Plot Summary

For Love of Ivy (1968) Plot Summary Explained

Name: For Love of Ivy
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Released: 1968-07-17
Duration: 101 min

Release, runtime and language: 1968 · 101 mins · English; Loading streaming availability…
Directed by: Daniel Mann
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Beau Bridges, Doris McCarthy, Jennifer O'Neill, Abbey Lincoln, Hugh Hurd

Sidney Poitier stars in a warm comedy about a long‑time Black maid who tells the white family she works for that she plans to return to school and leave. The family’s 20‑something son, thinking she needs a change, tries to set her up with a gentleman who will court her but not marry her, hoping the romance will distract her from her plans. The man he finds proves reluctant to cooperate.

Comedy Romance Cast, crew & box office

On this page (6)

1 Where to watch
2 What happens: full plot
3 Plot questions answered
4 Movie threads
5 Movies like For Love of Ivy
6 Every angle

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in For Love of Ivy: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of For Love of Ivy (1968) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Ivy Moore, Abbey Lincoln, a 27-year-old African-American woman, has worked as a maid for the department-store-owning Austin family of Long Island, New York, for nine years, since being brought from Florida, where she was raised by her grandmother. Despite protestations that they treat her as part of the family, she announces her decision to leave her job and go to secretarial school to improve her situation.

The Austins are desperate to keep her, and the teenagers, Gena Lauri Peters and Tim, hatch a scheme to do so. Tim Austin, Beau Bridges, sets up Ivy with Jack Parks, Sidney Poitier, a trucking company executive, to wine and dine Ivy. Tim persuades a reluctant Parks to date Ivy, and applies pressure by threatening to reveal his illegal gambling casino, which operates at night in the back of a large, long-distance truck.

Their initial meetings are awkward for the cosmopolitan Parks and Moore as they visit a Japanese restaurant and a bohemian nightclub in Manhattan. Eventually, romance blossoms, but when Moore learns that Parks was coerced into initially dating her, she breaks up with him.

Parks, leaving behind his bachelor ways, asks Moore to leave with him for New York City. She accepts. As they begin to plan their departure, they witness the illegal casino being pulled over and everyone inside arrested after the Austins had called the police.

Last updated: March 05, 2026 at 18:40

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Plot questions answered

For Love of Ivy Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about For Love of Ivy (1968): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Why does Ivy decide to leave the Austin family after nine years?

Ivy decides to leave because she wants to improve her situation in life. Although the Austins claim to treat her as family, she has worked as their maid for nine years since being brought from Florida. She wants to attend secretarial school to gain better employment opportunities and achieve independence rather than remain in domestic service.

Ivy Moore
secretarial school
quit job
independence
better life

Why does Tim Austin set Ivy up with Jack Parks?

Tim sets up the date because his family is desperate to keep Ivy from quitting. He believes that if Ivy experiences an appealing romantic relationship, she will change her mind about leaving. The idea is that a gentleman who will court her but not marry her will distract her from her plans to attend secretarial school.

Tim Austin
Jack Parks
set up
date
prevent leaving

How does Tim convince Jack to go along with the dating scheme?

Tim uses pressure to make Jack cooperate. He threatens to expose Jack's illegal gambling casino that operates at night in the back of a large long-distance truck. This leverage forces Jack to reluctantly agree to date Ivy, even though he knows the romance is contrived.

Tim Austin
Jack Parks
coerce
threaten
illegal casino
gambling

Why does Ivy break up with Jack after discovering he was coerced?

Ivy breaks up with Jack because she feels used and deceived. When she learns that Jack was pressured into dating her and that the entire romance was a manipulation to keep her from leaving, she loses trust in him. She refuses to be part of a deceitful arrangement.

Ivy Moore
Jack Parks
break up
deception
trust
manipulated

What causes Jack's feelings to change from reluctant to genuine?

Jack's feelings evolve as he actually spends time with Ivy. Despite the awkward beginning at a Japanese restaurant and a bohemian nightclub in Manhattan, the two discover shared interests and genuine chemistry. As the relationship deepens beyond the ruse, Jack begins to value Ivy as a real person rather than just part of a scheme.

Jack Parks
Ivy Moore
feelings change
genuine romance
real connection

Why does the police raid happen at the end of the movie?

