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Au Pair Girls (1972) movie poster

Plot Summary

Au Pair Girls (1972) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
1972 · 85 mins · English
Directed by
Val Guest
Starring
John Standing, John Le Mesurier, Rosalie Crutchley, Me Me Lai, Milton Reid, Ferdy Mayne

Four attractive foreign women arrive in England to work as au pairs. While living with their host families, they quickly form close, intimate relationships not only with their employers but also with many of the people they encounter, creating a web of personal connections across the community.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 What happens: full plot
  2. 2 Plot questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like Au Pair Girls
  5. 5 Every angle

Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Au Pair Girls: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Au Pair Girls (1972) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Four young female au pairs arrive at Heathrow Airport and are escorted to the Overseas Employment Agency in London, which has arranged placements for them with various host families.

- Anita Sector [Astrid Frank] is assigned to Mr Howard [Geoffrey Bayldon] and Mrs Howard [Daphne Anderson]. She proves to be something of a handful, flooding the house during a shower and then slipping away on a date with Malcolm, a man who had preyed on her at the airport. Their night out leads to a casino where Anita encounters Sheik El Abab [Ferdy Mayne] and disappears with him after Malcolm loses money at the roulette table. In the sheik’s opulent home she spends time with his concubines and discovers that he is a very wealthy philanthropist. When the sheik attempts to seduce Anita, she realizes that her deadline to return to the Howards’ house has passed. She eventually returns to the house only to find her suitcases left on the doorstep, signaling her disappearance from the arrangement.

- Randi Lindstrom [Gabrielle Drake] is assigned to the family of businessman Mr Wainwright [John Le Mesurier]. His son Stephen [Richard O'Sullivan] is immediately drawn to her, and after a string of mishaps they end up back at Mr Wainwright’s offices, where they have sex in the car. The moment of truth comes when Mr Wainwright discovers them naked the next morning, a surprising breach of propriety that unsettles both the employer and his household.

- Nan Lee [Me Me Lai] is placed with Lord Tryke [Harold Bennett] and Lady Tryke to be a playmate for their son Rupert [Julian Barnes], who has been groomed for a concert career yet remains immature for his age due to limited social interaction. Nan joins in the garden games and the family dinners, observing Rupert’s peculiar maturity and, in time, recognizing her own enjoyment in his company. She eventually seduces him and quietly leaves the next morning, leaving behind a sense of complicated affection.

- Christa Geisler [Nancie Wait] is sent to the Fairfax family, where it’s learned that Christa is a virgin. Their daughter Carole [Lyn Yeldham] decides to introduce Christa to pop star Ricky Strange [Steve Patterson]. They shop for a more revealing outfit intended to entice Ricky, and Christa meets him after a performance, ending up in bed with him. This is soon followed by Carole’s boyfriend Buster [John Standing], but the sequence is revealed to be Carole’s ruse to secure Ricky’s attention. Christa realizes she’s been used, but she confides in Buster, who understands despite his rough manner. The next morning Christa tells Carole that she is leaving and terminates her employment with the Fairfaxes.

Back at the agency, Randi, Nan, and Christa reunite, while Anita returns and proposes that they join her as new concubines for the sheik. The four au pairs accept, and together they climb into the sheik’s car and drive away, completing a cycle of departure from their original placements.

Last updated: October 10, 2025 at 16:03

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Plot questions answered

Au Pair Girls Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Au Pair Girls (1972): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why does Anita miss her deadline to return to the Howard house?

Anita realizes her deadline has passed while she is with the Sheik. When he attempts to seduce her, she suddenly remembers she was supposed to return to the Howards' house by a specific time. By the time she leaves the Sheik's residence, it is already too late, she arrives to find her suitcases left on the doorstep, meaning the Howards have terminated her placement.

  • Anita Sector
  • deadline
  • Howard family
  • Sheik El Abab
Q2

Why is Rupert Tryke so socially immature despite being groomed for a concert career?

Rupert has been raised in a sheltered environment focused entirely on musical training. Lord Tryke and Lady Tryke have prepared him for a concert career but have limited his contact with peers, resulting in him being immature for his age. Nan Lee observes this during her time at the Tryke residence and recognizes his childlike behavior in their games.

  • Rupert Tryke
  • Lord Tryke
  • Nan Lee
  • maturity
  • concert career
Q3

Why does Nan leave Rupert the next morning?

After spending the night with Rupert, Nan quietly leaves the Tryke residence the next morning. Her departure reflects the transient nature of the au pair arrangement and possibly her recognition that the relationship was inappropriate given Rupert's emotional immaturity. She leaves the family with a sense of complicated affection but does not stay.

  • Nan Lee
  • Rupert Tryke
  • morning after
  • departure
Q4

What was Carole's ruse with Christa and Ricky Strange?

Carole deliberately introduced virgin Christa to pop star Ricky Strange, having them shop for a revealing outfit and arranging for them to meet after his performance. Christa sleeps with Ricky, then with Carole's own boyfriend Buster. The entire sequence was orchestrated by Carole as a scheme to secure Ricky's attention, she used Christa's virgin status as a novelty to draw him in, knowing he would be intrigued.

