A Song Is Born

Two window washers come to the Totten Foundation seeking help with a radio quiz and reveal a panorama of popular music the scholars have never heard. They describe swing, jive, jump, blues, bebop, and boogie woogie, opening the professors' ears to a wider world. Hobart Frisbee, the expert on 'folk music,' resolves to learn from the living scene and invites artists to perform at the Foundation.

Hobart begins inviting musicians he meets around the city to come to the Foundation, turning their archive into a living classroom. The invited artists help document and teach the scholars about contemporary styles. The Foundation becomes a venue where old theories meet fresh, on-the-ground performances.

Honey Swanson, a nightclub singer on the run from the police, seeks shelter at the Foundation and settles in despite the staff's misgivings. Her presence draws the scholars into a world of music beyond their quiet study. The ensemble is suddenly exposed to real-world performers and danger.

With help from the visiting musicians, Honey brings the latest songs and rhythms to the Foundation, which have been completely unfamiliar to the professors. The performances challenge their traditional notions of folk and scholarly music. The Foundation shifts from a sterile archive to a living, musical classroom.

Miss Bragg delivers an ultimatum, insisting that Honey cannot stay. Honey seduces Hobart by claiming she is 'wacky' about him and introducing him to 'yum yum'—enthusiastic kissing. The innocent Hobart, a Princeton prodigy, becomes smitten and begins to act on impulse.

Smitten and impulsive, Hobart scours the city for an open jewelry store to buy an engagement ring. He becomes determined to propose, blending scholarly curiosity with romantic longing. The search underscores his rapid transformation from scholar to suitor.

Hobart goes ahead with a sudden proposal, overwhelmed by Honey's charm and the dream of a life together. He decides to marry her the next day, hoping to blend their romance with his scholarly work. A phone call from Honey's supposed father interrupts their plans.

Pretending to be Honey's father, Tony Crow arranges for Hobart to travel to Rancocas, New Jersey to be married. The other professors cheerfully join the scheme, turning the elopement into a communal plan. Honey, complicit in the ruse, neutralizes Miss Bragg by knocking her out and locking her in a closet.

The group travels to Rancocas for the wedding, and Honey begins to realize she may be falling for Hobart. The deception tightens as they prepare for the ceremony, while the professors remain enthusiastic supporters. The personal stakes colliding with academic ambitions heighten the tension.

A minor accident leaves the eloping party stranded at an inn near Kingston, where Honey feels guilty and deeply affected by what she has learned about Hobart's character. Tony and his men arrive the same evening and expose the ruse, shattering Hobart's illusion. The truth complicates their budding relationship.

Back at the inn, Miss Bragg returns with the police, threatening to intervene. Hobart is confronted with Honey's surprising reply: a blank sheet of paper that serves as her sole excuse. The moment tests the bond between Hobart and Honey and exposes the fragility of their arrangement.

At the Totten Foundation, Miss Totten and her lawyer arrive to close the operation, while Tony's two men break in and seize everyone at gunpoint. Honey is pressured to marry Tony under threat to the professors and the musicians who fill the building with sound. The crowd becomes a captive audience to a coercive ceremony.

The hostages rally around the power of music, and a sudden drum crash signals the turning of the tide. A professor pulls a rug to topple a henchman, while Frizzy delivers a decisive beating to Tony. The conflict shifts from violence to the restorative force of song.

With the danger resolved, Hobart offers Honey a direct demonstration of 'yum yum'—the affectionate, musical bond that cements their relationship. The couple embraces as the musicians celebrate, reaffirming their shared passion for music. The Foundation returns to its mission of documenting and sharing music together.