A Tiger Hunt in Paris, Part 1

Prisoners

 * Colonel Hogan - Bob Crane
 * Corporal Louis LeBeau - Robert Clary
 * Corporal Peter Newkirk - Richard Dawson
 * Sergeant James Kinchloe - Ivan Dixon
 * Sergeant Andrew Carter - Larry Hovis

Camp Personne

 * Kommandant Wilhelm Klink - Werner Klemperer
 * Sergeant Hans Schultz - John Banner

Semi-Regulars
None

Guest Stars

 * Colonel Backsheider - John Dehner
 * Bouchet - David Frank
 * Tiger - Arlene Martel
 * Corporal Sontag - David Morick
 * Captain Mueller - George N. Neise
 * Marya - Nita Talbot

Synopsis
In the first of a two-part story, Hogan and LeBeau hide in Klink's staff car as the commandant heads for a vacation in Paris, but it's no holiday for Hogan. He is out to free a lovely Underground agent who's been captured by the Gestapo.

Plot Details
The prisoners have fallen out to hear an announcement from Colonel Klink. By his own admission that proper rest is needed to maintain his iron regime, he is taking a week of leave in Paris (the first time he's take a leave at all). This is of little importance to the prisoners, but Klink allows them to choose the most hated guard and that he will "remove him from [their] presence". The Heroes unanimously vote Schultz, who is assigned to act as Klink's chauffer during his leave, to the heavyset Sergeant's delight.

Hogan soon informs the Heroes that the Germans have built secret underground fighter bases in their area and that Tiger, a French Underground agent they have colluded with before, is being sent to take a map of these bases to London. They are interrupted by Kinch, who is accompanied by Bouchet, another Underground contact who informs the Heroes that Tiger was betrayed to the Gestapo and taken to Paris for interrogation. Knowing that no one could hold out to the Gestapo's interrogation methods, and that she knows vital information about the Underground and Stalag 13, Hogan decides to rescue her. He orders French money to be printed, Bouchet to tell him all he knows about the Paris Gestapo, and LeBeau to get ready to travel to Paris.

As Schultz is loading Klink's staff car with an inordinate amount of suitcases, Hogan and LeBeau, dressed in civilian clothes, hide themselves on top of the car covered by a tarp, and blackmail Schultz into keeping quiet. Schultz can only say "Oh, boy" in response.

As they arrive outside a hotel in Paris, and Klink goes to check in, Hogan and LeBeau feed Schultz the story that if anything happened to Klink's car, he should say the Gestapo commandeered it. They then proceed to steal the car away from the hapless Sergeant who promptly uses Hogan's suggestion on Klink. The Prussian Colonel is initally disbelieving that they would take his car with all his luggage still on it, but remembering the Gestapo's reputation, he simply resigns himself to the fact and declares that "they must have had a very good reason."

As Hogan is enjoying champagne in an expensive hotel suite, the door is kicked in by three Gestapo men. Their leader is Colonel Backsheider, commander of the Paris Gestapo. Backsheider wastes no time in arresting Hogan and insulting him for openly renting such a hotel room, as he was practically inviting a Gestapo investigation. Hogan simply replies that he wanted them to investigate and that he was eager to speak to Backshieder personally. The wily American Colonel claims to be "Sergeant Frank Durkin", an escapee from Stalag 13, who has worked his way up the food chain in the French black market ever since his escape. Backsheider's subordinates find a stack of French money, all counterfeit, but it is made well enough to fool Backsheider into declaring it genuine, seemingly confirming "Durkin's" story of being a prominent black market agent. Backsheider threatens Hogan with immediate execution, but Hogan suggests they go into business together. With "Durkin's" contacts and Backsheider's influence, a great deal of money could be made. The offer is appealing to Backsheider, who agrees to listen to "Durkin's" plan, but says that he feels he may have to shoot him eventually.

After listening to Hogan's deal, Backsheider phones Colonel Klink to verify that "Sergeant Durkin" is a real person. Klink proudly boasts that no one has escaped Stalag 13, but Backsheider, who has had a call made to Klink's office personel, berates Klink that a "Sergeant Frank Durkin" escaped in 1942 and is still at large according to a file in Klink's office (the file having been planted by the Heroes). Klink asks about his staff car but is further shouted at by Backsheider who denies taking it, and tells Klink that he shouldn't have lost it. They are interrupted by LeBeau, who Hogan claims works for him in the black market. LeBeau hands the keys of Klink's staff car, who in turn gives them to Backsheider as a gift. Backsheider is impressed by the efficiency of "Durkin's" operation and proceeds to attempt to predict "Durkin's" birth month (December) due to his interest in the supernatural. Hogan plays along with Backsheider's games to get on his good side before asking if he can speak with Tiger, claming that she too works for him and would speak to him more openly than she ever would the Gestapo. Backsheider claims to trust Durkin and "agrees" to let him speak to her alone.

