I believe it was "Mr Manfrenjen St. John", (one of the most perfectly delivered comic lines of my life!) ("St. John" as a name is pronounced "sen jen.")
@@craigwhite9927 it was a subtle dig and the almost pathologically proper English etiquette. It is second nature to perfectly pronounce words no matter how stupid the name is.
Maria Aitken was a bit overlooked I feel by the core cast but she is bloody fantastic... The repeat of the Manfrengensensen was apparently an ad lib... comedy gold! The way she undoes Otto is priceless
I was dying of laughter when Otto gives that fake name and makes up his reason for being there but then when Maria Aitken repeats the fake name I freaking lost it.
Manfredjinsinjin. Manfred is Old High German meaning man of peace. Sinjin is actually an attempt to represent phonetically the now rare name "St. John."
It's almost as if she's saying, "I'm going to repeat your obviously phony name so you know I was paying attention and have been onto you since you said it and have just been playing along with your ruse."
I used to work for an English upper class gentleman whose last name was St John-Chanell (in Britain this is pronounced "Sun-Jun" Chanell) and I always remembered this film whenever I had to say or hear his name. It can't have been a coincidence that this play on the peculiarities of British names was written into the script. Very clever and funny.
Manfredjinsinjin. Manfred is Old High German meaning man of peace. Sinjin is actually an attempt to represent phonetically the now rare name "St. John."
Damn it! I thought she actually called him Mr. Manfred-St John which I took as a very subtle, hidden joke about ridiculous British names. He just barely squeezes out a ridiculous noise that masquerades as a name and she, the upper class twit, hears a double barrelled posh surname. Bugger Cleese, I though you had my back!
I had to replay it 5 times but she replies his name as Manfrengensengen. One syllable more. Than I rewound and found out he said that too, that last syllable very softly though... Favorite movie of mine too. Kevin Kline at his absolute best, playing a John Cleese-like type, while John himself played a very convincing fairly boring barrister.
The first time I saw the film aged 16 I thought she added one too many syllables and to be honest I think Man...frin..gin...sin sounds funnier and the extra syllable should have been left out
@@drexlspivey5828 Yet Harvey was contriving a name and added another unnecessary syllable which makes that bit work. Regardless, that scene pops into mind once in a while even after 35 years.
hard to tell if he's Harvey Manfrengensengen (his introduction) or Mr Manfredsengensen as Wendy says when lecturing him about her father's secret service knowledge... IMHO, you are pretty close there, @wumpscut1, and maybe @Paul Sibbald really nails it here :) What's safe to say is that that name has a ridiculously large number of syllables in it. Great one!
Bleeeeh.... You cut off the video four seconds too early. Otto was just about to reply "Don't call me stupid!", to which Wendy would nonchalantly reply "Why on earth not?". Anyhoo, gotta love the confused, bewildered and shocked expression on John Cleese's face throughout the whole scene. He's like "what in God's almighty balls is going on here?!" :D :D :D
Manfredjinsinjin. Manfred is Old High German meaning man of peace. Sinjin is actually an attempt to represent phonetically the now rare name "St. John."
The casual way she says Mr. Manfrengengensen is British comedy at its finest.
Might be my favourite part of the whole movie.
I believe it was "Mr Manfrenjen St. John", (one of the most perfectly delivered comic lines of my life!)
("St. John" as a name is pronounced "sen jen.")
I totally agree. I've always loved how she said it like it was just a regular name
@@craigwhite9927 it was a subtle dig and the almost pathologically proper English etiquette. It is second nature to perfectly pronounce words no matter how stupid the name is.
I was randomly recalling and laughing about that moment for weeks after. 🤣
Maria Aitken was a bit overlooked I feel by the core cast but she is bloody fantastic...
The repeat of the Manfrengensensen was apparently an ad lib... comedy gold!
The way she undoes Otto is priceless
I was dying of laughter when Otto gives that fake name and makes up his reason for being there but then when Maria Aitken repeats the fake name I freaking lost it.
Manfredjinsinjin. Manfred is Old High German meaning man of peace. Sinjin is actually an attempt to represent phonetically the now rare name "St. John."
Apparently Maria Aitken ad-libbed actually pronouncing Otto's bullshit name. That is a LEGENDARY acting choice.
Where did you read that? I so want that to be true! Because if it is, then yes, absolutely legendary.
Yes, indeed. A lesser actor could have stumbled through that b.s. name, but she aced it. Good for her 👏.
The wife is my favourite part of this film, she is so on the ball and Archie doesn't deserve her.
She's so good.
Yes
The wife was hotter than Wanda
It's almost as if she's saying, "I'm going to repeat your obviously phony name so you know I was paying attention and have been onto you since you said it and have just been playing along with your ruse."
