Top-rated
Thu, Sep 7, 1967
Located atop a hill in old San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Convent San Tanco is populated by, among others, the stern and traditional Reverend Mother Superior Placido, straightforward Sister Jacqueline, English-challenged Sister Sixto who is always mixing her English slang around, young innocent novice Sister Ana, Sister Teresa and Sister Marguerita. The convent is an old, beautiful building but is showing its age and is need of major repairs - as is everything the sisters own - money for which the sisters do not have. Into their world enters Sister Bertrille, a new novice from New York, who is to teach kindergarten. Sister Bertrille is an ex-surfer girl hippie with tons of enthusiasm who will go to any means to achieve what she wants and what she thinks the convent needs. This includes striking up a friendship with local entrepreneur and playboy, Carlos Ramirez, the owner of the Carlos A-Go Go Discotheque and Casino in San Juan. Carlos own a piece of property that would be perfect for a new school for the convent, and Sister Bertrille thinks it would be perfect for Carlos to donate it to the convent. This approach goes against the wishes of the Reverend Mother, who considers it undignified and uncouth. Above all of this, Sister Bertrille discovers that the strong winds of San Juan coupled with the wing-like cornette of the nun's habit can make her go airborne. She quickly learns how to fly by raising and turning her head and the associated cornette. Among those that see her fly is Carlos, who thinks he has seen a vision and as such, decides to donate his property to the convent and the sisters. But those that do not see her fly are the men of the restricted military base into which she accidentally flies. It takes some convincing for them to believe she's not a spy. But the person who may need even more convincing is the Reverend Mother, who must decide what to do with her new flying novice.
Thu, Sep 14, 1967
Sister Bertrille is getting better at flying and takes the occasional practice flight. During one of her flights, she is seen by Carlos Ramirez, who thinks he has seen a religious vision. Because of it, he gives up drinking, gambling and girls, while taking up meditating and going to mass. Carlos' current girlfriend, Dottie, is concerned and goes to Sister Bertrille for help, telling her the story. Although Sister Bertrille is as happy as any of the sisters to see agnostic Carlos going to church, she doesn't want him going on false pretenses, and tells and shows him the truth about her ability to fly. Relieved, he goes back to his old carousing ways and tries to make up for lost time. In a poker match, he loses everything except his yacht. Lou and Tony, his gambling buddies, say that they will let Carlos bet them in any way: the yacht against his losings that night. He goes for what he considers a sure thing: that they will see Sister Bertrille fly unaided. Unbeknowst to Carlos, the Reverend Mother has forbid Sister Bertrille from flying while Bishop Dillon is in town. Carlos tries to convince Sister Bertrille to do this for him, he saying that in a way she is responsible for his predicament. He even threatens to take back the property he donated to the convent, as he has not yet signed the papers. Sister Bertrille goes to Reverend Mother for guidance on this issue. Without hearing the specific issue, the busy Reverend Mother tells her to use her own judgment and do what's best for the convent. So Sister Bertrille flies, just as the Reverend Mother and Bishop Dillon go to visit Carlos at his yacht, Carlos the man who so generously donated the land to the convent. A convenient shove of the Bishop into the water saves Sister Bertrille's secret from the Bishop.
