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The Happy Ending

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6.0/10 • 24

1969-12-211h 52m

Drama

Marriage is a 30 billion dollar business! And that's just to get married.

When Fred asked for Mary's hand in marriage, she thought she had the happy ending she only read about in fairy tales. Now it's 16 years later; Fred has had an affair, and Mary drowns her sorrows in pills and booze, a dangerous combination that nearly resulted in her death the year before. As Mary rushes off to the Bahamas for a relaxing escape from her crumbling marriage, she reflects on the past and wonders just where it all went wrong.

Directors
Richard Brooks
Writters
Richard Brooks
Editors
George Grenville

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Jean Simmons

    Jean Simmons

    Mary Wilson

  2. John Forsythe

    John Forsythe

    Fred Wilson

  3. Shirley Jones

    Shirley Jones

    Flo Harrigan

  4. Lloyd Bridges

    Lloyd Bridges

    Sam

  5. Teresa Wright

    Teresa Wright

    Mrs. Spencer

  6. Dick Shawn

    Dick Shawn

    Harry Bricker

  7. Nanette Fabray

    Nanette Fabray

    Agnes

  8. Bobby Darin

    Bobby Darin

    Franco (as Robert Darin)

  9. Tina Louise

    Tina Louise

    Helen Bricker

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Jun 3, 2023

6/10

The interesting topic for this film just about gives it enough steam to sustain the almost two hours of screen time. Jean Simmons ("Mary") is suffering from a long-term ennui with husband "Fred" (John Forsythe) and after trying drink and drugs to stimulate her existence, she absconds to the Bahamas (pawning her watch to fund this) on the evening of their wedding anniversary. It's on the plane that she encounters old friend "Flo" (Shirley Jones) and her pal "Sam" (Lloyd Bridges) and upon arrival they take the now penniless "Mary" in charge. It doesn't take long for the disillusioned lady to start to release that the grass is never really any greener, but her time in this idyllic location does allow her to recalibrate her priorities and sense of self (as well as to evaluate how her own life bears comparison with those of her friends). Simmons reminded me a little of Liz Taylor in this film. She has a confidence to portray a middle aged woman with demons and doubts; flawed and envious but kind and lonely too. Jones is good, also, as the friend whose life adds up to little more than series of relationships with wealthy men who have delivered fun and luxury, but little of substance. It falls to Bobby Darin's ("Franco") to finally help the penny to drop. Sadly, the film also focusses on the other half of this partnership a little too much, as Forsythe just had no weight as actor. Sure he was debonaire and had a certain class about him, but even at his ostensibly most impassioned in this film, his characterisation of the loving husband was more akin to that of a caring doctor. There was nothing remotely visceral about his effort, and that - I felt - really compromised the overall value of the film. Lloyd Bridges was never my favourite actor either, and here he contributes little of value by way of a foil to the kindly but selfish Jones. Plenty for us to get our teeth into, with a good strong story (though I didn't much like the ending) directed with a pace that suited the star. The dialogue is wordy, and sometimes a little melodramatic, but it is still a vehicle for fans of Jean Simmons to enjoy. Could have been much better, though.

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  • The Happy Ending backdrop

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
husband wife relationshipcoloradobored housewife