This Happy Feeling 1958

Comedy

Runtime

92 mins

Language

English

Directed by

Blake Edwards

Made by

Universal International Pictures

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This Happy Feeling Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for This Happy Feeling (1958). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Nita Hollaway [Alexis Smith] is deeply involved with veteran actor Preston “Mitch” Mitchell [Curd Jürgens], and she hopes he will come out of retirement to appear in a Broadway production. The plan is for him to play the father of a role created by a fresh teen idol, Tony Manza [Troy Donahue], a move that would bring smoky nostalgia together with modern audience appeal.

At Mitch’s tranquil Connecticut farm, a neighborly request sets the plot in motion: Bill Tremaine [John Saxon] asks to borrow Mitch’s car. Bill heads to a party and along the way meets Janet Blake [Debbie Reynolds], a secretary trying to dodge the clutches of her alcoholic boss, the dentist Dr. McCafferty [Joe Flynn]. When a rainstorm leaves Janet stranded, Bill offers her a ride home, but his attentions quickly grow overly forward for her comfort.

Soaked to the skin, Janet ends up at Mitch’s door, where he grants her shelter for the night while her dress dries. The morning after, Nita Hollaway arrives and mistakenly concludes that an affair is under way, a misunderstanding that others soon share as well. Mitch handles the tension with calm practicality, sending Nita on a train while offering Janet a job as his secretary. Yet the moment of relief is short-lived: as the train pulls away, Mitch stumbles and injures his back, complicating both his health and the upcoming Broadway plans.

Bill’s jealousy begins to simmer beneath the surface. He had hoped Mitch’s star power would illuminate the production, but Mitch’s reserved demeanor makes him seem more detached than Bill anticipated. The situation grows more tangled as Mitch’s affections become clearer: although he feels warmth for Janet, he increasingly realizes that his true feelings lie with Nita.

As the story unfolds, the realignment of hearts comes into sharper focus. Bill, still part of the backdrop, watches Mitch grapple with his own emotions while preparing to ride Mitch’s prized horse in an equine contest. The contest serves as a symbolic showdown: Bill chooses a different horse to ride, hoping to assert himself, while Mitch battles through pain and doubt to deliver a performance that may decide where his heart—and his career—belong.

In the end, Mitch makes a decisive choice. He seeks out Nita and reveals where his heart truly lies, signaling a shift away from the earlier longing for Janet and toward the person who has stood by him from the start. The film closes with Mitch appearing on stage in the new Broadway production, suggesting a hopeful future built on honesty, connection, and the unspoken ties that have guided his choices throughout.

This Happy Feeling Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of This Happy Feeling (1958) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Nita pushes Mitch toward a Broadway comeback

Nita Holloway pressures veteran actor Preston "Mitch" Mitchell to abandon retirement and take a role in a Broadway play as the father of a teen idol character. She believes the stage could rekindle their romance and his artistic fire. Mitch remains hesitant but weighs the possibility of returning to the spotlight.

before the party Mitch's Connecticut farm

Bill asks to borrow Mitch's car

Bill Tremaine, the next-door neighbor, visits Mitch at the farm and asks to borrow his car. The simple request foreshadows a night out that will entangle multiple lives. Mitch agrees, unaware of the complications to come.

afternoon Mitch's Connecticut farm

A rainy party leads to a fateful meeting

Bill goes to a party and meets Janet Blake, a secretary trying to escape her drunken boss. Their encounter in the rain creates instant chemistry and sets the stage for trouble. Bill offers Janet a ride home, a gesture that will pull all three characters into a tangled night.

rainstorm a party

Janet seeks shelter at Mitch's door

Janet, soaked from the rain, ends up knocking on Mitch's door seeking shelter. Mitch welcomes her to stay the night to dry off, introducing a temporary connection that unsettles Nita. This situation foreshadows the complicated triangle that will unfold around Mitch, Janet, and Nita.

night Mitch's Connecticut farm

Morning misunderstanding sparks rumors

Nita arrives in the morning and mistakenly believes an affair is taking place between Janet and Mitch. News spreads quickly, and others begin to suspect the same, fueling tension and jealousy. Mitch attempts to manage the situation by keeping Janet close and maintaining professional boundaries.

morning Mitch's farm

Mitch sends Janet away with a train ride

Mitch puts Janet on a train, offering her a job as his secretary in the process. The gesture aims to provide a fresh start for Janet, while also preserving his relationship with Nita. As the train departs, Mitch suffers a back injury that will affect his ability to perform.

train departure train station near Mitch's farm

Mitch's back injury during departure

The departure moment becomes painful as Mitch stumbles and injures his back. The injury complicates his decision about returning to the stage and his ability to perform. Bill's reaction shifts from curiosity to concern as the consequences unfold.

as train leaves train departure area

Bill's jealousy grows as Janet's feelings reveal themselves

Bill initially isn't worried, but he soon realizes Janet is developing real feelings for Mitch. His jealousy rises as he sees the bond between them growing stronger. He makes a risky choice to protect his pride, further complicating the love triangle.

days after around Mitch, Janet, and Nita

Bill pulls rank in the equine contest

In a moment of competitive spite, Bill chooses to ride a different horse in the equine contest instead of Mitch's star horse. His decision reflects insecurity and a desire to thwart Mitch's chances. The move sets up Mitch to compete with a back injury against Bill's substitute.

contest day equestrian arena

Mitch competes with a back injury

Despite his back pain, Mitch must compete against Bill in the equine contest. The physical strain tests his resolve and underscores the personal stakes of his career and relationships. The contest becomes a catalyst for his ultimate decision about love.