Thu, Sep 21, 1967
Even mechanically inclined Sister Bertrille can't fix their jalopy of a station wagon, which they need to transport the children to the Feast of St. Anthony Carnival that day. The sisters talk the Reverend Mother into letting them trade in the jalopy and buy another used car with the $800 they have on hand. Sister Bertrille turns to Money Back Hernando, the most notorious used car dealer in San Juan. They strike a deal for a station wagon for $800, plus the trade-in. The new car ends up being a lemon. But luckily, it breaks down next to where Carlos is picnicking with his latest conquest, Diane. He manages to fix it to the best of his ability, but he suggests the sister take the car back to Hernando and get her money back. Money Back is not true to his name, and they negotiate $500 for the buy-back, but she has to come back later for the money. Vehicleless, Sister Bertrille talks Carlos into letting her use his station wagon to drive the children to the carnival. So Sister Bertrille drops Carlos' station wagon off at the convent, and tells the kids to tell the other sisters that she'll be back shortly and will explain the situation, while she heads back into town to pick up the $500. The sisters see the beautiful station wagon and assume it's the one Sister Bertrille bought with the $800. However just as the kids go off, the water heater in the convent falls apart, and they're going to need the $800 back. So Sister Jacqueline takes Carlos' car back to Money Back and sells it to him for $800. Money Back, never one to pass up a good deal however shady, agrees despite not knowing anything about Sister Jacqueline's story but indeed knowing that the car is well worth more than $800. He turns around and lists it for $1,500. So Sister Bertrille needs to go to Carlos to ask for a loan of $1,000, which added to her $500 will allow her to buy his car back. She is reluctant to tell him what she needs the money for, and he explodes when he finds out the reason. However, he comes up with a plan. Sister Bertrille is to go back and buy the old jalopy from Money Back, which she does for $15. Then Carlos goes to Money Back asking to buy the jalopy, implying that a wealthy investor is in town looking for old vehicles such as that and paying a fortune for such. So Carlos and Money Back go to the convent to bid on the jalopy. Money Back eventually buys it back for $3,000, at which time Carlos infers that the investor, while real, is not in town nor might he ever be. Money Back realizes that he has been had at his own game.
Thu, Sep 28, 1967
The bell at San Tanco is showing its age. Originally meant only to be temporary, the replacement bell sunk on the ship, the Hidalgo, off the coast of Puerto Rico when it was being shipped from Belgium 200 years prior. When Sister Bertrille can't fix the bell, she suggests looking for the wreck of the Hidalgo. She goes to the one person with the money and the boat to even attempt the location and salvage process: Carlos. Carlos agrees, but he really has other things on his mind. He is doing all of this in an attempt to woo his latest girlfriend, Binkie Worsley. He plans to plant a false treasure map, and buy a new bell for the convent, while taking Binkie out for a supposed sailing adventure to locate the wreck and the bell. His plans are thwarted when Sister Bertrille, with the Reverend Mother's reluctant blessing, insists on tagging along. But at least Carlos can still find his planted new bell and act the hero in front of Binkie, that is until Carlos's assistant, Pedro, spills wine on the map he drew with water soluble ink. Carlos dives again and again and again with no luck in finding the exact spot where Pedro planted the bell. Finally, Carlos finds the bell, just as Binkie goes overboard. They lose her. Sister Bertrille suggests she be the flying scout looking for Binkie from a hundred feet up. They find Binkie, on the most part all right. Carlos has become her savior and again plays the hero. However, Carlos' romantic plans are once again laid to rest as Binkie saw Sister Bertille flying while she was on death's edge out in the water, seeing it as a religious vision to change her ways. As for the bell, Pedro is having a hard time removing all the fake barnacles he placed on it because what they found was the real 200 year old bell.
Thu, Oct 5, 1967
As much as she loves Sister Bertrille, the Reverend Mother believes that the high winds of San Juan create an environment not suitable for Sister Bertrille. This is highlighted by the fact that Sister Bertrille flew through a new stained-glass window with her errant flying. So the Reverend Mother makes the difficult decision to transfer her to another convent, possibly in Rome. As exciting as that may be, Sister Bertrille is devastated about leaving, and openly shows that. Her frequent bouts of tears are due to this, but she attributes it to her allergy to hibiscus flowers. Sister Bertrille asks that the Reverend Mother not tell the other sisters until just before her scheduled departure. But the sister does tell Carlos, who is also disheartened by the news, but would not dare question the Reverend Mother's decision. But Carlos works behind the scenes with the children of the convent to organize a protest to keep Sister Bertrille at San Tanco. Sister Ana overhears the news of Sister Bertrille's departure, thinking that Sister Bertrille is dying. So the sisters treat her with kid gloves. They also see the Reverend Mother is treating Sister Bertrille with her regular sternness, the sisters thinking her cold-hearted in light of Sister Bertrille's imminent 'passing'. Thus the sisters embark on a cold shoulder campaign toward the Reverend Mother, who thinks it was orchestrated by Sister Bertrille as defiance against the transfer. This strengthens Reverend Mother's resolve to transfer her. The misunderstanding becomes known and is resolved, and everyone becomes clear as to Sister Bertrille's real fate. The sisters also find out about Carlos's campaign; the sisters suggest to him that that may not be the best approach to take with the Reverend Mother, and Carlos calls off the campaign. However, the campaign takes on a life of its own extending to the people of the community; this shows the Reverend Mother what a truly profound effect Sister Bertrille has had in her short time at San Tanco. The sister can stay.
