I never understood this one scene. John Cleese gets caught in a compromising position at his friend’s loft, and a group of strangers barge in, act shocked, and tell him to put his clothes on and leave.
He refuses, saying “this flat belongs to (my friend), he’s in Hong Kong and lent me the key. YOU get out.”
The strangers say, “But we leased it from the agents last weekend!”
Whereupon John Cleese’s face falls and he sheepishly says “Well, that does change things, doesn’t it…”
What was going on there? How can his friend’s flat suddenly get “leased” without anyone knowing?
I’m assuming it’s a sublease. His friend set things up with a real estate agent to sublet the flat while he’s away, presumably for an extended stay in Hong Kong, and forgot to tell John Cleese.
Cleese has a key from his friend, but didn’t know about the sublet. Most likely, he assumed it would be empty because his friend was away, and just dropped by.
The friend, the friend’s agents, and the family renting the apartment all know, but the friend didn’t tell Archie Leach. Presumably he lent the key some time ago, as a standing arrangement, and forgot that Archie Leach still had a key.
Hey! I just got the Archie Leach reference! For the one other person in the world who didn’t, Archie Leach was Cary Grant’s real name. Referred to cheekily in Arsenic and Old Lace.
