Number 96 Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Number 96 (1974). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Vera Collins endures a brutal gang-rape at the hands of bikers, an event that casts a long shadow over her uneasy romance with the politician Nick Brent. In an attempt to rebuild her life and independence, Vera teams up with Maggie Cameron and Simon Carr to launch a new business venture, a project shaded by the bitter rivalry those three once shared in their regular TV series.
Across town, Aldo Godolfus has been skimming cash from a deli to dodge income tax, only to lose the money in a devastating fire. With the loss looming, he takes a night job at the Connaught Rooms function hall to claw back his financial setback.
In another thread, Les Whittaker quietly keeps a secret from his wife Norma: he recruits Herb Evans and Alf Sutcliffe to help him run a sauna in the building’s cellar, a scheme that treads carefully around domestic suspicion.
Sonia Freeman, formerly of Number 96, returns after a stint in a mental asylum. Now married to newspaper journalist Duncan Hunter, she battles forgetful spells and unsettling hallucinations. Her condition alarms Duncan, her longtime friend Jack Sellars, and Jack’s new girlfriend, flight attendant Diana Moore, who has just moved into Flat 6. It’s revealed that Diana and Duncan are scheming to push Sonia toward madness, and Jack, alongside the police, arrives just as they push for a deadly outcome.
Vera’s personal life takes another turn when she ends up in bed with Simon, who is unable to perform. It’s soon revealed that Simon is gay and maintaining an affair with lawyer Don Finlayson, a revelation that adds another layer of complication to the building’s intertwined lives.
As the ruby wedding celebrations planned by Dorrie and Herb Evans loom, many residents become embroiled in the festivities. A startling discovery in Dorrie’s marriage certificate reveals that the best man, Horace Deerman, signed in the wrong place, leading Dorrie to fear she is secretly married to Horace. She, Herb, and Flo Patterson set out to track him down, only to find Horace—a derelict alcoholic who, to her dismay, takes a fancy to her.
Amid all these entanglements, Vera finds herself drawn to Nick, but a startling confrontation arises when she meets his son, Tony Brent. She realizes he was the leader of the bikers who raped her. Tony recognizes Vera and makes a reckless bid to run her over at the Dorrie and Herb fancy-dress party, only to strike Simon instead. As Tony makes a second attempt to target Vera, his car crashes into a brick wall and explodes. Simon survives the incident, and Vera ultimately marries Nick, who later rises to the position of Prime Minister.
Number 96 Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of Number 96 (1974) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Vera Collins is gang-raped by bikers
The film opens with Vera Collins being attacked by a group of bikers who rape her, an event that leaves her deeply scarred. The trauma unsettles her personal life and complicates future relationships, especially with Nick Brent. The assault sets the emotional stakes for much of the plot.
Vera's troubled romance with politician Nick Brent
In the aftermath of the assault, Vera's relationship with Nick Brent becomes strained and complicated. Public life and private trauma intersect as Vera negotiates trust and power. Their romance evolves against a backdrop of political ambition and personal hurt.
Vera, Maggie Cameron, and Simon Carr start a new business
Vera teams up with Maggie Cameron and Simon Carr to launch a new business venture. Rivalries and ambitions simmer as they navigate partnership dynamics. The enterprise ties Vera to other key residents and broadens the network of intersecting plots.
Aldo Godolfus withholds deli cash and faces consequences
Aldo Godolfus schemes to hide cash takings from his deli to dodge income tax. The fraud creates financial pressure and moral complications for him. The scheme backfires when the money is lost in a fire, forcing him to seek alternatives to recoup losses.
Aldo takes a night job at the Connaught Rooms
To recover from the loss, Aldo takes a night job at the Connaught Rooms function hall. The new job draws him into the building's social whirl and intertwines with other residents' schemes. His presence at the venue foreshadows upcoming tensions.
Les Whittaker organizes a sauna in the building's cellar
Les Whittaker recruits Herb Evans and Alf Sutcliffe to help launch a sauna in the building's cellar. The project embeds an ambitious plan into the community’s everyday life. The cellar becomes a hub where several plots converge.
Sonia Freeman returns from asylum with troubling episodes
Former Number 96 resident Sonia Freeman returns after release from a mental asylum. Her forgetful episodes and hallucinations become increasingly erratic, worrying Duncan Hunter and their friends. Her condition prompts concerns about manipulation and care within the group.
Diana Moore and Duncan Hunter scheme against Sonia
Diana Moore and Duncan Hunter covertly scheme to drive Sonia insane, creating a dangerous hostage of her mental state. Jack Sellars and the police become aware of the plot and move to intervene. The scheming underscores the season's themes of manipulation and control.
Jack and the police intervene to prevent Sonia's suicide
Jack Sellars and the police arrive in time to halt Diana and Duncan's plan to induce Sonia to kill herself. The intervention prevents a tragedy and reveals the extent of the couple's schemes. The event leaves Sonia's safety precarious and heightens tensions in the community.
Vera shares a bed with Simon Carr; revelation of his sexuality
Vera ends up in bed with Simon Carr, who cannot perform and is later revealed to be gay with an affair with lawyer Don Finlayson. The revelation adds another layer of secrecy and complicates Vera's relationships. The dynamic links Vera to other characters through shared betrayals.
Dorrie and Herb Evans' ruby wedding plans face a shocking discovery
Residents plan Dorrie and Herb Evans' ruby wedding, but Dorrie discovers that the best man Horace Deerman signed where the groom should have. This sparks the belief she might be married to Horace, creating complications and comedic tension. Herb and Flo Patterson join the search to resolve the confusion.
