Folly to Be Wise

Captain William Paris, newly appointed as Entertainments Officer at an army camp, is disheartened by the low turnout for a classical music evening. He resolves to find something more entertaining for the troops and begins brainstorming ways to boost morale. This sets him on a path to imitate a brains trust format to spark interest among the soldiers.

He visits a local pub, The Rose and Crown, and finds it packed with soldiers, including his own driver. The lively scene convinces him there is appetite for engagement beyond conventional concerts. He decides to copy the brains trust idea from radio to stage a similar event for the troops.

With help from Lady Dodds, Paris assembles a group of local notables to form the brains trust panel. The lineup includes Professor Mutch, George Prout and his wife Angela, Doctor McAdam, and Labour MP Joseph Byres. Arriving at the Prout's house, Paris interrupts Mutch and Mrs Prout who are about to embrace, signaling his early control of proceedings.

During the visit, Paris meets Mr Prout, who comes across as cold and verbally abuses his wife. This establishes a fraught dynamic that will spill into the brains trust later.

The brains trust is completed by Doctor McAdam and MP Joseph Byres. Paris, with the help of his secretary Jessie Killigrew, begins arranging the event and secures a hall. The panel is set, and a charged but controlled atmosphere hangs over proceedings.

The hall is relatively well filled as the event begins. Paris and Killigrew start with innocuous questions about cows chasing trains and whether the Moon is inhabited. He bans politics and religion to avoid controversy.

Tensions escalate when Byres takes offense at a remark aimed at him and threatens to start a fight. The dispute nearly derails the session, but Paris manages to avert violence and keep order. The fragility of the evening's decorum is exposed.

Killigrew's question about marriage reveals fractures in the Prouts' relationship. The discussion becomes personal, threatening to derail the proceedings. Paris struggles to maintain order as the atmosphere grows tenser.

Fearing controversy, Paris announces an interval. Word spreads around the camp and the second half draws a full crowd again. When the second half resumes, Killigrew demands an answer to her earlier question about marriage.

In the heated second half, Mrs Prout admits that Professor Mutch is her lover. Accusations fly and the event seems to edge toward anarchy. Paris ultimately brings the proceedings to a close to restore propriety.

Paris closes the event and suggests that next week they will return to classical music with a string quartet. A soldier thanks the chaplain and asks to make the brains trust a regular feature, triggering enthusiastic applause. The response is a mix of admiration and discomfort about the format.

Worried about Mr Prout, the others follow him back to his house, fearing he may throw himself off the cliffs. They discover instead that he is quietly painting, seeking solitude. This episode softens the view of Prout while highlighting the pressure the evening put on personal relationships.

The Professor is revealed as selfish, while Mr Prout grows more reasonable. He and Mrs Prout resolve their differences, and Prout resolves to be more considerate toward his wife. The familial tensions begin to ease as personal bonds start to reform.

The film ends with the string quartet playing once more, and Paris sits in an almost empty theatre. The attempt to entertain has produced both friction and a measure of approval, leaving him to reflect on the cost of light entertainment in wartime morale.