  • Christa Geisler
  • Carole Fairfax
  • Ricky Strange
  • ruse
  • manipulation
Q5

Why does Christa leave the Fairfax family?

Christa leaves because she realizes she has been deliberately used in Carole's scheme to attract Ricky Strange. After discovering the manipulation, she confides in Buster, who shows understanding despite his rough manner. The next morning, Christa tells Carole she is leaving and terminates her employment with the Fairfax family.

  • Christa Geisler
  • Carole Fairfax
  • employment
  • leaving
  • used
Q6

Why do all four au pairs choose to become the Sheik's concubines?

After their various placements end poorly, Anita misses her deadline, Randi causes a scandal, Nan manipulates a vulnerable young boy, and Christa is used and then leaves, each au pair finds themselves back at the Overseas Employment Agency. Anita returns and proposes they join her as concubines for the wealthy Sheik El Abab. All four accept, seeing it as a better alternative to their disappointing host family experiences.

  • au pairs
  • Sheik El Abab
  • concubines
  • ending
  • choice
Q7

Why is Randi discovered naked by Mr. Wainwright?

After a string of mishaps, Randi and Stephen Wainwright end up at Mr. Wainwright's offices and have sex in the car. The next morning, Mr. Wainwright discovers them naked together on his business premises, creating a shocking breach of propriety that unsettles the entire household and complicates the employer-employee relationship.

  • Randi Lindstrom
  • Stephen Wainwright
  • Mr. Wainwright
  • naked
  • discovery
  • scandal
Q8

What happens to Anita at the casino with Malcolm and the Sheik?

Anita goes on a date with Malcolm, who had preyed on her at the airport. They visit a casino where Malcolm loses money at the roulette table. Anita then encounters the wealthy Sheik El Abab and disappears with him, leaving Malcolm behind. Sheik takes her to his opulent home where she meets his concubines and discovers he is a wealthy philanthropist before the seduction attempt occurs.

  • Anita Sector
  • casino
  • Malcolm
  • Sheik El Abab
  • roulette
Q9

Why does Anita flood the Howard house?

Soon after arriving at the Howard residence, Anita causes a flood during a shower. This incident establishes her as "something of a handful" and contributes to her poor impression with the Howard family, setting up her later unreliability as a au pair.

  • Anita Sector
  • Howard family
  • flood
  • shower
  • mishap
Q10

Why is Christa's virginity significant to the plot?

Christa's status as a virgin becomes significant when Carole discovers this information and uses it as part of her ruse to attract Ricky Strange. Carole deliberately plans for Christa to meet Ricky, understanding that his interest would be piqued by a virgin. The reveal of Christa's virginity drives the entire manipulative scheme.

  • Christa Geisler
  • virgin
  • Carole Fairfax
  • Ricky Strange
  • manipulation
Q11

How do the four au pair storylines connect at the end?

The four storylines converge at the Overseas Employment Agency where Randi, Nan, and Christa reunite after their placements end. Anita returns and proposes they join her as new concubines for the Sheik. All four accept and climb into his car together, driving away to begin their new life, a collective ending that ties up all four separate narrative threads.

  • agency
  • reunion
  • Sheik El Abab
  • concubines
  • ending
  • together

Movie threads

More Movies Like Au Pair Girls, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Au Pair Girls tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Playful Escapades and Sensual Misadventures like in Au Pair Girls

Lighthearted stories following characters seeking fun and intimacy in new environments. If you liked the frothy, playful tone of Au Pair Girls, you'll enjoy other movies in this thread. These films feature silly, sensual misadventures, fast-paced stories of characters finding fun and romance, and an overall light, escapist vibe with happy endings.

  • playful
  • sensual
  • escapist
  • frothy
  • silly
  • fun
  • Tone: light, playful
  • Pacing: fast, energetic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread often follow one or more characters, often newcomers to a setting, as they engage in a series of playful and sensual encounters. The plots are straightforward, driven by humorous situations and romantic or sexual escapades rather than deep conflict, leading to a cheerful resolution.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared LIGHT tone, FAST pacing, and focus on playful, sensual themes. They offer a similar viewing experience of breezy escapism, high humor, and a feel-good conclusion, making them perfect for a fun, undemanding watch.

Cultural Clash Comedies with Romantic Farce like in Au Pair Girls

Foreigners in a new land spark humorous romantic chaos and cultural misunderstandings. Movies like Au Pair Girls that use cultural clash as a setup for romantic farce and playful chaos. These similar films feature outsiders navigating a new society, leading to humorous misunderstandings, sensual adventures, and a lighthearted take on class or cultural disparity.

  • cultural clash
  • farcical
  • voyeurism
  • sensual
  • silly
  • romantic chaos
  • Tone: light, farcical
  • Pacing: fast, episodic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves an outsider or group of outsiders entering a new cultural context. Their unfamiliarity with local customs and their exotic appeal to locals drive a series of comedic and romantic episodes. The structure is often episodic, resolving conflicts with humor and a positive outcome for the characters.

Why they belong together: These movies share a core premise where cultural differences create the central comedic and romantic tension. They have a similar LIGHT tone, a focus on sensual playfulness, and use themes like voyeurism and class disparity as backdrops for farce rather than serious social critique.

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Every angle

Au Pair Girls (1972) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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