Thu, Oct 12, 1967
On a flight, Sister Bertrille suddenly gets dizzy and has double vision, forcing a crash landing. After being checked out by Dr. Tapia, he discovers she has an ear infection that will clear up in a couple of days. He is more concerned about the condition of the Reverend Mother. She is a bit anxious about Sister Bertrille in general but more so now with Sister Bertrille's ailment. The doctor however attributes the Reverend Mother's anxiety to work stress and thus calls in Father Lundigan, the church's psychologist, to allay the Reverend Mother's anxiety. The Reverend Mother makes the mistake of telling Father Lundigan that the source of her anxiety is the flying nun, or rather the landings of the flying nun. The father promptly thinks the Reverend Mother is going crazy. Perhaps it's something in the water at the convent Sister Jacqueline and Sister Bertrille herself support the Reverend Mother's story. The only way to convince Father Lundigan is for Sister Bertrille to fly for him. However her ear infection is causing Sister Bertrille to be grounded. One by one, all the sisters support the Reverend Mother's story. Father Lundigan thinks he's surrounded by a convent full of deranged nuns, this further supported when the sisters try everything in their power to keep the father at the convent until Sister Bertrille's ear infection clears and she can fly again for the father. Father Lundigan manages to "escape" from the convent just as soon as Sister Bertrille's infection clears and she's able to fly again. Sister Bertrille finally manages to convince Father Lundigan when she flies next to the airborne plane which he's aboard. Or perhaps she's only convinced him that he's as crazy as all the nuns at the convent.
Thu, Oct 19, 1967
Exasperated with the sharp tongue of her talking parrot Junior his vocabulary learned in her saloon, Rose Dolan threatens to fricassee him unless Sisters Bertrille and Jacqueline take him off her hands. Seeing that the convent does not allow pets, the sisters need to find Junior a good home. Unable to do so, they clandestinely take Junior back to the convent. However, Junior's big mouth gives him away. They try and reform his language to convince the Reverend Mother to let him stay, but they fail in their task. As a last resort, Sister Bertrille tries Carlos, who does end up taking Junior. But when Junior's language ruins a date, Carlos wants to get rid of him. Junior has the same idea and flies out the window. It's then that Rose changes her mind - she misses Junior and wants him back. She's heartbroken when she learns of Junior's fate. To help Rose, Sister Bertrille goes out looking for Junior. Miraculously. she finds him, just before a couple of ornithologists are about to nab Junior themselves. Rose and Junior live happily ever after.
Thu, Oct 26, 1967
Bobbye Starr is trying to get away from her mobster boyfriend Al Caine, who she wants to get a legitimate job and ask her to marry him. In her getaway, she stows away in the convent's station wagon and isn't discovered by the sisters until they reach the convent. Sisters Bertrille and Jacqueline think that Bobbye's arrival is timely, as she mentioned her job was as a 'private secretary' and the Reverend Mother probably needs help while her regular secretary, Sister Ana, is off sick. However regular secretarial work is not Bobbye's strength in life. Despite her secretarial failings, she endears herself to everyone at the convent and is allowed to stay as long as she feels she needs. Although Bobbye resigns herself to go back to Al, Sister Bertrille suggests that to nab Al, Bobbye needs to make him jealous. The sister suggests Carlos as the perfect pretend suitor. Carlos agrees after he lays eyes on the glamorous Bobbye. They make it as obvious to Al as possible, and it isn't until after the sisters tell Al about Carlos and Bobbye's whereabouts that the sisters discover Al's shady background. Sister Bertrille flies off to warn Carlos and Bobbye of Al's impending arrival. However Al arrives before her and threatens Bobbye and Carlos with a gun in hand. Sister Bertrille calls in the police, and with the siren wailing, Al is placed in a position of either having Bobbye testify against him, or marry him. He reluctantly concedes to the latter.
