebody else remembers it. I’ve searched Google some more but the closest I get are YouTube links to removed videos. Guess somebody still owns the rights.
There was another one I remember HBO showing a lot that made no sense to me at all. It was British. A man & woman park their car on the street and leave. Then a British cop comes by and apparently it’s parked illegally so he starts writing a ticket. But every time he gets part of his uniform stuck to the car and rips it off. This happens again & again until he’s in tatters all the while mumbling in anger. Eventually a female cop friend of his comes by and helps him back to the station. A minute later the original couple come back and are baffled & annoyed by all the pieces of torn clothing all over their car. They remove the clothes, then drive a way.
That’s it. I never understood what the point of it was supposed to be as I didn’t find it the least bit funny in any way. Was there a ‘British-ism’ I was missing?
I first saw this as a skit on the Flip Wilson Show back in the day (actually on a rerun about five years ago). I never could find the exact episode or the video clip from the 1970’s.
I use this skit during the opening ceremony at our Boy Scout training week-long camp. It starts very serious, and you can really drag it out for several minutes. The punch line really takes them by surprise and they talk about it all week.
I remember a borscht belt comedian doing it, probably on Can You Top This? The setting was a rabbi preparing a young man for some sort of religious ceremony. (Yeah, bar mitzvah, but where does drinking wine enter into that ceremony?)
Of only minor (indeed insignificant) relevance, I’m reminded of an episode of Corner Gas, in which Brett (owner of the title filling station) cajoles an indifferent Lacey (owner of an adjoining diner called “The Ruby”) into ordering custom travel mugs with “Corner Gas” printed on one side and “The Ruby” on the other. Brett then becomes obsessed with whether he wants "“Corner Gas” on the side facing the drinker, or on the opposite side, advertising to the outside world.
The cups eventually arrive with a misprint, saying “Corner G and the Rub.” Low-key Canadian hilarity ensues.
