Autumn Leaves 1956

Millicent ‘Milly’ Wetherby works at home as a self-employed typist. One evening in a diner, she meets a lonely, younger U.S. Army veteran named Burt Hanson. They share a romantic date at the beach, kissing as the waves crash, but Milly cautions him to date someone his own age. A month later, Burt waits for her at home and they celebrate his new job at a department store. He proposes in a movie theater, and although she initially refuses, she reconsiders when she sees him walking away.

The next day, the couple is married in Mexico. Yet on the marriage license, he lists his birthplace as Chicago, even though he had told her Racine, Wisconsin. Back home, Burt’s ex-wife, Virginia Hanson, arrives, shocking Milly because Burt had claimed he had never been married. Virginia presents a property settlement she wants Burt to sign and warns Milly that Burt has lied about his past. Milly also learns that Mr. Hanson is in Los Angeles to locate him.

Burt is haunted by the day he discovered his wife with his father, and the memory becomes a troubling, recurring presence in his life, leading him to show signs of emotional instability.

When his violence surfaces, Milly has him admitted to a mental hospital. His condition improves with treatment, shown in a restrained montage of intravenous therapy and electroconvulsive sessions, and he slowly severs ties with his past. Milly comes to believe that his love for her remains, and together they look toward a hopeful future.