[ralphnovy]

I'm trying to identify a movie I saw some 20 years ago or so, and which I believe was made in the 1970s or 80s. What I remember about it is that it featured a scene in which a guest lecturer (protagonist of the film, I think) has traveled to Germany to deliver a lecture in an auditorium. Right after he mounts the lectern, a burly German guy (possibly in lederhosen) rises from his seat in the front row and begins speaking in German -- very loudly and gutturally, clenching his teeth and fists and sounding as though he's talking about some horrible abomination that has to be extirpated. He does this for maybe 30 seconds, getting ever more "violent" in his language, and then promptly sits down. The lecturer, who does not speak German, asks someone at his elbow what the man has said (presumably thinking that the man has said some pretty nasty things about him). The interpreter says something like "Oh, he said 'Welcome to Germany. We are so pleased to have you here, and we hope that you will find time to enjoy our wild flowers.'" Or something comparably pleasant and benign.

In other words, it's playing on how, to some ears, German comes off as a "threatening" language.

I remember the scene being fairly funny and well done. Just can't remember the film. Thought it might be Mel Brooks (certainly he MIGHT have done it), but have fairly methodically looked at his films and can't find it. There's an outside possibility that it wasn't a movie at all, but instead a TV-show sketch (Monty Python, Benny Hill, even Carol Burnett), but I don't think so.

Ring any bells with anyone?

Thanks.

Ralph

[raventoo]

My first thought was "Young Frankenstein" by Mel Brooks...