Josephine and Men

At the Parasites Club, the porter reminds club resident Charles Luton (Jack Buchanan) that his subscription is overdue. Charles asks to be reminded again later. He goes to the bar, where he tells the barman he is feeling besieged by all his lady friends. The barman suggests he should marry, but Charles says women are too hard to understand, giving as an example his niece, Josephine (Glynis Johns). Charles depicts her as overly soft-hearted, with a lifelong desire to rescue lame ducks. As an adult, this has translated into falling for weak, shiftless men and trying to 'save' them.

Charles is relieved, therefore, when Josephine becomes engaged to a successful businessman, financier Alan Hartley (Donald Sinden). But then Alan introduces her to his old school chum David Hewer (Peter Finch), a would-be playwright living in a squalid garret, seemingly unable to finish a play. For Josephine, David presents the perfect project. Within weeks, she breaks off her engagement to Alan, telling him she has decided to marry David instead, although David doesn't know it yet.

David and Josephine marry. Under Jo's over-zealous care, David begins to write successful plays. They now live in a remote country cottage. Uncle Charlie comes to stay, possibly having been thrown out of his club.

One night, Alan Hartley appears on their doorstep seeking refuge. He explains that his business partner has perpetrated a fraud. Though Alan claims he was not involved, his signature appears on documents, and he cannot prove his innocence. He therefore has no choice but to flee abroad. He asks if he can hide out for a few days, until his accomplice (unnamed) rings to let him know certain arrangements (unspecified) have been completed. He tells David, Jo and Charles the coded message he has agreed with the accomplice, in case one of them answers the call.

It is now Alan who needs 'saving'. Jo swings into action, giving him David's dressing gown, slippers, clothes and shaving kit (without asking) and fussing over him. She frets over the idea of him having to leave his home country, and live alone and destitute in a foreign land (South America). Alan admits he has already secured ample funds for his new life, but agrees it will be lonely.

David's weak character is on display as he panics that Alan will be discovered, and they will all be arrested. He is also jealous of Jo's devotion to Alan. Eventually, while Jo is out taking a stray dog to the vet, tensions boil over and he has a huge row with Alan. He tells Alan to leave and storms off to the pub. Uncle Charles goes after him.

Jo returns from the vet to find Alan threatening to leave. As she tries to persuade him to stay, the phone rings.

Charles finds David at the pub, but when David hears he's left Alan alone, he insists they go home. The barmaid asks Charles to pay for the phone call David just made. Returning to the cottage, they find it empty. Uncle Charles finds a farewell note from Jo but hides it. David assumes Jo has run off with Alan and becomes very drunk. He says repeatedly that Jo will never forgive him, but does not explain why. He talks about how smothering and controlling he found her, but asserts that he still loves her. He also talks about how Alan was well-known, at school, for hatching dubious schemes.

Jo and Alan are stopped by a police roadblock while making their escape in Jo's car. To Jo's surprise, Alan readily and cheerfully admits his true identity to the police.

At the station, Jo is left in the waiting room while Alan talks to police. Eventually, she's admitted to the room, where Alan tells her his partner has been found dead in a Paris hotel room, having apparently committed suicide, and he has left a note admitting full blame for the fraud. Alan pretends he is completely ignorant of the fraud and urges Jo, with significant looks, to go along with the pretence. Jo instantly realises Alan doesn't need her, and therefore she must return to David.

At home Uncle Charlie gets her to alter her farewell note, so it suggests she has only given Alan a lift and will return. She wakes David and shows him the note. They make up and head upstairs to bed, reconciled.

It is never explained whether David rang the cottage pretending to be Alan's accomplice, or whether he rang the police to tip them off (resulting in the roadblock), which would mean the call at the cottage was the real accomplice. It is also never explained whether Alan really was innocent, or whether the partner's death was really suicide.

Britmovie wrote, "the lightweight and stagey story is framed in flashback by the debonair Jack Buchanan’s narration but fails to exude any humour or convincing romance."[4] while the Radio Times concluded, "not as funny as it could have been, but the cast is likeable."[5]

• Josephine and Men at IMDb