The film stars Deborah Kerr and David Niven with Robert Coote, Irina Demick, Joyce Redman, Judy Geeson, Keith Michell, Michael Hordern and Edith Evans.

The story revolves around a wealthy London banker named Gerald Hardcastle and his wife Prudence, who live together unhappily, sleeping in separate bedrooms and speaking to each other only when necessary.

The five couples in the film are (1) Gerald and his French mistress Elizabeth, or "Liz", (2) Prudence and her doctor, Dr. Alan Huart, (3) the Hardcastles' maid Rose and their chauffeur Ted, (4) Gerald's brother Henry and his wife Grace, and (5) Henry's and Grace's daughter Geraldine and her beau Tony Bates.

Meanwhile, believing that Rose is too conservative to accept contraception, Ted puts his tablets in a vitamin bottle and tells her she needs them for her health.

Gerald accepts this arrangement grudgingly, but before meeting with Huart, he happens to see Liz while driving through town, and she tells him she is going to have his baby.

[5] The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The only achievement of this dismal and unamusing comedy – completed by Ronald Neame after Fielder Cook overran his schedule – is that it manages to skirt the subject of contraception for ninety-two minutes without ever once generating any genuine sexiness or human sympathy.