Thu, Nov 2, 1967
Unable to raise enough money through donations, Sister Bertrille thinks they should go into business. With the donation of the raw materials, Sister Bertrille thinks they should produce what she calls the Nectar of San Tanco: sea grape juice. Out of faith, Carlos and one of his business associates, Luis Fiero, agree to exclusive distribution rights of the product without even knowing what it is. When Carlos finds out it's sea grape juice, he pulls out. The business is in trouble when the creditors come for payment and the sisters haven't sold a bottle's worth. Luis Fiero changes his mind and decides to distribute after sampling the product and seeing Sister Bertrille fly, thinking that the strength of the nectar was the reason for his vision. But because the bottles of juice have been sitting around, they have also been fermenting and turning into wine. So when Carlos delivers the bottles to Luis and needs to go through customs, he is arrested for trying to smuggle sea grape wine. The customs inspector raids the convent. However in the meantime, the juice and the wine has made yet another transformation, this time into vinegar. Fiero buys all the bottles of vinegar anyway, the sisters stop production and after paying the creditors, end up twenty-five cents in the red, the twenty-five cents paid by Carlos. He knew this venture would cost him something.
Thu, Nov 16, 1967
The Reverend Mother is speaking at an educational seminar in St. Thomas, and has forgotten her notes. Sisters Bertrille and Jacqueline brainstorm about how to get the information to her. Sister Bertrille asks Carlos if he would fly his private plane to St. Thomas, but he refuses. So Sister Bertrille takes matters into her own hands and flies there herself. En route, she gets lost and the wind is dying so she's forced to make an emergency landing on a small island. On the island, Talc and his band of gangsters - Moon, Ben, Joe and Angie - are discussing business matters, namely how to dismiss of their partners, the Schwimmer brothers, when Talc sees Sister Bertrille land. He thinks she is a saint who has come to help him redeem his ways. Because of Talc's odd behavior, Moon and Ben think he's gone crazy and figure they'll support the Schwimmers, while Joe and Angie will follow Talc in whatever he wants to do. Meanwhile, Sister Bertrille has accidentally dropped the Reverend Mother's notes and mistakenly picked up some of Talc's notes. When contract killer Louie LaRue lands on the island, Moon and Ben take off with him to contact the Schwimmers, stranding Talc, Joe, Angie and Sister Bertrille. Before those on the plane can bring back the Schwimmers to the island to dispose of Talc and the others, Sister Bertrille manages to fly off with Talc's papers. As she does, Talc, Joe, Angie, and Moon, Ben, Louie and the Schwimmer Brothers in the plane all see Sister Bertrille fly. Like Talc, they all now believe she's a saint sent to help them redeem their ways. The pilot too is so overwhelmed, that he crashes the plane. When Sister Bertrille returns to the convent and sees that she has incriminating evidence of Talc's, the federal authorities take her back to the island, expecting a tense stand off with Talc and the Schwimmers. Instead, Talc and everyone on the island surrender to their new saint.
Thu, Nov 23, 1967
Before the Reverend Mother goes off on a cruise vacation, she makes Sister Bertrille promise her that she will not not tell anyone else about her ability to fly. At the hospital pediatric wing, Sisters Bertrille and Jacqueline encounter Charlie Webster, a problem orphan who is self-absorbed and prone to telling tales. As such, he is a loner without friends and is hard for the authorities to find adoptive parents. Sister Bertrille thinks she can get through to Charlie, especially since they have the love of flying in common. Sister Bertrille does get through to Charlie. She finds out that his selfishness stems from the fact that everything he has loved has been taken away from him. However one day when they're out flying a kite, Sister Bertrille takes an unscheduled flight. As usual, Charlie tells all back at the hospital, who think he is once again lying. Much to his dismay, Sister Bertrille can't and won't support his story because of her vow to the Reverend Mother. Fearing that she has lost touch with Charlie, Sister Bertrille flies out to the cruise ship that the Reverend Mother is on for some advice. The Reverend Mother leaves it up to Sister Bertrille's better judgment. In the middle of the night, Charlie steals Sister Bertrille's cornette. The sisters put two and two together and learn from the other children that he indeed is going to try to fly, his reasoning being that he's half a light as Sister Bertrille and thus should be able to fly twice as high. What's worse is that he plans to take flight from the top of his favorite climbing tree. Sister Bertrille and the others get to him just in time. She convinces him that he won't be able to fly and that she is his friend. She also tells him the reason for not supporting his story - which she can now with the Reverend Mother's blessing - and the reason why the convent in general keeps her flying a secret. Charlie tells the others that he indeed was lying - this is the first unselfish act he has done in a long time, and begins the new phase of his childhood.