In actuality however, he has bugged Tiger's cell and is trying to listen in on their conversation. Hogan is clever enough to find and block the bug, and after a discussion with Tiger, discovers a name of a mystic whom Backsheider goes to. Backsheider, unable to hear anything, storms into the cell and demands Tiger give up her Underground contacts, but Hogan is able to buy 24 hours of time under the pretense of letting Tiger recover from her interrogation.

Hogan and LeBeau meet up with the mystic, Marya, in a cafe. She is an attractive Russian woman who LeBeau falls for completely, and who also has Backsheider's ear. Marya is well aware of Tiger, and knows that Hogan is not a deserter, and they strike a deal for her assistance in freeing Tiger in exchange for the German fighter base locations. Their discussion is brought to a close when they are spotted by Klink, who attempts to catch them, but runs into Colonel Backsheider, and is forced to give up the search, else his "perfect" escape record would be in tatters. Hogan and LeBeau have a discussion with Hogan concerned about the difficulty of their little undertaking, but LeBeau merely comments on the state of Marya's looks, prompting Hogan to loudly wish he'd brought Carter instead.

Later at Stalag 13, the rest of the Heroes intercept a call from Klink, who is checking to see whether Hogan is in the camp or not. The Heroes manage to contact Hogan in Paris and connect the two calls, making it seem that Hogan hasn't escaped after all. After some small talk, Hogan smugly asks about the condition of Klink's staff car, bringing an end to the call, and Klink to angrily wonder how Hogan could have known that information.

Story Notes

 * This is the forty-fourth episode produced in the series, but is the forty-second episode to be shown on television and is the tenth episode for the second season.
 * This is the series' first two-part episode. It originally aired with a teaser for the second part, narrated by actor Bob Crane. This teaser remained with the episode when it went into syndication in the 1970s. The teaser is missing from the print in the DVD set.
 * This is Marya's first appearance in the series.
 * This is Tiger's second appearance in the series.

Timeline Notes and Speculations

 * This takes place after Information Please. In that episode, Hogan mentions that Klink had never taken a furlough. Klink takes a furlough to visit Paris in this episode. As such, a late 1943 date is most likely. Further evidence to support this date is given by Col. Backscheider, who reads a falsified file relating to Hogan's cover, Sergeant Frank Durkin. "Durkin" is supposed to have escaped from Stalag 13 on December 15, 1942. Additionally, in Part 2, Marya insists on knowing when the Allies will open an additional front. The second front was supposed to be opened as early as 1942, and the continuous allied delays in invading Europe put a great strain on the relationship between the Allies and the Soviets.
 * There is a real-life parallel to this episode. Diana Rowden was an important Allied undercover agent who was captured by the SS. She wasn't as lucky as Tiger, though. She was interrogated, packed off to a concentration camp, and eventually executed on July 6, 1944.
 * In this episode, Col. Backscheider, an amateur in trichology and the occult, guesses that Hogan was born in December. Hogan acknowledges that this is so, but it is unknown if he is actually being truthful with the Gestapo Colonel (which is unlikely, as operational safety would dictate that 'Durkin' have as little in common with Hogan as possible)...or merely inflating his opponent's ego to ingratiate himself with the man in order to free Tiger.

Quotes
After being voted to be "removed" from Stalag 13 by the prisoners.


 * Schultz: (To Hogan) Colonel Hogan, I have always been on the most friendly terms with all of them (To Klink) Not too friendly Herr Kommandant, but very correct. (To Hogan again) Like a kind uncle (To Klink) Not too kind Herr Kommandant, but very stern.

After Hogan asks Tiger to tell him about Colonel Backscheider


 * Tiger: A Nazi. A genius at the art of death, an idiot at living.


 * Backscheider: If you have lied to me, I have every legal right to shoot you - now. If you have told me the truth, I have every legal right to shoot you - now.

Bloopers

 * Tiger says Marya's White Russian Café is on the East Bank. Paris is divided between the Left Bank and Right Bank of the Seine, respectively the southern bank and the northern bank (looking downstream of the river).
 * In the scene with Schultz and Klink arriving in Paris, there is a noticeable continuity problem. Extra actors posing as a couple walk by in out-of-order sequences, with the woman in red clothing being very obvious.