Otto's last expression in the clip when she says 'stupid' is pure gold.
Archie's blank stare at the ridiculous BS that Otto makes up is priceless.
One of my favourite movies of all time never get tired of watching it
The way he says Harvey with such confidence but completely fucks up his last name
"Not unless you're congenitally insane or irretrievably stupid, no." HA HA HA Otto is THE FUNNIEST movie character...EVER.
Actually its Manfrengensen-dun, Kline subtly and brilliantly trails off with the last "dun" Thanks for posting this! :)
I think he says "Manfrengensengen" - that´s what I hear and that´s what he says in German. But I might be wrong as well ^^
I used to work for an English upper class gentleman whose last name was St John-Chanell (in Britain this is pronounced "Sun-Jun" Chanell) and I always remembered this film whenever I had to say or hear his name. It can't have been a coincidence that this play on the peculiarities of British names was written into the script. Very clever and funny.
Manfredjinsinjin. Manfred is Old High German meaning man of peace. Sinjin is actually an attempt to represent phonetically the now rare name "St. John."
0:44 Archie`s face! :DDD I love this film!
One of the greatest comic moments in any movie EVER
The "Oh oh!" moment at the very end!😄
I like the cut.
I love how he whispered an extra Gen in Harvey Man-Fren-Gen-Sen-(gen)
To my ears, it's "Manfrengensenden" (Kline) and "Manfrengensinjin" (Aitken), love it!!
Damn it! I thought she actually called him Mr. Manfred-St John which I took as a very subtle, hidden joke about ridiculous British names. He just barely squeezes out a ridiculous noise that masquerades as a name and she, the upper class twit, hears a double barrelled posh surname. Bugger Cleese, I though you had my back!
I had to replay it 5 times but she replies his name as Manfrengensengen. One syllable more. Than I rewound and found out he said that too, that last syllable very softly though...
Favorite movie of mine too.
Kevin Kline at his absolute best, playing a John Cleese-like type, while John himself played a very convincing fairly boring barrister.
The first time I saw the film aged 16 I thought she added one too many syllables and to be honest I think Man...frin..gin...sin sounds funnier and the extra syllable should have been left out
@@drexlspivey5828 Yet Harvey was contriving a name and added another unnecessary syllable which makes that bit work. Regardless, that scene pops into mind once in a while even after 35 years.
Manfrengensenden is a Great nickname for an online game
I’ve forgotten how witty and clever the whole script is. This is one of many side splitting moments in this film. 😂.
Here I am again laughing at this amazing scene.
Cleese's face at 0:38 is a perfect mix of surprise, disbelief, relief, and reaction to how stupid Otto's story is.
Best line in the movie!
The fact she takes the name seriously enough to remember it is hilarious
Archie's mortified, great acting.
brilliant
hard to tell if he's Harvey Manfrengensengen (his introduction) or Mr Manfredsengensen as Wendy says when lecturing him about her father's secret service knowledge...
IMHO, you are pretty close there, @wumpscut1, and maybe @Paul Sibbald really nails it here :)
What's safe to say is that that name has a ridiculously large number of syllables in it. Great one!
Don't... call me stupid
Please, if you could get the name correct. Get it right. And right proper, it is: Mr. Manfrengensengen. Please, use the correct nomenclature.
Fun fact: Maria Aitken is Jack “Commodore Norrington” Davenport’s mum!
Harvey Manfrengesensen
Harvey Manfranjensenden*
Don't call me "stupid".
MrGernblanstin Why on earth not?
Do apes read Nietzsche?
Like the way she talks.
I think Prunella Scales should’ve played Cleese’s wife 😂
Yes yes it is.
Bleeeeh.... You cut off the video four seconds too early. Otto was just about to reply "Don't call me stupid!", to which Wendy would nonchalantly reply "Why on earth not?". Anyhoo, gotta love the confused, bewildered and shocked expression on John Cleese's face throughout the whole scene. He's like "what in God's almighty balls is going on here?!" :D :D :D
MAN-FRen-gen-sen (den)
Mr. Manfrengensen-den.
So Funny
That hat lol.
Manfredjinsinjin. Manfred is Old High German meaning man of peace. Sinjin is actually an attempt to represent phonetically the now rare name "St. John."
you cut it too short
As far as I know, the only time anyone got an Oscar for a comedy. Kevin Kline, folks. www.imdb.com/name/nm0000177/awards?ref_=nm_awd
It’s Mr. Manfrenginsinten not Manfrenginsin.
1:01
1:09......If you were really CIA, you wouldn't even be advertising 'technique' codenames ffs, what a clown - but we knew that anyway 🤣🤣