Beat Girl 1960

Paul Linden, a wealthy, middle-aged architect David Farrar, returns home to Kensington, London with his new wife Nichole Noëlle Adam, who he quietly married in Paris. Their arrival unsettles his teenage daughter Jennifer Linden Gillian Hills, who resents Nichole and resists her attempts at warmth. That night, Jennifer slips away to the Off-Beat café in Soho with her friends, chasing rock music and a sense of independence.

The following day, Nichole plans a lunch at Saint Martin’s School of Art to connect with Jennifer, hoping to smooth over the family tensions. Instead, Nichole learns Jennifer has returned to the Off-Beat, where a confrontation with Greta—the club’s star performer who recognizes Nichole—unfolds. Greta greets Nichole by name, and Nichole brushes off the encounter, leaving Jennifer wary that Nichole’s past might be closer to the surface than she admits. Jennifer’s suspicions grow when Greta’s boyfriend, Kenny King—the strip club’s manager—presses for information, hinting at a past that Nichole would rather keep private.

At a formal business dinner for Paul, Jennifer tries to embarrass Nichole by revisiting the stripper story. Nichole explains that she knew Greta in Paris and that their paths diverged; Paul accepts the explanation, but the tension between Nichole and Jennifer remains. Curiosity gets the better of Jennifer, and she ventures back to the strip club to press Greta for the truth. Greta, initially evasive, is compelled under pressure from Kenny to admit that she and Nichole had worked together in Paris as strippers and occasional prostitutes. This revelation fuels Jennifer’s fascination with the world Greta inhabits, and a dangerous temptation to follow in those footsteps grows stronger.

That night, a confrontation escalates at home: Jennifer warns Nichole that she’ll reveal Nichole’s past to Paul if Nichole doesn’t stay out of her life. In return, Kenny warns Nichole that Jennifer will be welcome at the club anytime, and that if Nichole tries to interfere, he’ll tell Paul the full story of Nichole’s Paris years. The feud spills into the streets as Jennifer and her friends stage wild escapades at Chislehurst Caves, a car race, and a dangerous “game of chicken” on railway tracks. Jennifer’s daring strip-tease at a party is interrupted when Nichole bursts from a bedroom to stop her, and Paul arrives to restore order, sending the street scene home.

Back at home, Nichole confesses the truth to Paul and admits she only acted out of desperation when she was financially strapped. The couple reconcile, reaffirming their love. Yet Jennifer’s world remains unsettled; she returns to the café only to drift toward Kenny and Greta’s orbit, where the lure of Paris and stardom tempts her. Kenny tries to recruit Jennifer for a life in Paris, but Greta discovers Kenny’s plans to leave her for Jennifer, sparking a confrontation when Kenny makes a pass at Jennifer. Suddenly, someone stabs Kenny in a crowded room, and the staff quickly lock Jennifer inside a back room, calling the police.

As the crowd panics, Greta emerges as the true culprit, and the tension erupts into a broader clash between Teddy Boys, friends of Jennifer, and Paul and Nichole’s anxious search for their daughter. The police drag Jennifer away, but she is ultimately cleared. Paul and Nichole rush to bring Jennifer home, where they all reconcile once more, returning to a quieter, uncertain future as Dave’s broken guitar hits the rubbish with a final, defiant note.