Thu, Nov 30, 1967
Santa Thomasina is a small remote village in the hills overlooking San Juan. In reality, it is not one but two villages, since the inhabitants of both have been feuding for years as to which has the rightful claim to being 'the' Santa Thomasina. Sister Bertrille and Sister Jacqueline are caught within the feud when they are invited by one of the communities, but end up in the other. Manifestation of the feud includes stealing pigs and stealing the statue of Saint Thomasina, the matron saint of the villages. The residents of the one Santa Thomasina's sees Sister Bertrille fly, thinking she the reincarnation of their beloved matron Saint, and who they believe will lead them to victory in battle against the other village. Despite Sister Bertrille's urgings against doing so, the villagers go to the fork in the trail to battle the rapers and pillagers from the other village, whom they portray as well armed guerrillas. In reality, the 'army' of the other Santa Thomasina are similarly just villagers armed with shovels and brooms as weapons. In the midst of battle, Sister Bertrille first thinks that a drastic measure is required to show them how futile their battle is: she threatens to chop the statue in half to give to each village. When they shudder at the thought, the villagers accept Sister Bertrille's more practical second suggestion of keeping the statue at the fork of the trail and to name the respective communities East Santa Thomasina and West Santa Thomasina. They have achieved peace.
Thu, Dec 7, 1967
Sister Bertrille, Sister Sixto and the kids are on their way to rendezvous with a friend of Carlos' for a day outing at his plantation. However the sisters get lost on their way. After a day picnicking at the spot which they stopped their journey, the gang are ready to head back to the convent. However their station wagon isn't being cooperative. So Sister Bertrille decides that she will fly to a pay telephone and call Carlos to come pick them up. But the stormy weather causes Sister Bertrille to be grounded as her cornette becomes sopping wet and limp. Now that it's getting dark, the Reverend Mother, Sister Jacqueline and Carlos are worried about the gang not making it to the plantation nor yet making it back to the convent. Despite the storm, Carlos decides to take his plane up and look for them. He finds them and radios for help, immediately after which his plane experiences some mechanical problems and he is forced to make an emergency landing. The gang is rescued but now it's Carlos who needs rescuing. Or does he?! Sister Bertrille joins the search for Carlos, and she finds him at lush plantation owned by the beautiful Gina. Carlos was doing just fine with Gina, and wished that Sister Bertrille had never found him.
Thu, Dec 21, 1967
Convent San Tanco's nuns draw names to provide Christmas presents for one another and Sister Bertrille draws Sister Olaf, an elderly nun from Scandanavia who's one wish is to see snow fall again before she dies. The young nun connives with the U.S. Weather Bureau to produce a snowstorm over the convent with disastrous results.
Thu, Dec 28, 1967
On the request of the Reverend Mother to bring someone in to organize the library, the bishop sends the only qualified librarian available on staff, accident-prone Brother Paul Bernardi. And the Reverend Mother assigns Sister Bertrille to assist Brother Paul in her hope that "two wrongs will make a right". Among the accidents caused by Brother Paul are the burning of the bookshelves by his magnifying glass and creating a hole in the library wall while pulling out a nail. With the latter however, he and Sister Bertrille discover some old parchments inside the wall, the parchments which end up being the priceless San Tanco scrolls. In his absentmindedness, Brother Paul places the parchments on the pile of books that are to be discarded. In an effort to get new bookshelves, Sister Bertrille deals with "Swapping Salvador", new bookshelves for the old books that were to be discarded anyway. Salvador plans to grind the books into pulp, and with the old books are the parchments. When Brother Paul and Sister Bertrille discover the possible fate of the parchments, Sister Bertrille quickly flies to Salvador's just in time to save the parchments. The two wrongs eventually do make a right as the library comes together beautifully and Brother Paul is assigned to work at the Vatican library.