Occupation Gestapo Officer Portrayed by John Louis Mansi Last appearance A Winkle in Time | Nationality German First appearance The Duel | |
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Similar Colonel Kurt von Strohm, General Erich von Klinkerhoffen, Lieutenant Hubert Gruber, Captain Alberto Bertorelli, Monsieur Alfonse | ||
Herr Engelbert von Smallhausen is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom 'Allo 'Allo!, which ran from 1982 to 1992. He was played by the actor John Louis Mansi. In the beginning, he was only credited as "Gestapo man".
Von Smallhausen is seemingly not the brightest of individuals, although one episode revealed that he was educated at Oxford and his knowledge of English nursery rhymes helped to crack the code used by resistance radio transmissions, but in other episodes he seem quite stupid, answering Herr Flick's question in all another manner than in this specific episode. Although, it is possible that he does it in order to not upset his superior officer. He is persistently mistreated by his superior, Herr Otto Flick – who often hits von Smallhausen over the head with a rubber truncheon and it is implied in some episodes that he resides in a small cupboard at Flick's headquarters but it is later revealed that he has a small apartment over the local bakery. He is a Peter Lorre fan; in the final episode, he and Flick were captured by Allied forces during a failed attempt to escape to sea, that instead landed them in René's café but their fate was never revealed.
He says in one of his first episodes, that his first name is "Engelbert" but in Dinner with the General, he is accidentally hypnotised to answer all questions truthfully and then gives his name as "Bobby Cedric von Smit".