contest day equestrian arena

Mitch confesses his true love

Realizing his deeper feelings, Mitch resolves to tell Nita where his heart truly lies. He seeks out Nita to confess that she is the one he loves most. The moment marks a turning point in the romantic entanglement and his career choices.

evening Nita's location

The curtain falls on a Broadway future

The story ends with Mitch appearing on stage in the new Broadway play, suggesting that he has chosen love and art over the earlier tensions. Nita's place in his life becomes clear as the audience glimpses a new, hopeful path. The final image ties together career revival and romance on the Broadway stage.

final scene Broadway theater

This Happy Feeling Characters

Explore all characters from This Happy Feeling (1958). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Preston 'Mitch' Mitchell (Curd Jürgens)

A veteran actor teetering between retirement and a renewed Broadway opportunity. Charismatic and world-weary, he grapples with aging, fidelity, and the pull of a public persona. His softened demeanor hides a stubborn core, and he ultimately follows his heart toward Nita, even as he remains emotionally entangled with the world he inhabits on stage.

🎭 Actor 🕰️ Veteran 💔 Love triangle

Nita Hollaway (Alexis Smith)

A woman drawn to Mitch, whose warmth and ambition spark a genuine connection. She stands as a catalyst for change in Mitch’s life, challenging his reluctance to re-enter the spotlight. Her presence deepens the emotional stakes of the story and complicates Mitch’s decisions.

💖 Love interest 🌟 Ambitious

Janet Blake (Debbie Reynolds)

A secretary trying to escape her drunken boss and find independence. She forms a caring bond with Mitch after seeking refuge on his farm, becoming a focal point of the evolving romantic tension. Her kindness and resilience drive the narrative’s moral center.

💼 Secretary 💖 Compassion 🌀 Complication

Bill Tremaine (John Saxon)

Mitch’s neighbor whose initial casual borrowing of a car leads to a party, rumor, and jealousy. He represents a meddling, protective force in the story, navigating loyalty, desire, and the risk of crossing boundaries.

🧭 Neighbor 💪 Protective

Tony Manza (Troy Donahue)

A teen idol whose role in the Broadway play amplifies Mitch’s career tensions and the lure of stardom. He embodies the new generation of youth-driven fame and its intrusion into established celebrity dynamics.

🎤 Teen idol 🎬 Star power

This Happy Feeling Settings

Learn where and when This Happy Feeling (1958) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

1950s

Set in the mid-1950s, the story captures postwar America’s blend of traditional values and rising mass entertainment. The era’s social mores shape relationships, with a veteran actor navigating love, ambition, and retirement in a country increasingly captivated by Broadway and film stars. Fashion, manners, and the pace of life reflect a transitional moment in American culture.

Location

Connecticut farm, Broadway (New York)

The film largely unfolds on Mitch's Connecticut farm, a quiet rural setting that underscores themes of retirement and domestic life. It also moves to Broadway, the pulse of mid-century American theater, where a new teen idol and a veteran actor contend with fame. The contrast between the pastoral home and the bustling stage highlights the pull between private happiness and public stardom.

🌾 Rural 🗽 Urban 🎭 Broadway

This Happy Feeling Themes

Discover the main themes in This Happy Feeling (1958). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

❤️

Love Triangle

A central tension revolves around Mitch torn between the affection he develops for Nita and the loyalty he feels toward Janet, creating a classic romantic triangle. The misunderstandings fueled by proximity, gossip, and hesitation test each character’s sincerity. The film uses this dynamic to explore how desire, duty, and trust shape relationships.

⏳

Aging Fame

Mitch’s reluctance to retire and return to the stage highlights the pull between a career’s rewards and the costs of aging in show business. His back injury and hesitation reveal the vulnerability behind a famous public image. The story examines what it means to be valued for talent versus perceived youth and vitality.

💔

Jealousy

Jealousy surfaces as Bill’s protective instincts and the crowd’s suspicions of an affair threaten Mitch’s personal and professional life. The film uses misinterpretation and rivals to test loyalty and honesty among adults navigating romance and reputation. Jealousy serves as a catalyst for character choices and relationship shifts.

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This Happy Feeling Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of This Happy Feeling (1958). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the sophisticated tradition of romantic comedies comes a story where chance encounters spark unexpected complications. The film offers a witty exploration of love and attraction, set against a world where Broadway glamour meets quiet country living—and where a single rainstorm can change everything.

Janet Blake, a secretary seeking to escape an uncomfortable situation with her employer, finds herself stranded in a downpour after declining what she mistakenly assumes is an unwelcome offer of a ride. Soaked and seeking shelter, she arrives at the doorstep of Preston Mitchell, a retired actor whose peaceful Connecticut farm becomes the unlikely setting for an unfolding romantic tangle. Grateful for his kindness, Janet accepts a position as his secretary, unaware that her arrival has set new dynamics in motion.

Mitchell’s neighbor, Bill Tremaine, soon finds himself drawn into the situation, and what begins as simple hospitality evolves into a more complex web of affection and rivalry. Both men, it seems, carry their own histories and hopes—and Nita Hollaway, long connected to Mitchell’s world, observes the shifting terrain with her own interests at heart. The stage is set for a story where hearts are tested and choices must be made, all beneath the guise of lighthearted romance.

As tensions simmer and attractions deepen, each character must confront what they truly want. With Broadway ambitions lingering in the background and the countryside offering both escape and entanglement, the question remains: when opportunity and affection collide, who will follow their heart—and where will it lead them?

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