Lady Valerie Stanford (Karen Steele; 1931-1988) is the main villainess in "The Big Dish," episode 4.24 of Hogan's Heroes (airdate March 8, 1969) She is a British scientist who defected to the Nazis, spending two years working for them.
Lady Stanford was the mastermind of an anti-aircraft radar that could be used to detect the presence of Allied planes so they could be shot down. Hogan's mission was to either take out the radar, or convince Lady Stanford to switch back sides. Hogan (Bob Crane) attempts the latter when he (disguised as a German officer) enters Lady Stanford's home and finds her taking a bath. She later tells Hogan that she was forced to work for the Nazis because they were holding her friends and family hostage, However, that story turns out to have been a lie. Hogan learns that the radar is being tested and Allied planes shot down.
To make matters worse, she reported Hogan to Maj. Wolfgang Hochstetter (Howard Caine), almost causing him to be arrested as a spy. The Heroes eventually sabotage the radar, and in the aftermath, Hogan convinces Hochstetter that Lady Stanford is actually a British double agent. He even makes up a romantic history between them. Lady Stanford's fate is undisclosed, but it was suggested that she may, ironically, be in an Allied POW camp.
Trivia[]
- Karen Steele also played villainess Mary "Jack" Armstrong on Get Smart.
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