The police raid occurs because the Austins call the police on Jack's illegal gambling operation. As Ivy and Jack prepare to leave together for New York City, they witness the casino truck being pulled over and everyone inside arrested. The Austins' involvement in the scheme is exposed through this action.

Foreshadowing: The illegal casino was introduced earlier as Tim's leverage over Jack.

police raid
casino
arrested
Austins
illegal gambling

Did the Austins call the police on Jack's casino?

Yes, the Austins are the ones who call the police, leading to the raid. This is their response to seeing Ivy and Jack together, possibly as retribution or to end the scheme they themselves created. The call results in Jack's illegal operation being shut down and everyone inside being arrested.

Austins
call police
Jack
revenge
expose casino

Why does Jack ask Ivy to leave with him to New York City?

Jack asks Ivy to leave with him because he has genuinely fallen in love with her and wants a real future together. After breaking off his bachelor ways, he is willing to start a new life in New York City with her, not as a staged arrangement but as an authentic partnership.

Jack Parks
Ivy Moore
leave together
New York City
real relationship

What happens to Ivy and Jack after the casino raid?

After witnessing the raid, Ivy and Jack proceed with their plan to leave for New York City together. The raid disrupts the Austins' scheme but ultimately allows Ivy and Jack to pursue an authentic life beyond the manipulation. They step toward an uncertain but genuine future.

Ivy Moore
Jack Parks
leave
New York City
new life
together

Q10

Why does Ivy decide to give Jack a chance after the breakup?

Ivy decides to give Jack a chance because despite learning about the initial coercion, she recognizes that his feelings have become genuine. When Jack asks her to leave with him, he is no longer part of the Austins' scheme but is offering a real relationship built on authentic connection rather than manipulation.

Ivy Moore
Jack Parks
accept
chance
forgiveness
real relationship

Movie threads

More Movies Like For Love of Ivy, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes For Love of Ivy tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Awkward blossoming romance movies like For Love of Ivy

Gentle comedies where clumsy beginnings give way to genuine affection. If you liked the charming clumsiness and heartfelt connection in For Love of Ivy, you'll enjoy these movies about romances that bloom from awkward setups. These films feature gentle humor, hopeful feelings, and a steady, character-focused pace as mismatched couples find their way to each other.

romantic
awkward
hopeful
playful
uplifting
charming
Tone: light, hopeful, playful
Pacing: steady, character-driven

Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows characters thrown together by circumstance or a well-meaning but flawed plan. The central tension is mild, stemming from social faux pas or a hidden truth, and the plot unfolds as the characters navigate these initial hurdles to discover a true, uplifting romance.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together because they share a light, hopeful tone centered on the comedy and sweetness of an awkward romantic beginning. They prioritize character chemistry over high-stakes drama, resulting in a comfortable, steady-paced viewing experience with a happy emotional payoff.

That Awkward Moment

2014

My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend

2010

The Romancing Star

1987

A Family Affair

2024

Happy Together

1989

How to Date Billy Walsh

2023

Boys and Girls

2000

Along Came Polly

2004

Gentle social mobility stories like For Love of Ivy

Positive stories of personal growth and aspiring to a better life. Fans of Ivy's ambition to go to secretarial school in For Love of Ivy will appreciate these movies about characters striving for a better life. These uplifting stories focus on personal growth, ambition, and cross-cultural dynamics with a light, steady, and hopeful feel.

hopeful
uplifting
inspiring
social mobility
aspirational
gentle
Tone: hopeful, uplifting, warm
Pacing: steady, deliberate

Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative revolves around a protagonist's goal to change their station in life, often through education or a new career. Obstacles are presented as challenges to be overcome rather than insurmountable tragedies, and the story culminates in a rewarding achievement that affirms the character's aspirations.

Why they belong together: These films are connected by their shared focus on positive, achievable social mobility. They avoid heavy-handed drama, instead offering an inspiring and gentle look at personal ambition, often set against a backdrop of subtle social commentary, with a consistently uplifting and hopeful mood.

Happy-Go-Lucky

2008

The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss

1936

Larry Crowne

2011

Belles on Their Toes

1952

The Sweeter Side of Life

2013

From Prada to Nada

2011

Pollyanna

1960

What a Life

1939

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Every angle

For Love of Ivy (1968) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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