Don’t Drink the Water (1969) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The Hollanders were mistaken for spies when Marion wandered into a restricted airport area while taking photos. The Vulgarian secret police, led by Inspector Krojak, suspected them of espionage and sent a squad with machine guns to arrest them. The family had to flee into the American ambassador's car to escape detention.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, the plane had been hijacked and rerouted to Vulgaria, putting the family in a hostile foreign territory where any unusual behavior would draw suspicion.

• spies
• secret police
• arrest
• krojak
• marion photos

After escaping the secret police, the Hollanders jumped into the car of the American ambassador, which was waiting on the tarmac. They drove to the embassy and requested asylum. Since the ambassador was away, his incompetent son Axel Magee was left in charge of handling their asylum request.

Foreshadowing: The ambassador's car appeared at the airport, providing the family with their only chance at reaching safety.

• embassy
• asylum
• axel magee
• escape
• diplomacy

Walter threw the Sultan out after the Sultan made clear he wanted Susan for his harem. The dangerous interest shown by the charismatic but threatening Sultan pushed Walter to his breaking point, and in a defiant moment he physically ejected the Sultan from the embassy, refusing to let his daughter be used as a political bargaining chip.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Axel mentioned hoping a powerful Arab Sheik might intervene, but the Sultan's proposition turned out to be a threat rather than help.

• sultan
• susan
• harem
• walter
• threat

Axel proposed throwing a lavish embassy party and disguised the Hollanders among the guests to slip them out of Vulgaria unnoticed. Father Drobney, an eccentric rabbi with language skills, helped navigate border checkpoints. The plan relied on the chaos and spectacle of the party to create a diversion for the escape.

Foreshadowing: The plan was mentioned right after Walter ejected the Sultan, suggesting the family needed to act quickly before the diplomatic situation worsened.

• escape plan
• party
• disguise
• drobney
• border

Susan chose to stay behind at the embassy because she had fallen in love with Axel and wanted to marry him. She decided to remain within the protective walls of the embassy rather than risk the dangerous escape attempt. Her choice created a bittersweet separation from her parents as they fled without her.

Foreshadowing: Susan's romance with Axel had been developing throughout their time at the embassy, with her feelings growing stronger as the political crisis intensified.

• susan
• axel
• marriage
• stays behind
• romance

While at the embassy, Walter made long-distance calls and learned his catering business back home had become embroiled in a food poisoning scandal. This threatened not only his professional reputation but also added to the family's precarious situation, as their financial security was now in jeopardy along with their physical safety.

Foreshadowing: Walter's profession as a caterer was established at the start of the film, making this news a logical complication that tied into his character's background.

• catering business
• food poisoning
• scandal
• financial
• walter

Father Drobney was an eccentric rabbi who joined the Hollanders' escape attempt. His linguistic talents and knowledge of the local language proved invaluable at border checkpoints, allowing the group to navigate past guards successfully. He accompanied Walter, Marion, and later Susan through the checkpoint crossings using his humor and street-smarts.

Foreshadowing: Drobney was introduced as part of the escape plan, with his language skills mentioned as crucial to slipping past Vulgarian authorities.

• father drobney
• rabbi
• language
• checkpoint
• escape helper

The Sultan, a charismatic but dangerous character, became romantically interested in Susan and hinted at wanting her for his harem. This proposal represented both a personal threat to Susan and a political complication for the embassy, as rejecting the Sultan's advances could diplomatically endanger the family's asylum case.

Foreshadowing: The Sultan's interest emerged during a meeting in the embassy lounge, adding another layer of danger to the already tense diplomatic situation.

• sultan
• harem
• susan
• romance
• political pressure

The Hollanders' flight to Athens was hijacked and rerouted to Vulgaria, a fictional communist country behind the Iron Curtain. The hijackers took control of the plane and forced it off its original course, stranding the family in a hostile nation. This event set off the entire chain of comedic mishaps that followed.

Foreshadowing: The film's opening established the family was traveling for a vacation, making the hijacking a sudden and unexpected disruption to their plans.

• hijack
• vulgaria
• plane
• iron curtain
• destination

Picketers and protesters gathered outside the American embassy to protest the Hollanders' asylum case, turning their situation into a political spectacle. The protests added external pressure on the embassy staff while officials debated how to resolve the crisis without escalating tensions with Vulgarian authorities.

Foreshadowing: The protests emerged after the family sought asylum, highlighting how their presence had become a matter of international diplomatic concern.

• picketers
• protest
• embassy
• political
• asylum

Axel Magee was the absent American ambassador's son, left to run the embassy by default while his father was away. He was portrayed as somewhat inept and unprepared for the responsibility of handling a real diplomatic crisis, yet he nevertheless tried to help the Hollanders and hatched the escape plan.

Foreshadowing: The summary established that the ambassador was absent, leaving only Axel to deal with the asylum request.

• axel magee
• ambassador
• in charge
• inept
• diplomat