Horace Deerman is revealed as a derelict alcoholic who fancies Dorrie
Horace Deerman is revealed as a derelict alcoholic with a fixation on Dorrie. His unstable presence adds danger and unease to the wedding saga. The revelations heighten the sense that even petty ceremonies are tangled with crime and desperation.
Vera falls in love with Nick and meets Nick's son Tony Brent
Vera develops feelings for Nick Brent and encounters his son Tony Brent, who leads the bikie gang connected to Vera's assault. The personal and criminal worlds collide as past trauma resurfaces through Tony's presence. Vera's loyalties become increasingly tested.
Tony Brent's attack at the fancy dress party and its aftermath
At Dorrie and Herb's fancy dress party, Tony Brent attempts to run Vera over, but instead strikes Simon. The car crashes into a brick wall and explodes, though Simon survives. The violent confrontation marks a climactic turn that links personal vendettas with political power.
Vera marries Nick Brent as he becomes Prime Minister
In the end Vera marries Nick Brent, who rises to become Prime Minister. The marriage provides Vera with a new status amid the surrounding chaos and violence. The film closes on a note of political ascent intersecting personal survival.
Number 96 Characters
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Tony Brent (Patrick Ward)
Tony Brent is the aggressive leader of a bikie gang and Vera Collins's tormentor, whose past violence haunts the community. He is Nick Brent’s son, whose volatile actions culminate in a confrontation at the fancy dress party. His pursuit of Vera ends with a fatal car crash after a botched attack. His presence destabilizes relationships and accelerates the plot’s moral risk.
Dudley Butterfield (Chard Hayward)
Dudley Butterfield is a resident of Number 96 whose role intersects with the neighborhood’s intertwined schemes. As part of the wider social web, his actions are folded into the community drama surrounding Vera, Diana, and the Evans. He embodies the ensemble nature of the cast, contributing to the film’s sense of crowded, restless living.
Diana Moore (Rebecca Gilling)
Diana Moore is a flight attendant who has just moved into Flat 6, becoming entangled with Duncan Hunter. She is part of the secret plot to manipulate Sonia Freeman and destabilize her mental health. Diana’s actions, along with Duncan, drive key conflicts at the heart of the film’s social drama, including the fateful fancy dress party.
Number 96 Settings
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Location
Connaught Rooms function hall, Number 96 building (Flat 6), the deli
Connaught Rooms function hall is a central event venue where social life unfolds and the fancy dress party triggers confrontations. Number 96 is a crowded, close-knit residential block where neighbors' secrets collide under pressure. The deli and Flat 6 illustrate tight spaces that intensify the residents' entanglements and dramas.
Number 96 Themes
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Trauma
The film opens with a brutal assault that sets off a chain of emotional fallout, shaping relationships and trust among the residents. Private pain is forced into the public eye as secrets threaten to erupt in dramatic confrontations. The trauma reverberates through friendships, romances, and power dynamics within the Number 96 community. Violent acts and their aftermath underscore the fragile surface of a seemingly ordinary neighborhood.
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Manipulation
Diana Moore and Duncan Hunter scheme to drive Sonia Freeman to madness, showing how deception disrupts friendships and mental stability. The plot threads reveal motives hidden behind smiles, flirtations, and calculated moves. Secrets, gaslighting, and scheming characters warp relationships and test loyalties. The suspense rises from characters choosing to deceive for personal gain.
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Power
Vera's relationship with Nick Brent intersects with political ambition as Nick advances toward higher office, culminating in his rise to Prime Minister. The bikie past and personal scandals threaten to undermine public life, highlighting how private choices shape national leadership. The story juxtaposes intimate drama with public power, suggesting leadership rests on compromised foundations. The finale ties romance and politics together to underscore the cost of ambition.
Number 96 Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of Number 96 (1974). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In the bustling world of the iconic apartment block that made its name in the early‑70s, a new film picks up the lives of its unforgettable residents. The tone is a heady mix of camp‑styled melodrama and sly humor, where everyday encounters crackle with hidden motives and the neon‑lit backdrop of a city that never quite sleeps. At its heart is Vera Collins, a resilient woman navigating a fraught romance with the charismatic politician Nick Brent, while a trio of former colleagues—Maggie Cameron and Simon Carr among them—tease the prospect of a fresh business partnership that promises both opportunity and lingering tension.
Beyond the main romance, the building teems with peripheral stories that ripple through the halls. Aldo Godolfus juggles his own financial juggling act, seeking a night‑time gig to patch a sudden shortfall. Downstairs, Les Whittaker quietly orchestrates an unconventional venture in the cellar, enlisting the help of Herb Evans and Alf Sutcliffe while keeping his wife oblivious. Meanwhile, Sonia Freeman returns after a long absence, now married to journalist Duncan Hunter, and her fragile state adds an undercurrent of unease that draws the concern of old friend Jack Sellars and his new companion Diana Moore.
Social gatherings provide the stage for further intrigue: a looming wedding for Dorrie and Herb brings together a cross‑section of the building’s eclectic inhabitants, while a quirky mix‑up involving a marriage certificate sends Dorrie on a comical quest with Flo Patterson to track down the misplaced best man, Horace Deerman. As these lives intersect, the film balances light‑hearted banter with the weight of past secrets, creating a vivid tableau of love, ambition, and the ever‑shifting alliances that define life in Number 96.
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