"Fawlty Towers" - the Major Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ballard Berkeley

Born in 1904, Ballard Berkeley's film career began in 1930 in a film called "The Chinese Bungalow". His last film was "National Lampoon's European Vacation". The Major's full name on the show is Major Gowen.

Answer: female gibbons

The Major was watching a program on television and informed Basil that the female gibbon gestates for seven months.

Answer: True

Ballard's birth name was Ballard Blascheck. Ballard was very well-loved by the cast. "We loved this guy who was in his own world. He never quite understood what was going on, but always added his own interpretation of it." - John Cleese.

Answer: the heat

The Major is discussing how warm it is, when Sybil laughs and Basil changes the subject to how her laugh reminds him of someone machine-gunning a seal. The Major thinks he is still talking about the heat.

Answer: The Germans

This is one of the Major's finest performances on the series. At least it is my favorite! It is really Manuel speaking from below the counter. Manuel says, "I can speak English. I learn it from a book". The Major tells Basil that the moose is a remarkable animal!

Answer: women

This is also a great "Major moment" when Basil was speaking about women while the Major was discussing a cricket game. It goes like this:
Basil: "They have minds like Swiss cheese."
The Major:"What do you mean - hard?"
Basil: "No, no - full of holes."
The Major: "Really?...Indians?"
Basil: "No, women!"

Answer: a present for Sybil

At first Basil tries to tell the Major that he is hiding the money from Sybil because he won it on a horse race, but when the Major doesn't understand, Basil lets The Major think it is for a big secret present for Sybil.

Answer: he's dressed up like a guest

The Major tells Basil that there is a psychiatrist in the hotel apparently dressed up as a guest. Basil replies that he IS a guest! As the Major wanders off, Basil says to himself, "Perhaps he has come to get you."

Answer: Hard to imagine him stalking a reindeer.

First Mrs. Chase tells the Major that he is a "little shi tzu" to which he replies, "Is he really?...Oh, dear, dear, dear. What breed is it?" Mrs. Chase tells him it is a lap dog and the Major thinks Mrs. Chase said he was a "Lapp" dog. the Major confuses this with a dog that herds reindeer from Lapland, Finland.

Answer: Germans

When the Major says there are vermin in the lounge, Basil thinks he is refering to Germans. Basil tells him "No Germans staying this week". He still thinks he is talking about Germans when the Major calls them animals. It is only after the Major mentions the tail that Basil realizes that he has spotted Basil the Rat.