The Knack… and How to Get It

Colin is a nervous schoolteacher in London who observes the sexual revolution rather than participating. He lacks sexual experience and longs to learn 'the knack' of seducing women. His desire drives him to seek guidance from his friend Tolen.

Tolen dispenses unhelpful, self-assured advice. He suggests increasing protein and relying on 'intuition', admitting that intuition cannot be learned completely. He also advocates a domineering approach to relationships and proposes a scheme involving sharing women.

Colin takes drastic measures by boarding his front door shut, isolating himself from his previously risky social life. The move reflects his attempt to control his environment and resist casual encounters.

Tom, a friend, moves into the now blocked spare room, effectively becoming a roommate. His presence ups the stakes of Colin's living situation and opens possibilities for new interactions.

With the door blocked, Tolen starts bringing his women in through Colin's window, altering the dynamics of the house. The situation escalates as more people enter through alternative routes.

Colin swaps his single bed for a fancy wrought-iron double bed found at a London scrapyard. The new bed becomes a centerpiece of the chaotic journey back to Colin's house.

Nancy, shy and inexperienced, arrives in London seeking the YWCA and meets Colin at the scrapyard. She is momentarily won over by the clerk's flattery until she overhears him repeating the same phrases to every female customer. This encounter sets Nancy on a path toward Colin and the house's chaotic life.

The trio loads the bed from the scrapyard onto a car transporter, beginning their improbable quest to bring it back to Colin's house. The journey unfolds with a series of quirky detours.

As the journey continues, the bed is parked at a parking meter along a London street, turning a mundane act into a comic obstacle for the travelers. Bystanders react to the sight as the odd voyage persists.

The bed is floated along the River Thames, transforming a simple transport task into an unusual spectacle as it rides the waterway toward the city. The absurdity underscores the film's playful tone.

The bed is carried down the steps of the Royal Albert Hall, a dramatic and comic image that signals the bed's final approach to Colin's home. The spectacle encapsulates the film's whimsical energy.

In a public space, Tolen sexually assaults Nancy, who initially stays silent and then faints. The incident disrupts the fragile balance of the household and triggers a backlash among the characters.

When Nancy wakes, she claims she was raped, though the film makes clear this is not the case. The men, misunderstanding the claim, begin to treat it as a rape fantasy and maneuver around the issue.

Nancy emerges from a room wearing only a robe, and her feelings shift toward Colin as she grows more attracted to him. The tension between past events and burgeoning romance becomes the new focus of the household.

Colin and Nancy start living together, marking a shift from the chaotic experiments of the earlier days to a new domestic arrangement. Their relationship evolves against the backdrop of the house’s eccentric history.