That Certain Feeling (1956) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Dunreath reinvented herself as a sophisticated New York socialite after her divorce from Dignan. Her past as Ethel Jankowski from Port Huron represents a simpler, less glamorous life she left behind. By hiding this identity, she maintains the polished image Larry expects and justifies her engagement to a wealthy, famous man.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes hint at her discomfort when Port Huron is mentioned, revealing her desire to distance herself from that chapter.

• dunreath henry
• ethel jankowski
• secret identity
• past life

Dignan desperately needs money to pay for his psychiatrist sessions. While he's talented and proud, his financial situation forces him to swallow his pride and take the job. His neurotic nature and anxiety problems require professional help he cannot otherwise afford.

Foreshadowing: The timeline establishes early that Dignan needs money specifically for psychiatric treatment.

• dignan
• money
• psychiatrist
• ghost writer
• desperation

Dunreath realizes authentic connection matters more than polished appearances. When Dignan publicly declares his love during the TV broadcast, it reveals genuine emotion versus Larry's calculated public image. She abandons the superficial lifestyle Larry offers and embraces a messier but more honest life with Dignan, Norman, and Happy.

Foreshadowing: Her feelings for Dignan resurface as they work together, and Gussie's matchmaking subtly guides her toward following her heart.

• dunreath
• dignan
• love triangle
• choice
• happiness

Larry plans to adopt the orphan Norman purely for public relations purposes. He intends to showcase the adoption during his television appearance on Person to Person to improve his image and present himself as a family-oriented celebrity. When Dignan points out Norman needs real care, not publicity, Larry's selfish motives become clear.

Foreshadowing: The timing of the adoption coincides exactly with the TV interview scheduling, revealing Larry's ulterior motive.

• larry
• norman
• adoption
• public relations
• image

Just as Larry prepares for his live Person to Person interview with Norman and a puppy, he fires Dignan. Instead of leaving quietly, Dignan bursts onto the broadcast and confesses his love for Dunreath in front of the cameras. This derails Larry's orchestrated publicity moment and forces Dunreath to make a public choice.

Foreshadowing: Tension builds as Dignan draws a caricature mocking Larry and brings the huge dog Happy instead of the planned puppy.

• television
• interruption
• confession
• live broadcast
• person to person

Dignan deliberately sabotages Larry's carefully planned TV moment. While Larry wanted a photogenic puppy to enhance his public image, Dignan refuses to participate in the staged charade. He brings Happy, a massive hound, as a humorous act of rebellion against Larry's vanity and superficiality.

Foreshadowing: Dignan's earlier caricature depicting Snips as a juvenile delinquent shows his willingness to mock Larry's carefully constructed persona.

• happy
• dog
• huge
• puppy
• tv moment
• rebellion

Dignan suffers from anxiety and neurotic tendencies that manifest as persistent nausea. His mental health struggles require professional treatment, which is why he needs money so badly. The stress of working for a man he dislikes while rekindling feelings for his ex-wife exacerbates his condition throughout the film.

• dignan
• stress
• anxiety
• psychiatrist
• nausea

Gussie is the sharp-witted housekeeper who acts as a matchmaker between Dunreath and Dignan. She recognizes their lingering feelings for each other and cleverly nudges them toward reconciliation, serving as a catalyst for their romance while adding comic charm to the unfolding drama.

• gussie
• matchmaker
• housekeeper
• romance

Larry's syndicate complains that his long-running boy-and-dog comic strip Snips and Runty has lost its humor and isn't generating enough laughs. Dunreath proposes hiring a ghost-writer to inject fresh jokes, secretly recruiting her ex-husband Dignan for the job.

• snips
• runty
• comic strip
• ghost writer
• syndicate

Larry returns home to find Dignan and Dunreath in matching pajamas after drinking martinis together. This intimate scene, combined with Dignan's previous acts of rebellion including the mockery cartoon and the huge dog, pushes Larry to fire him immediately before the TV appearance.

• pajamas
• firing
• martinis
• jealousy
• confrontation