Prior Engagements

Prior Engagements
Production Details
Written by	Jeremy Lloyd & Paul Adam
Director	Sue Longstaff
Transmission Details
Airdate	23 February 1991
Continuity
Previous	Leg It To Spain!
Next	Soup And Sausage

Plot

René is sitting in the café, having a cup of coffee spiked with gin to calm his nerves, when Edith rushes in, overjoyed to show him her picture on the front page of the new newspaper, since she has won the "Spirit of Nouvion" contest. They are soon interrupted by Michelle, who comes in and tells them, that she has had her painting valued by an expert, who has discovered it is a forgery (the boobies are not big enough). She has also discovered, that the original is in the care of general Von Klinkerhoffen and they must steal it from him. René and Edith are more concerned about the airmen, who are stuck in wine barrels in the general's cellar. Michelle says the resistance will come up with a plan to rescue them. Meanwhile, she takes what she can find in the café's till, since the resistance are still short on funds, and leaves.

Colonel Von Strohm, lieutenant Gruber and captain Bertorelli are sitting in the colonel's office, reading the first edition of the new newspaper. They banter at general Von Klinkerhoffen and all the space he takes up in the paper, when the general enters the room. He tells them of his new idea to further "cement relationships" with the French peasants, namely, that a German officer should marry one of them (the marriage being annulled when the war is over, of course). He has picked "The Spirit of Nouvion" (Edith) to be the bride. Since colonel Von Strohm is already married, Gruber and Bertorelli have to draw straws about who should propose to her and Gruber is the one who has to do it. However, he and Von Strohm manage to talk him out of it and the general decides Bertorelli shall propose to Edith. Then, there will be an official reception at the chateau.

At Herr Flick's headquarters, he tells Von Smallhausen that he has found out that the painting is in the possession of the general. In order to get into the chateau, they will swim across the moat, wearing frogman suits. Then, they will use a rope and grappling hook to climb the castle wall. When Von Smallhausen points out he cannot swim, Herr Flick makes him lie on his stomach on the desk and practice it, reading the Gestapo manual "Learning to Swim Very, Very Quickly".

Michelle bursts into the café, asking René and Edith to do her laundry for her. Before they can discuss this, Mimi enters, telling them that Gruber is on his way. Thus, Mimi must take the laundry into the kitchen and Edith takes Michelle into the backroom. Gruber tells René of the general's marriage plans and when he has left, Edith and Michelle come back into the café. Edith is devastated, but Michelle thinks it is a good idea that she accepts the proposal. The reception will give them an excellent opportunity to get into the chateau and get the airmen out of there. They will drop the barrels into the underground stream that runs under the chateau. They will then float down the river and out to sea. Michelle and her resistance girls will get into the cellar through a tunnel, leading to it from the monastery. However, there must be somebody down there to open the door for them. Thus, they will have to put Mimi in the dumbwaiter outside Von Klinkerhoffen's room and wind her down to the cellar, where she will open the door. The next moment, René and Michelle escape to the backroom, as captain Bertorelli approaches. He makes Edith a long proposal, which she reluctantly accepts. After he has given her a long kiss, he leaves and René and Michelle come back into the café.

In the evening, René, Mimi and Yvette are waiting on the Germans in the chateau. Helga then announces the "dignitaries" from the town: The head of the Nouvion police (officer Crabtree), the mayor, the undertaker, the hairdresser, the vineyard owner and the photographer (monsieur Alfonse), monsieur and madame LeClerc and finally, captain Bertorelli and his fiancée "The Spirit of Nouvion" (Edith). As monsieur Alfonse is not very glad at his beloved Edith marrying another, he challenges Bertorelli to a duel, but quickly withdraws, when Bertorelli informs him, that he is the best shot in the Italian army. Meanwhile, Herrs Flick and Von Smallhausen get ready to swim across the moat, Von Smallhausen wearing a big red metallic bowl on his head.

In an unwatched moment, Mimi get into the dumbwaiter and Yvette lowers her down into the cellar. There, she quickly opens the door for the resistance girls. When Michelle has informed the airmen, they drop the barrels into the stream, after which the resistance girls leave through the tunnel and Mimi, with a bottle of wine, is hoisted back up with the dumbwaiter. When she is back up and everyone has gathered in the reception hall again, the general holds a speech about the engaged couple. He also takes the opportunity, to display the painting. When he asks everybody to join him in a toast for the happy couple, madame Fanny protests and says she will not (which is part of the plan to get Edith out of the engagement). She says Edith is a traitor for marrying in Italian and that she will cut her off from inheritance - she well never get the hands on "her" café. When Bertorelli hears that the café belongs to madame Fanny and not Edith, he calls the wedding off, cancels the engagement and leaves the room.

Herrs Flick and Von Smallhausen are standing on a balcony outside the room and as Herr Flick sees the painting, he orders Von Smallhausen to activate the secret Gestapo fire alarm as a diversion. As he does so, it turns out that the big bowl on his head is a gigantic alarm bell. However, it works and everyone in the room leaves to get into safety from the fire. Thus, Herr Flick can easily get in, take the painting and leave. When they have both left the castle, everybody returns to the room and discover that the painting is missing. General Von Klinkerhoffen orders the guards to look for intruders, but the guests can all go home. The café gang chat joyfully while walking through the streets. They are just saying how nice it is to be rid of the airmen, when they hear noises down the sewer. The airmen are stuck down there and cannot get the grating open to get out into the street. However, René and the others ignore them for the moment.