This Happy Feeling
1958 film by Blake Edwards
- June 18, 1958 (1958-06-18)
Running time
This Happy Feeling is a 1958 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Blake Edwards, adapted from the 1947 F. Hugh Herbert play For Love or Money.[2][3]
Edwards regretted Universal-International's eleventh hour decision of a name change, but the studio was hoping to trade off another pop hit by Debbie Reynolds as they had with Tammy and the Bachelor. Reynolds stars, along with John Saxon, Curt Jurgens and veteran Hollywood actresses Alexis Smith and Mary Astor.[4][5]
Plot
Nita Holloway, a woman romantically involved with veteran actor Preston "Mitch" Mitchell, tries to persuade him to come out of retirement to appear in a Broadway play as the father of a character played by a new teen idol, Tony Manza. At his Connecticut farm, next-door neighbor Bill Tremayne asks to borrow Mitch's car. He goes to a party and meets secretary Janet Blake, who is trying to escape the clutches of her drunken boss, a dentist. Bill offers her a ride home in a rainstorm, but is a little too attentive to her liking.
Soaked to the skin, Janet ends up knocking on Mitch's door. He permits her to spend the night while her dress dries. Nita arrives in the morning and mistakenly concludes an affair is taking place, and soon others assume the same. Mitch puts her on a train but also offers Janet a job as his own secretary. As the train leaves, he stumbles, injuring his back.
Bill isn't worried at first because Mitch is too austere and somber for her, however he comes to realize that she's coming to care for him profoundly and is indeed falling dearly in love with Mitch a little more every day. Scheduled to ride Mitch's star horse in an equine contest, Bill jealously decides to ride another entry instead. Mitch must compete against him, bad back and all.
Although he feels great affection towards her, Mitch ultimately realizes that he feels for Nita most. He goes to Nita to reveal where his heart really lies, and is last seen on stage in the new Broadway play.
Cast
- Debbie Reynolds: Janet Blake
- Curd Jürgens: Preston Mitchell
- John Saxon: Bill Tremaine
- Alexis Smith: Nita Hollaway
- Mary Astor: Mrs. Tremaine
- Estelle Winwood: Mrs. Early
- Troy Donahue: Tony Manza
- Hayden Rorke: Mr. Booth
- Gloria Holden: Mrs. Dover
- Alex Gerry: Mr. Dover
- Joe Flynn: Dr. McCafferty
Production
John Saxon was cast after his success in Rock, Pretty Baby.[6]
Reception
Variety called it "a delightful comedy".[7]
See also
References
- ^ "Top Grossers of 1958". Variety. 7 January 1959. p. 48. Please note figures are for US and Canada only and are domestic rentals accruing to distributors as opposed to theatre gross
- ^ Schallert, Edwin (Oct 3, 1957). "Prelude to Marriage' to Star Ann Sothern; Dress Nominees Voted". Los Angeles Times. p. B9.
- ^ "THIS HAPPY FEELING (1958), ALSO KNOWN AS: FOR LOVE OR MONEY". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
- ^ "This Happy Feeling". FilmAffinity. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
- ^ "This Happy Feeling". AFI. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (July 29, 2020). "The Top Twelve Stages of Saxon". Filmink.
- ^ Review of film at Variety
External links
- This Happy Feeling at IMDb
- This Happy Feeling at the TCM Movie Database
- This Happy Feeling at AllMovie
- This Happy Feeling at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
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Films directed by Blake Edwards
- Bring Your Smile Along (1955)
- He Laughed Last (1956)
- Mister Cory (1957)
- The Perfect Furlough (1958)
- This Happy Feeling (1959)
- Operation Petticoat (1959)
- High Time (1960)
- Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
- Experiment in Terror (1962)
- Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
- The Pink Panther (1963)
- A Shot in the Dark (1964)
- The Great Race (1965)
- What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966)
- Gunn (1967)
- The Party (1968)
- Darling Lili (1970)
- Wild Rovers (1971)
- The Carey Treatment (1972)
- The Tamarind Seed (1974)
- The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)
- The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
- Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978)
- 10 (1979)
- S.O.B. (1981)
- Victor/Victoria (1982)
- Trail of the Pink Panther (1982)
- Curse of the Pink Panther (1983)
- The Man Who Loved Women (1983)
- Micki & Maude (1984)
- A Fine Mess (1986)
- That's Life! (1986)
- Blind Date (1987)
- Sunset (1988)
- Justin Case (1988)
- Skin Deep (1989)
- Peter Gunn (1989)
- Switch (1991)
- Son of the Pink Panther (1993)
