After seventeen years of marriage, an affluent Los Angeles suburban couple Richard Harmon, Dick Van Dyke, and his wife Barbara, Debbie Reynolds Harmon, seem to have it all, but their constant bickering hides a fragile connection. They try counseling to salvage their relationship, yet the arguments flare when they catch each other draining their joint bank accounts, a move that comes after they’re urged by well-meaning friends. What began as a test of patience slowly erodes into the decision to file for divorce, setting the stage for a post-marital life defined by money worries, shifting loyalties, and a sharp eye on social appearances.
Richard’s take-home income is slashed by alimony, forcing him into a modest apartment, a humble VW Beetle, and a diet of lean necessities—he ekes out a living on about $87.30 a week, a world where every dollar matters and even a McDonald’s dinner (67 cents) feels like a small victory. In this new landscape, he meets Nelson Downes, [Jason Robards], a recently divorced friend who introduces him to Nelson’s ex-wife Nancy Downes, [Jean Simmons]. Nelson wants to marry off Nancy so he can escape alimony and wed his pregnant fiancée, while Nancy herself is lonely enough to consider a future beyond the failed marriage. The two plotters see a quick resolution in pairing Barbara with a millionaire suitor, Big Al Yearling, [Van Johnson], and they begin cultivating a relationship between Barbara and Al as a way to end Richard’s financial burden.
On the eve of the Harmon divorce’s finalization, the three couples converge at a nightclub to celebrate the progress of their schemes. In a twist of fate, the real-life hypnotist Pat Collins, [Pat Collins], is pulled into the scene and stages a trance that spirals into a playful, revealing performance. Barbara is coaxed into a mock striptease, then instructed to kiss her “true love.” In a moment charged with whimsy and consequence, Barbara plants a kiss on Richard, and the two realize they still share a bond strong enough to derail the planned separation. Meanwhile, Nelson wastes no time shifting gears as he quietly tries to interest Nancy in Big Al.
What unfolds is a keenly observed satire dressed in light comedy, where wealth, marriage, and mid-century social expectations collide. The film threads humor with a candid look at longing, reconciliation, and the surprising ways love can outmaneuver money-driven plots. With its ensemble cast delivering both warmth and wit, the story lingers on the idea that sometimes the strongest coping mechanism for a troubled partnership is to rediscover the quiet, genuine connection that first drew two people together.
