Skip to content
What's After the Movie?
Comedy

Just This Once (1952): Cast & Plot

Just This Once (1952) movie poster

Just This Once is a 1952 comedy directed by Don Weis, starring Peter Lawford as Mark MacLene IV, Lewis Stone and Janet Leigh. It runs 1 hour 31 minutes.

Loading streaming availability…
Just This Once (1952) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 31m (91 min)
Director
Don Weis
Genre
Comedy
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Just This Once About?

The premise of Just This Once without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A wildly comedic MGM romance follows a wealthy heir who lives beyond his generous trust fund, racking up debt despite his lavish spending. His reckless habits clash with a disciplined money manager, who is reluctantly drawn into overseeing the estate, leading to a battle of wills and romantic entanglements.

Just This Once Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • prologue
  • scene during opening credits
  • convertible
  • freeze frame
  • creditor
  • new york city
  • female lawyer
  • internal revenue service agent
  • based on story
  • spendthrift
  • playboy
  • thrift
+38 more
  • back due taxes
  • collection agency
  • trust fund baby
  • power of attorney
  • judge
  • courtroom
  • estate executor
  • chrysler lebaron convertible
  • shared office
  • fiance fiancee relationship
  • globetrotter
  • honolulu hawaii
  • clavichord
  • weekly allowance
  • making a budget
  • hairy chested male
  • man and woman move in together
  • sleeping on a couch
  • vacuuming
  • moving van
  • redecoration
  • male cook
  • construction engineer
  • turning down paycheck
  • ferry boat
  • eavesdropping
  • marriage proposal
  • reference to chemistry
  • golf course
  • hoax
  • dinner invitation
  • spaghetti
  • blueberry pie
  • reference to the h bomb
  • recruiting office
  • returning to active duty
  • reference to washington d.c.
  • satire comedy
Loading streaming availability…
Cast & crew

Just This Once Cast & Characters

Peter Lawford leads the cast as Mark MacLene IV, with Lewis Stone as Judge Samuel Coulter and Janet Leigh as Lucy Duncan. Directed by Don Weis; 19 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Just This Once

· 15 more
From the director

More from Don Weis

More films directed by Don Weis: The Munsters’ Revenge, Back to the Planet of the Apes, Zero to Sixty and Crackle of Death.

Full filmography
Plot

Just This Once Plot Summary

What happens in Just This Once from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Mark MacLene IV is a millionaire playboy whose extravagant spending has left him about $5 million in debt, a situation that triggers far-reaching consequences for everyone around him. Judge Samuel Coulter, the executor of his estate, steps in to take control of the money and assigns the management of Mark’s finances to a careful, no-nonsense attorney who lives by rules and budgets. Enter Lucy Duncan, a prudent and sharp-eyed lawyer who is charged with curbing Mark’s wild spending and keeping his estate afloat. The arrangement sets up a tense dynamic from the start: a man used to unlimited access to funds suddenly finds his lifestyle reined in by a person who treats money as a responsibility rather than a toy.

Full summary

The whole story of Just This Once, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Just This Once?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who plays the millionaire playboy Mark MacLene IV?

Cars

Cars in Just This Once

5 cars on screen, including the 1940 Chrysler Newport and the 1951 Chrysler Crown Imperial.

All 5 cars
  • 1940 Chrysler Newport in Just This Once 1940 Chrysler Newport Main role
  • 1951 Chrysler Crown Imperial in Just This Once 1951 Chrysler Crown Imperial Minor role
  • 1946 De Soto Taxicab in Just This Once 1946 De Soto Taxicab Minor role
  • 1941 Ford in Just This Once 1941 Ford Background role

Seen Just This Once?

FAQ

Just This Once FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Just This Once, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Just This Once?

Just This Once runs 1 hour 31 minutes (91 minutes).

When was Just This Once released?

Just This Once was released on February 27, 1952.

Who directed Just This Once?

Just This Once was directed by Don Weis.

More films by Don Weis

Who is in the cast of Just This Once?

Just This Once stars Peter Lawford as Mark MacLene IV, Lewis Stone as Judge Samuel Coulter and Janet Leigh as Lucy Duncan, among 19 credited actors.

Does Just This Once have a post-credit scene?

No. Just This Once has no extra scene during or after the credits.

Coming soon to your phone

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app