The Smallest Show on Earth

Matt and Jean learn that the inheritance is not the modern Grand but the dilapidated Bijou Kinema. Robin explains Hardcastle would demolish it for a car park and offers only £500 instead of £5,000. The couple decide to bluff that they intend to reopen the Bijou to force a higher bid, hoping to secure their dream of travel.

They announce plans to reopen the Bijou to create pressure on Hardcastle to raise his offer. Old Tom innocently lets slip the overheard scheme, but the couple press on regardless.

The Bijou reopens under Matt and Jean's management, with three loyal staff: Mrs Fazackalee, Mr Quill, and Old Tom. There are initial mishaps, but gradually audiences begin to return.

Matt hires the glamorous Marlene Hogg to run ice-cream and snacks at the counter. Her flair attracts more visitors and boosts profits, giving the Bijou a tastier edge.

They devise a scheme to turn up the heating during a desert film to drive customers toward refreshments. The tactic works, and profits begin to rise as audiences stay longer.

Hardcastle counters by hiding a bottle of whisky in the next batch of film reels, knowing Quill cannot resist. The temptation threatens to undermine the Bijou's plans.

During a screening, the projectionist succumbs to drink and fails to handle the outdated machinery when a film breaks. The break ruins the show and angry patrons demand refunds, threatening the Bijou's momentum.

The chaos leaves Matt and Jean discouraged, contemplating abandoning the venture as the audience dwindles. The revenue hit strains the couple's resolve.

Old Tom is seen quietly carrying a petrol can out of the cinema the night before. In the morning, the Grand cinema has burned to the ground near the two railway bridges, changing the town's balance of power.

With the Grand destroyed, Hardcastle and his partners decide to buy the Bijou for £10,000, provided its three long-serving staff are retained. The Bijou's future becomes tied to the vengeance of the larger plan.

The sale proceeds with the condition that Mrs Fazackalee, Mr Quill, and Old Tom stay on. The Bijou continues under new ownership, its loyal staff securing its survival for the moment.

Matt and Jean depart by train to pursue their dream of travel. Old Tom murmurs, 'It were the only way, weren't it?' and they send a postcard from Samarkand to mark the farewell.