The motivating factor of the Universal five-reeler Brace Up was the then-new science of Psychology -- or, as it was labelled here, "Mental Inspiration." Hero Henry Court (Herbert Rawlinson) is very much his parents' child, having inherited the predominant character traits of both his go-getting father and his shy, retiring mother. The "father" side of his nature manifests itself on the college football field, where Henry excels. Unfortunately, the "mother" side is evidenced by a streak of cowardice, which surfaces at all the wrong times. Hoping to expunge the cowardly part of his make-up, Henry hires a bunch of self-styled mentalists to "concentrate" his problems away. Pretty soon, Henry is a virtual slave to the whims of the mentalists, who push his emotional buttons with reckless abandon. Our hero finally breaks free of these outside influences when he learns to believe in himself.
by Hal Erickson
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