When Did You Last See Your Money?

When Did You Last See Your Money? is the ninth episode of the fifth series of the British comedy series Dad's Army that was originally transmitted on 1 December 1972.

Synopsis

Jones arrives at the bank to deposit a donation by local shopkeepers of £500 for the serviceman's canteen, but the packet that he hands over contains sausages, not money.

Plot

During a typical day at Swallows Bank, Mainwaring complains about Pike's unprofessional talk with customers and insists that Wilson and Pike continue to use the door to enter his office (despite the fact that bombs have destroyed most of the building and the door is pretty much the only part of the wall left intact). Jones comes in to deposit £500 that has been raised by the local shopkeepers for the servicemen's canteen (Jones is treasurer) and faints in shock when it turns out he accidentally brought a packet of sausages instead!

Jones becomes obsessed with finding the money, annoying the rest of the platoon as they stay up all night to help him remember. Frazer offers to hypnotise Jones (which causes the Verger to think Frazer is practising satanism) and, under hypnosis, Jones remembers that he may have put the money in a chicken instead of giblets. The platoon rush to the house of Mr Blewitt, who bought the chicken, and demand to inspect it, much to the old man's confusion (Jones asks Mainwaring not to mention the lost money to keep Jones' good name untarnished). Unfortunately, a very confusing search is unsuccessful.

Back at the bank the next day, Jones decides to pay the amount out of his own money, despite the fact that this will bankrupt him. Just then, however, Mr Billings comes into the bank to reveal that Jones gave him the money instead of the sausages the previous day by mistake, leaving the matter happily resolved (although Mainwaring will have to explain the 'mysterious' disappearance of the sausages, which he ate himself).

Cast

Notes

Pike gets the idea of helping Jones remember where he left his money from a film called Man in the Shadows starring Walter Abel and Joan Blondell. This film is purely fictional.

References